Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a 1979 musical thriller with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. The musical is based on the 1973 play Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street by Christopher Bond. Set in 19th century England, the musical details the return of barber Sweeney Todd to London after 15 years of exile, in order to take revenge on the corrupt judge who banished him, by conspiring with a local baker, Mrs. Lovett, who is in desperate need of fresh meat for her pies.

Sweeney Todd opened on Broadway in 1979 and in the West End in 1980. In addition to several revivals the musical has been presented by opera companies. It won the Tony Award for Best Musical and Olivier Award for Best New Musical.

Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Musical numbers 3 Principal roles 4 Productions 5 Film adaptation 6 Cultural references 7 School edition 8 Themes 9 Musical analysis 10 Awards and nominations 11 Recordings and broadcasts 12 References 13 External links

Synopsis
Prologue

The citizens of London, acting as a Greek chorus to raise commentary throughout the play, drop a body bag into a shallow grave. Sweeney Todd rises forth ("The Ballad of Sweeney Todd"), and introduces the play, set some months before the burial.

Act I

In 1846,[1] young sailor Anthony Hope and Sweeney Todd, whom Anthony has recently rescued at sea and befriended, dock in London, where a half-crazed Beggar Woman sexually solicits them, appearing to briefly recognize Todd ("No Place Like London"). Todd tells Anthony of his troubled past as a naïve barber, when a crooked judge banished him in order to pursue his wife ("The Barber and His Wife"). Leaving Anthony, Todd enters a meat pie shop on Fleet Street, where the owner, Mrs. Lovett, laments about the scarcity of meat ("Worst Pies in London"). When Todd asks about her empty upstairs apartment, she reveals that its former tenant, Benjamin Barker, was transported out of England on false charges by Judge Turpin, who, along with his servant, Beadle Bamford, then lured Barker's wife Lucy to the Judge's home and raped her ("Poor Thing"). Todd's reaction reveals that he is himself Benjamin Barker. Promising to keep his secret, Lovett explains that Lucy poisoned herself and that their then-infant daughter, Johanna, became a ward of the Judge. Todd swears revenge on the Judge and Beadle, and Mrs. Lovett presents Todd with his old collection of sterling silver straight razors, which persuades Todd to take up his old profession ("My Friends" and "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd – Reprise"). Elsewhere, Anthony notices an exquisite blonde girl singing out her window ("Green Finch and Linnet Bird"), and the Beggar Woman tells him that her name is Johanna. Unaware that Johanna is his friend Todd's daughter, Anthony is immediately enamored ("Ah, Miss") and he pledges to return for her, even when the Judge and Beadle chase him away ("Johanna").

In the crowded London marketplace, faux-Italian barber Adolfo Pirelli and his simple-minded assistant, Tobias Ragg, pitch a dramatic cure-all for hair loss ("Pirelli's Miracle Elixir"). Todd and Lovett soon arrive; Todd exposes the elixir as a sham, challenges Pirelli to a shaving competition, and easily wins ("The Contest"), inviting the impressed, onlooking Beadle to a free shave ("The Ballad of Sweeney Todd – Reprise 2"). Several days later, Judge Turpin flagellates himself in a frenzy over a growing lust for Johanna, but instead resolves to marry her himself. ("Johanna – Mea Culpa"). Todd impatiently continues to wait for the Beadle's arrival, but Mrs. Lovett attempts to calm him ("Wait"). When Anthony tells Todd of his plan to ask Johanna to elope with him, Todd, eager to reunite with his daughter, agrees to let them use his barbershop as a safehouse. As Anthony leaves, Pirelli and Tobias enter, and Mrs. Lovett takes Toby downstairs for a pie. Alone with Todd, Pirelli reveals that he is actually an Irishman named Daniel O'Higgins, an assistant to Todd fifteen years ago, who knows Todd's true identity. When O'Higgins attempts to blackmail his former employer, however, Todd injures and hides him, later slitting his throat ("Pirelli's Death" and "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd – Reprise 3"). Meanwhile, Johanna and Anthony plan their elopement ("Kiss Me"), while the Beadle recommends Todd's services to the Judge, so that he can better win Johanna's affections ("Ladies in Their Sensitivities").

