“Sweeney Todd” is melodrama set to music at its nth degree. Stephan Sondheim’s music and Hugh Wheeler’s book bring this tawdry classic of Victorian English life together with a malicious, humorous tweak that will shock the squeamish and tickle fun house, gore-seeking viewers. Director Robert Kelly has brought Sweeney from the early 19th century to London amidst the German blitz in 1940.
This macabre story can be traced back as far back as an 1825 article in Tell-Tale magazine called “The Terrible Story of the Rue e la Harpe,” which was in turn taken from an earlier account in Joseph Fouche’s “Archives of the People.”
Christopher Bond’s adaptation in 1973 London finally found its way to Sondheim and Wheeler who honed it into an award-winning musical comedy. It swept eight Tony’s for the 1997 season, which included Angela Landsbury’s insufferable, almost loveable Mrs. Lovett.
The story is as convoluted as the most tangled soap opera, but the characters are defined and the main idea is crystal clear. Sweeney Todd (David Studwell) has just returned to London after escaping prison in Australia where he was sentenced to life for a crime he did not commit. The former barber has only one thing on his mind: cold revenge against the corrupt Judge Turpin (Lee Strawn) and Beadle Bamford (Martin Rojas-Dietrich), who framed him, had his way with his wife and drove her mad, and then stole his daughter to raise as his own.
If this isn’t enough, he teams up with the equally demented Mrs. Lovett (Tory Ross), a down-and-out baker of “the worst pies in London” who lives under his barbershop. Together they cook up a hilariously macabre revenge scheme that fulfills both their needs. Comedy, tribulation, love and insanity, an interesting score and lyrics all blend brilliantly in this well-done production. All offer strong voices and deliver top performances.
As usual, TheatreWorks brings in a prima production with Kelly’s tight direction that keeps everything moving at a just the right pace.
Mindy Lynn, Spencer Kiely, Mia Fryvecind Gimenez and Jack Mosbacher carry their quirky characters just short of going completely over the top—which is not easy to do with this combination of melodrama and Broadway musical. A sharp, talented cast ably backs them up and gives the production its super edgy moments.
Excellent lighting design by Steven B. Mannshardt, interesting scenic design by Andrea Bechart and authentic costumes by Fumiko Bielefeldt add to the production. A 10-piece orchestra conducted by William Liberatore gives strong support with a complicated score and without missing a cue.
“Sweeny Todd” might not be everybody’s cup of tea or meat pie, but it is supremely well-done and does entertain.
