Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is one of the twentieth century's most brilliant works of music and theatre. Breaking from the tradition of the "feel good family musical", Sweeney Todd tells the story of a deranged barber and his partner in crime, a baker woman named Mrs. Lovett, who kill patrons and turn their bodies into Mrs. Lovett's Famous Meat Pies. A black operetta is a sublime description of the score, described as such by Sondheim himself, and this production pays homage to the beauty and complexity of the writing.
The characters are caricatures of Victorian London, the struggling working class, the crazed beggar, the wrongfully imprisoned, the crooked officer and judge, the altruistic sailor, the sweet ingenue, and the longing child. The costuming, staging, and "set design" for this particular production take the Victorian complexities, and combine them with a contemporary grit, bringing to light how universal these characters are. The simple placement of a leather jacket and a paper poster advertising "MEAT PIES" speaks volumes about where society sits in the present day.
Ultimately what shines in Sweeney Todd is the music. Bryn Terfel sings the title role against Emma Thompson as Mrs. Lovett. The lead roles are filled with accomplished actors and musicians including Broadway legend, Audra McDonald as the beggar woman. The New York Philharmonic brougt the gorgeous score to life, and took no back seat to the vocalists. Sondheim's score tells as much about the plot progression in the music as it does in the lyrics through the use of brilliant orchestration and a use of leitmotif unmatched in musical theatre.
This production is not one for the kids, nor those looking for a happy ending. Sweeney is often crude, brash, and at points disturbing, but rich and beautiful at the same time. This performance is beautiful and brilliant, truly a triumph of creativity.
Watch the performance on PBS here!
