Sweeney Todd - Hartford Stage

Let the body count commence in the musical Sweeney Todd, receiving a historic co-production between two of the premiere professional theaters in the state – Hartford Stage and TheaterWorks Hartford.  The bold collaboration has spawned a thrilling rendering of the Stephen Sondheim/Hugh Wheeler classic.  Under the assured hands of Rob Ruggiero (Artistic Director of TheaterWorks Hartford), the show is infused with bold choices and creative flourishes.  The musical runs through July 5 at Hartford Stage.

 

Jackie Burns and Matt Faucher in Sweeney Todd.

Sweeney Todd is grand theater at its best.  Almost every element of the production, performed without a dedicated ensemble, is outstanding and strikingly performed.

The story opens on the streets of Victorian London.  We learn that, years earlier, Benjamin Barker, now known as Sweeney Todd, was unjustly hauled away to the Botany Bay penal colony in Australia by the unscrupulous Judge Turpin so he could have his way with his beautiful wife Lucy.  Now, back in the capital city, and after thanking the young sailor, Tobias, for saving his life at sea, he vows revenge on those who wronged him and ruined his life.  Complicating his plotting is the discovery of his grown daughter, Johanna, now the ward of Judge Turpin.  Taking up his old profession of barber, Todd teams up with Mrs. Lovett, the proprietor of a shop that sells “the worst pies in London.”  Together they plot murder, mayhem and retribution with ruinous consequences.

 

Lauren Maria Medina, Jackie Burns, and Matt Faucher in Sweeney Todd.

The book by Mr. Wheeler, an adaptation of playwright Christopher Bond’s original penny dreadful tale, is wondrously somber and delightfully homicidal as the individuals are propelled to their fates.  There is a healthy amount of humor mixed in with the pathos of the characters, who are well-defined and bring forth our sympathy as well as our detestation.

The score by Stephen Sondheim shows him at the peak of his composing prowess, and the entire cast is up to the demands of singing the challenging score.  This is his most fulfilling score full of gorgeous ballads (“Green Finch and Linnet Bird” and “Johanna”), impassioned compositions (“My Friends” and “Epiphany”), and wonderfully comic numbers (“The Worst Pies in London” and “A Little Priest”).  They brilliantly demonstrate his word-play savvy and proficiency for finely crafted melodies, which are exquisitely executed by the pit orchestra, under the direction of Wiley DeWeese.  Beth Lake’s Sound Design enables the melodies to soar even if, on occasion, the lyrics are hard to decipher.

 

Matt Faucher and Jackie Burns in Sweeney Todd.

Matt Faucher’s Sweeney Todd is the very essence of a tortured soul, radiating distrust and malevolence towards his enemies.  The actor brings a multi-faceted palette to the role ranging from overstated bravado to whimpering outcast. 

Jackie Burns brings a different take on the role of Ms. Lovett, so famously brought to life by Angela Lansbury in the original Broadway production.  Ms. Burns is still cunning, but not as daft, imbuing the character with a repressed sexuality that pairs well with Faucher’s Todd, perfectly forming a symbiotic, yet toxic relationship.

The rest of the cast is just as marvelous.  Edward Watts, as the lecherous Judge Turpin, gives the character a loathsome and contemptible sheen.  Tristan Caldwell’s Adolfo Pirelli oozes with insincerity and a devilish underbelly.  Willem Butler brings a hopeful gallant slant to the young Anthony Hope, while Lauren Maria Medina is angelic and at the same time tormented as the lovely Johanna.  Cole Thompson brings a pure innocence to the role of Tobias Ragg, the young assistant to the charlatan Senor Pirelli.  Carey Brown is solid of the mysterious beggar woman.  Brian Ray Norris is icily efficient as Judge Turpin’s lumbering henchman.

 

The cast of Sweeney Todd.

Ruggiero assuredly helms the musical, integrating all the actors and creative components into a superior production.  He has taken Luke Cantarella’s utilitarian Scenic Design, with small pop-up set pieces and a semi-circular walkway into the audience, and manufactured a landscape that is both chilling and sinister.  While I would have liked a more sizeable set with at least a small ensemble, the director compensates by moving some scenes into the architecture of the theater itself, such as when Mrs. Lovett unceremoniously locks poor Tobia into the furnace room, one of the tunnels leading out of the theater.

The design elements enrich the production with sometimes subtle, yet pronounced flourishes.  Fabian Fidel Aguilar’s costumes accurately reflect the clothing for both the upper and lower classes.  John Lasiter’s Lighting Design express a melancholy atmosphere.  His bold, bright red bathing of the theater’s back wall, when Mr. Todd does his “business,” is well-executed.

Sweeney Todd, playing at Hartford Stage through July 5.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.