Theater Review—

‘Sweeney Todd’ Is Mature Entertainment At Richter

By Julie Stern

DANBURY — So what happens if you mix The Three Penny Opera, Le Mis, Dickensian London and Freddy Kruger? You get a Stephen Sondheim “musical thriller” about Sweeney Todd, the “Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” which is being given a wonderful airing by Musicals At Richter.

I had never thought of myself as a fan of the jarring tale of the vengeful hairdresser who cuts the throats of his clients and leaves their corpses to be ground up into meat pies by his landlady, Mrs Lovett, but after seeing this production under the deft directorial hand of E. Kyle Minor,  I have a whole new appreciation for what the show can be.

Set in 19th Century London, and based on a Victorian penny dreadful, Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler adapted Christopher Bond’s 1970’s stage play, giving the murderous Sweeney a more sympathetic background. In his former life, a happily married young man and father of a small daughter, Benjamin Barker drew the attention of the lecherous Judge Turpin, who had designs on Barker’s wife, Lucy. Turpin had Barker arrested on false charges, and sentenced him to be transported as a convict to Australia, for life. Then, with the connivance of the villainous Beadle, he “had his way” with the naïve young woman.

After fifteen years as a convict slave, Barker escapes and returns to London, bent on regaining his family. Using the alias of Sweeney Todd, he returns to his old shop, only to be informed by Mrs Lovett that Lucy is dead — she poisoned herself out of grief and shame — and Johanna has been adopted by the evil Judge.

Mrs Lovett has managed to save his set of razors, however, and he is soon back in business as a barber, dreaming of the revenge he will take, as soon as he can get the unsuspecting judge in his chair.

Only when Pirelli, a former assistant, recognizes Todd as Barker and tries to blackmail him does Todd turn into a serial killer. Mrs Lovett, whose pie business has been floundering because she can’t afford any filling better than dirt and pussycats, sees the opportunity for economic development. With a ready source of tender meat (they only use strangers and out-of-towners who won’t be missed) she opens a thriving tavern, aided by Pirelli’s half-witted assistant, the orphan-boy, Tobias Ragg.

The other thread of the plot revolves around Anthony Hope, an idealistic young sailor who had rescued Todd from drowning and helped him get back to London. Anthony spies Johanna on the street and falls in love with her, provoking the jealous Turpin to lock her up in a madhouse.

What makes this MAR presentation so effective, beyond Sondheim’s more than two dozen musical numbers that recall the bitter intensity of Brecht and Weill, is the level of talent brought together in one production.

Jeff Porper is remarkable as Sweeney Todd. He has a marvelous singing voice, but more than that, it is his dramatic ability to flesh out (excuse the pun) the character. With every nuance of  facial expression as he interacts with Mrs Lovett, the mixture of bored preoccupation, curiosity, and dawning recognition make him a human being, rather than a monster.

Porper is evenly matched by the equally gifted MAR veteran Priscilla Squiers as Mrs Lovett, whose greed and selfishness can be tempered by kinder maternal feelings toward Toby, and a growing domesticity toward Todd. As their enterprise prospers her appearance changes, improved by nicer clothing and the acquisition of a parlour harmonium. One of the entertaining features of her role is her ability to mix raucous off key caterwauling with her true, serious singing voice. When the two of them close out the first act with the hilarious duet “A Little Priest” (as in try a little priest, it’s leaner and simpler than chicken), it brings down the house.

Luke Garrison is splendid as the hapless Toby, confused about the disappearance of his old master, but soon devoted to Mrs Lovett, who knits him a muffler and gives him work. “No one’s gonna hurt you,” he promises, in their duet “Not While I’m Around.”

Marilyn Olsen manages to be  both ominous and startling as a mysterious Beggar Woman who prowls into every scene, pleading for alms and when she doesn’t get them, flashing a scandalous leg at the appalled onlookers.

Chuck Stango makes Pirelli into a mixture of comic showman and sinister threat, whose overconfident machinations set the story in motion.

Patrick Spaulding and Ron M’Sadoques make great villains as the Judge and the Beadle, and Billy Hicks and Bonnie Byrnes offer a ray of hope at the end, in the person of the young lovers who still have a chance at happiness.

What works really well is the evocation of the soot smeared, fog shrouded London, enhanced by the large “company” of characters. And, one of my favorite scenes (there are so many in this fast moving entertainment) is the representation of the madhouse, done as shadows behind a screen, when Anthony comes to rescue his beloved Johanna from the clutches of the mercenary Dr Fogg, who pads his income by selling the hair of his patients to the best wigmakers in London.

You know that Sondheim is not Rogers and Hammerstein, and Sweeney Todd is not a joyous extravaganza like Grease, but for adults — and mature kids — this is a wonderful entertainment, definitely worth going to.

(Performances continue at Richter Park, 100 Aunt Hack Road in Danbury, Friday through Sunday evenings until July 23..

See the Enjoy Calendar page or visit MusicalsAtRichter.org for performance and ticket details including information about special discounted tickets are available for the Sunday, July 17, show.)