Steve On Broadway (SOB)

SOB's Best of 2005-06: #10 - Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York, NY)

Although Stephen Sondheim's musicals often get the bad rap that they're inaccessible, this third Broadway mounting of his classicly dark tale of a vengeful barber named Sweeney Todd works extraordinarily well on many counts and is quite tasty, almost in spite of the subject matter.

First, the import helmed by John Doyle strips the show down to its bare essentials and requires each cast member to play a musical instrument. Rather than distract from the performances, the on-stage orchestrations add more depth -- even though the original rationale for this type of staging was to contain production costs.

Second, the cast is sublime. I've long been an ardent admirer of Patti LuPone. While I've seen her in three other productions (including the brilliant Broadway revival of Noises Off in 2002), this marked my first opportunity to see her perform in a Broadway musical. Not only does she provide a delectable, vampy take on the downright demented Mrs. Lovett, but she also adds to the orchestrations by playing percussion and tuba! Michael Cerveris -- who won a Tony for his portrayal of John Wilkes Booth in 2004's remarkable Assassins -- provides a creepily sympathetic take on the demon barber himself. Other cast members, including Manoel Felciano and Lauren Molina simply captivate.

But the best reasons for seeing this show are the score and story themselves. The scandalous twist at the end helps turn this feast for the eyes and ears into a tragedy, yet with Sondheim tunes as merry as "A Little Priest" and "God, That's Good," the audience has a deliciously invigorating means of getting there.

Fortunately, audiences still have an opportunity to take in this already classic retelling of Sweeney Todd. But best get tickets before the crush of demand from its certain Tony Award nominations, including its probable lock on Best Musical Revival. It's tenth on my list of the Best of 2005-06.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Click here for tickets.

Related Stories:

The Tonys: If I Could Vote....for Best Revival of a Musical (June 4, 2006)

SOB's Best of 2005-06: #1 - Theater Of The New Ear (Royce Hall, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA) (May 30, 2006)

SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #2 – Guys And Dolls (Piccadilly Theatre, London, UK) (May 26, 2006)

SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #3 – Hedda Gabler (Brooklyn Academy of Music – Harvey Theatre, New York, NY) (May 25, 2006)

SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #4 – A Blameless Life (Steppenwolf Garage, Chicago, IL) (May 24, 2006)

SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #5 – Reeling (The Children’s Theatre Company, Minneapolis, MN) (May 23, 2006)

SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #6 – “MASTER HAROLD”…And The Boys (Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago, IL) (May 21, 2006)

SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #7 – Love Song (Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago, IL) (May 19, 2006)

O-Kaye Given to Temporary LuPone Replacement (May 18, 2006)

SOB's Best of 2005-06: #8 - Billy Elliot The Musical (Victoria Palace Theatre, London, UK) (May 18, 2006)

SOB's Best of 2005-06: #9 - The Well-Appointed Room (Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago, IL) (May 17, 2006)

The SOB Five "Worst" of 2005-06 (May 12, 2006)

SOB's Best and Worst of 2005-06 Theatre Season (May 12, 2006)

Labels: Michael Cerveris, Musical, Noises Off, Patti LuPone, Revival, SOB's Best of 2005-06, Stephen Sondheim, Sweeney Todd, Tony Nominations

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Monday, May 15, 2006