 |
| Photo by Stan Barouh |
Britain has always been given a
bad rap—fairly or unfairly—for the taste of their food. If anyone had actually eaten Mrs. Lovett’s
meat pies in 19th century London, you would see why. The meat contained in those goodies was
derived from sliced and diced humans from a killing spree by a man who was
eventually called Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
The ultra-successful dark
musical with the same name has come to the Main Stage of the Olney Theatre
Center in all its gory, er, glory. Propelled
by the music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Hugh Wheeler that was
adapted by Christopher Bond, Sweeney
Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street captured eight Tony Awards in 1979
including Best Musical. #hocoarts
With the production ably helmed
by Olney Theatre Center’s artistic director Jason Loewith, it is easy to see
why Sweeney Todd and its numerous
revivals has been a hit for decades. Aside from the wonderful music, the production
at Olney is bolstered by superb atmospherics, creative staging and top-notch
performances by a talented company.
Sondheim’s rich score and, at
times, hilarious lyrics are magnificent and convey the story in operetta form
with little spoken dialogue. This complex
score is handled expertly by Musical Director Christopher Youstra, Conductor
Doug Lawler and the nine-piece orchestra.
Songs, such as “The Ballad of
Sweeney Todd,” “Poor Thing,” “Johanna,” “Pirelli’s Miracle Elixir,””Pretty
Women,” “Epiphany,” the comical “A
Little Priest” and “Not While I’m Around” are highlights.
The well-known tale centers on Sweeney
Todd (formerly Benjamin Barker) who was wrongfully imprisoned for 15 years by corrupt
Judge Turpin. He returns to London seeking revenge on the Judge for ruining his
life by separating him from his wife and child.
Todd runs into Mrs. Lovett, a
baker, whose meat pies are lacking protein and aren’t selling. The two see a mutually beneficial partnership:
he slays the Judge in revenge as well as others from his barber chair; she uses
the carnage to bake into the pies that are sold to unsuspecting customers.
A love story also unfolds as
Todd’s daughter, Johanna, has been taken in by the Judge and Todd’s sailor
friend, Anthony, falls in love with her and goes to great lengths to get her.
However, the story does not end
well as far as the characters are concerned, but it was a lot of fun getting to
the macabre conclusion thanks to an infusion of black comedy.
In the title role, veteran actor
David Benoit triumphs with his commanding presence on stage and muscular
baritone vocals. A sturdy actor through and through, Mr. Benoit conveys his
despair over his plight and his desire to lash out at not only his antagonist
but all of humanity.
He has solid performances in “The
Barber and His Wife,” the duet with the Judge in “Pretty Women,” and a
tremendous emotion-packed rendition of “Epiphany.”
For the role of the cheerful and
garrulous Mrs. Lovett, E. Faye Butler excels.
While the temptation is there to ham up the part, Ms. Butler maintains enough
restraint while allowing the comical lines to hit the mark. Mrs. Lovett is smitten with Todd but fails to
divulge an extremely important situation.
Ms. Butler sings beautifully
throughout. Yet, her duet with Mr.
Benoit, “A Little Priest,” the hilarious number that concludes the first act in
which Mrs. Lovett suggests to Todd the idea of sharing the corpses of his
victims to create the pies, is a showstopper.
As the evil Judge Turpin, Thomas
Adrian Simpson turns in a solid performance.
The audience roots for his demise for sending Barker/Todd up the river
on trumped-up charges, raping Barker’s wife and having designs on Barker’s
daughter Johanna. His excellent baritone
is demonstrated in “Johanna,” and the duet with Mr. Benoit, “Pretty Women,” just
prior to his exiting the barber chair down the chute, is well-done in a chilling
sort of way.
Grace Jones as the lovely "yellow-haired" Johanna, the object of Anthony’s (as well as Judge Turpin’s)
affections, puts her soprano voice to good use in “Green Finch and Linnet Bird.”
Jobari Parker-Namdar as Anthony exhibits
a strong tenor voice in another “Johanna” number and with Ms. Jones in “Kiss
Me.”
Frank Viveros plays Pirelli, a
con artist who as a barber first loses a bet to Todd and then his life as he
attempted to blackmail him. Mr. Viveros
plays the campy role adroitly and his rendition of “The Contest” is outstanding
showcasing a strong dramatic tenor voice.
Michael J. Mainwaring does well
as Tobias, the sidekick to Pirelli and eventual assistant to Mrs. Lovett. His solid tenor is evident in “Not While I’m
around,” a duet with Ms. Butler.
Rounding out the leads is Rachel
Zampelli playing the male role of Beadle Bamford, the Judge’s accomplice. She performs “Ladies and Their Sensitivities”
well. And Patricia Hurley does a
sterling job as the Beggar Woman who everyone dismisses until her tragic end.
The 10-person ensemble performs
ably especially with “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd.”
As noted earlier, the visuals
lend reality to the time and place. There
is the industrial-themed, multi-level steel set designed by Milagros Ponce de León
that provides depth and texture to the action.
Included is the notorious barber chair that is rigged so that the
unsuspecting victims of Todd’s throat-slashing slide down a chute to the
basement bake house.
 |
| E. Faye Butler as Mrs. Lovett & David Benoit as Sweeney Todd Photo: Stan Barouh |
Scene changes are fluid as bulky
set pieces are moved in and out rapidly.
Mr. Loewith has his cast utilize the entire stage and upper levels of
the set as well as the aisles in the audience for entering and exiting that expands
the presentation.
Colin K. Bills’ stark lighting
design contributes mightily to the atmosphere.
The stage is mostly dim with a light layer of fog to depict London as
well as to represent the darkness of the plot and the ghoulish acts that are
the cornerstone of Sweeney Todd. Selective
spotlights highlight key parts of the action rather than illuminating the
entire stage at once. Don’t expect lavish color here; this is not a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical.
Seth Gilbert’s costumes are
spot-on period apparel adding to the authenticity. Even the costumes are darkened to simulate
the soot that existed in from the filthy air that Victorian-era Londoners had
to endure. Talk about paying attention
to detail!
The costumes reflect the clear demarcation
of classes in London’s society that form the backdrop to the story—from the poor
beggar woman’s natty rags to the well-heeled Judge’s aristocratic attire with
the working class garb of Todd and other working “stiffs” in between.
In true Olney Theatre Center
style, Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of
Fleet Street is yet another Broadway-caliber production. Kudos to Mr.
Loewith, Mr. Youstra and the enormously talented cast and crew for a splendid interpretation
of this classic.
It would be wise to purchase
your tickets to this spectacle, and if nothing else, you will at least be
paying more attention to what you eat.
Running time: Two hours and 45
minutes with an intermission.
Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street runs through March 5 at the Olney Theatre Center, 2001
Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, MD 20832. Tickets may be purchased by calling
301-924-3400 or online .
No comments:
Post a Comment