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Opined December 30, 2005
Sweeny Todd - Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim; book by Hugh Wheeler, from an adaptation by Christopher Bond; musical supervision and
orchestrations by Sarah Travis; directed and designed by John Doyle
WITH: Patti LuPone (Mrs. Lovett), Michael Cerveris (Sweeney Todd), Mark Jacoby (Judge Turpin), Donna Lynne Champlin (Pirelli), Manoel
Felciano (Tobias), Alexander Gemignani (the Beadle), John Arbo (Jonas Fogg), Diana DiMarzio (Beggar Woman), Benjamin Magnuson (Anthony)and
Lauren Molina (Johanna).
Lighting by Richard G. Jones; Sound by Dan Moses Schreier; wig and hair design by Paul Huntley
At the Eugene O'Neill Theater, 230 West 49th Street; (212) 239-6200. Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes.
This production sports an absolutely fascinating concept that is worth the $26.00 I spent on standing room tickets.
The concept is that the actors are the orchestra – and it works so well you wonder why no one thought of it before. It also works so well that I kept thinking
that these 10 actors and their instruments couldn’t possibly be making that much glorious noise all on their ownsome. Well, they can and they do.
This is a revival well-known, Tony award winning musical that originally featured Angelea Lansbury and Len Cariou. It is the story of Sweeny Todd, (Michael
Cerveris). He is an escaped convict returning to 1850’s London to take revenge, in the form of murder, on the judge who framed him but took in his daughter
Johanna as his ward. Todd eventually succeeds in killing the judge and along the way manages to kill a few others, sort of as bonus prizes. The victims are
turned into meat pies and sold by Todd’s partner in crime as well as other matters, Mrs. Lovett (Patti Lupone). Interspersed with the murders is the love story
of the Sweeny Todd’s daughter. It is so delicate (as delivered here by Benjamin Magnuson and Lauren Molina) you want to rush up to the stage and protect it
from the dizzy stream of insanity and rage and blood. It is like a child lost at the circus who hasn’t figured out things are scary without a guardian.
Not the most appealing subject matter for a musical, I know, but Sondheim of course could make an aria out of changing the toilet paper roll. The music is
spectacular, and it’s mind-boggling to watch these astonishing actors play as well as sing this score. They are supreme in the extreme. As well, this is nearly an
operetta with 25 songs and scarcely a spoken word, so when these performers are onstage they are flat out working. No one has a minute’s rest. It is a brilliant
example of ensemble work.
The story itself I found very difficult to follow. Now, it’s possible that I’m one of very few who felt this way. It’s also possible that it is a case of the audience
filling in the blanks because everyone is supposed to know the story. At the end of the first act I was all set. Sweeny is after the Judge. Judge is after his ward
in a marital way. Ward is after her lover and doesn’t even know her father is alive. Okie dokie then. But the second act blew up in my face. By the end all I
knew was that just about everyone was dead and the whereabouts of the daughter were questionable. I was so disappointed!
Cheers for the concept and the performers, but the second act was a magic trick that had everything except the requisite rabbit.
Still, it’s selling out and you can pick up $26 standing room most weekend mornings at the box office.