THEATER REVIEW: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at Barrington Stage Company
Theater
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by Hugh Wheeler
Directed by Julianne Boyd
Musical direction by Darren Cohen
(Mainstage, Barrington Stage Company, Pittsfield, Mass., through July 17, 500 seats, $15-$58)
A Barrington Stage Company (www.barringtonstageco.org) production of a musical in two acts
(In order of appearance)
Shonn Wiley Anthony Hope
Jeff McCarthy Sweeney Todd
Christianne Tisdale Beggar Woman
Harriet Harris Mrs. Lovett
Ed Dixon Judge Turpin
Timothy Shew Beadle Bamford
Sarah Stevens Johanna Barker
Zachary Claus Tobias Ragg
Branch Woodman Pirelli
Allan Snyder Jonas Fogg
Ensemble: Traci Bair, Paul Betz, Analisa Leaming, Ailsa May, John Rapson, Jaime Rosenstein, Amanda Salvatore, Billy Shaw, Allan Snyder
Reviewed by Lesley Ann Beck
Under the sure hand of director Julianne Boyd, Stephen Sondheim’s masterful musical thriller Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is being given a marvelous production at Barrington Stage Company. This is not the Sweeney Todd you might expect, with a wild-eyed and manic Sweeney, but one where the audience feels a measure of sympathy for the title character. Is he a murderer with a mounting number of deaths to his credit? Yes, certainly. But he’s a victim, too, we see his torment, and in this production, that makes all the difference.
From the “Ballad of Sweeney Todd” through “Joha
nna” and “Pretty Women,” from “Epiphany” to “Not While I’m Around” and back to the “Ballad,” the magnificent score of Sweeney Todd, thanks to a nine-piece orchestra and a cast of gifted singers, fills the Mainstage at Barrington Stage Company with glorious music. Sondheim’s music is richly textured, complex, full of surprises and nuance, and notoriously difficult to perform, but this cast, expertly led by musical director Darren Cohen, makes it look easy.
nna” and “Pretty Women,” from “Epiphany” to “Not While I’m Around” and back to the “Ballad,” the magnificent score of Sweeney Todd, thanks to a nine-piece orchestra and a cast of gifted singers, fills the Mainstage at Barrington Stage Company with glorious music. Sondheim’s music is richly textured, complex, full of surprises and nuance, and notoriously difficult to perform, but this cast, expertly led by musical director Darren Cohen, makes it look easy.
Sweeney Todd is a twisted tale of lust, murder, cannibalism, and revenge, set in a depressing, Dickensian London, tempered by a dark, clever humor. Sweeney Todd’s great love for his lost wife and daughter fuels his obsession with revenge, but over the years the love has turned to a hatred that renders him tragically blind. Mrs. Lovett yearns for Sweeney Todd, and her imaginative solution to a shortage of ingredients for her meat pies is just part of her scheme to attract him.
Jeff McCarthy is a wonderful Sweeney Todd. His voice is deep, rich, and stirring, and he physically dominates the stage. I hesitate to call him the hero, but in McCarthy’s hands, this Sweeney Todd has considerable appeal, despite (or perhaps due to) a loose-cannon sense of danger. Harriet Harris is fantastic as the dotty Mrs. Lovett, and she's an excellent foil to McCarthy; their scenes together are completely engaging, especially “A Little Priest.” It is in their exchanges that we see the perverse humor that punctuate
s the first act.
s the first act.
Zachary Clause as Tobias Ragg not only delivers his songs beautifully, he brings a sweetness to his scenes with Lovett; their “Not While I’m Around” duet is heartbreakingly lovely. Shonn Wiley as Anthony Hope and Sarah Stevens as Johanna deliver first-rate performances as well, and their voices sound superb together. Ed Dixon is ideal as an imposing, threatening Judge Turpin, balanced by an effective Timothy Shew as Beadle Bamford. The members of the ensemble, acting as a sort of Greek chorus at times, sing exceptionally well; their vocal contribution is significant.
The set is simple, but it suits the show perfectly. The brick back wall of the theater is visible behind some scaffolding and a timber-frame arch within the proscenium. Mrs. Lovett’s pie shop with Sweeney’s Tonsorial Parlor on top is on a moving wagon, so we see it from several angles. There’s very little color in Sweeney’s London slum; that’s left to the effective and eclectic mix of costumes, a ragged assortment of vaguely Victorian getups with a handful of pieces that grab the attention: Mrs. Lovett’s hideous lime-green sweater comes to mind. The lighting and sound designer contribute fine work as well.
The wicked wit of the book and lyrics are expertly rendered in this production, but leavened with a poignancy that balances some of the insanity in the storyline. This is a Sweeney Todd well worth savoring; it’s a rich dish.
Set design, Wilson Chin; Costume design, Jen Moeller; Lighting design, Philip S. Rosenberg; Sound design, Ed Chapman; Director of production, Tristan Wilson; Fight choreographer, Michael Burnet; Dialect coach, Stephen Gabis; Stage manager, Renee Lutz
(Through July 17; running time 2 hours, 45 minutes, one 15-minute intermission)
Photos by Kevin Sprague/courtesy Barrington Stage Company
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