At first panicked upon learning of Pirelli's murder, Mrs. Lovett seizes his leftover coin purse and then discusses with Todd plans to dispose of the body. Suddenly, the Judge enters; Todd quickly seats him and lulls him into a relaxed conversation ("Pretty Women"). Before Todd can kill the Judge, however, Anthony re-enters to explain the specifics of his and Johanna's plans, accidentally informing the Judge, who storms out and vows never to return. Todd drives Anthony away in a furious fit of madness, determining that he will kill all future customers, since all people deserve to die: the rich to be punished for their corruption, and the poor to be relieved of their misery ("Epiphany"). Mrs. Lovett slyly suggests that they use the flesh of Todd's victims in her meat pies, and Todd joyously agrees ("A Little Priest").

Act II

Several weeks later, Mrs. Lovett's pie shop has become a thriving business, and Toby is now working there as a waiter ("God, That's Good!"). Todd and Mrs. Lovett acquire a specially-designed mechanical barber's chair that allows Todd to kill his clients and then send their bodies directly through a chute into the pie shop's basement bakehouse. Mundanely slitting his customers' necks, Todd despairs about ever seeing Johanna again, while Anthony discovers that Johanna is missing ("Johanna–Quartet"), having been locked away in an insane asylum by the Judge. After a day of hard work, Mrs. Lovett envisions a seaside retirement ("By the Sea"), but Todd remains fixed on his revenge. Anthony arrives to beg Todd for help to free Johanna, and Todd, revitalized, devises a plan to rescue her by having Anthony pose as a wigmaker intent on purchasing inmates' hair ("Wigmaker Sequence" and "The Ballad... – Reprise 4"). Todd later sends a secret letter to notify the Judge of Anthony's plot, hoping to lure the Judge back to his shop ("The Letter").

In the pie shop, Toby expresses suspicions against Todd and his own desire to protect Mrs. Lovett ("Not While I'm Around"). When he recognizes Pirelli's coin purse in Mrs. Lovett's possession, she distracts him by showing him the bakehouse, instructing him how to work the meat grinder and the oven, before locking him down there. Upstairs, she encounters the Beadle at her harmonium, requested by neighbors to investigate the strange smoke emitted by the pie shop's chimney. Mrs. Lovett stalls the Beadle until Todd returns to offer the Beadle his promised "free shave"; Mrs. Lovett loudly plays her harmonium to cover the Beadle's screams above, as Todd is killing him ("Parlor Songs"). In the basement, Toby discovers human remains in a pie, just as the Beadle's fresh corpse comes tumbling through the chute. Mrs. Lovett then informs Todd that Toby has discovered their secret, and they plan to kill him.

Anthony arrives at the asylum to rescue Johanna, but cannot bring himself to shoot Jonas Fogg, the deranged asylum owner who tries to stop them; Johanna does so herself, grabbing the pistol. Now, the asylum's inmates pour out into the streets, ecstatically proclaiming the end of the world, while Todd and Mrs. Lovett hunt for Toby, and the Beggar Woman fears what has become of the Beadle ("City on Fire/Searching"). Anthony and a disguised Johanna arrive to find Todd's shop empty. Anthony leaves to seek a coach after he and Johanna reaffirm their love ("Ah Miss – Reprise"). Left alone, Johanna hears the Beggar Woman enter and so she hides. The Beggar Woman seems to recognize the room, but, before she can make sense of it, the frantic Todd appears to greet the approaching Beggar Woman and lethally cuts her, sending her down the chute just a moment before the Judge bursts in ("Beggar Woman's Lullaby"). Todd assures the Judge that Johanna is repentant and the Judge asks for a quick splash of cologne. Once he has the Judge in his chair, Todd soothes but then suddenly mocks him. The Judge recognizes him as "Benjamin Barker!" just before Todd slashes his throat and sends him hurtling down the chute ("The Judge's Return"). The disguised Johanna finally stands, horrified, from her hiding place, surprising Todd. Todd next decides to kill her too, before Mrs. Lovett shrieks from the bakehouse below, providing a distraction for Johanna to escape. Downstairs, Mrs. Lovett is struggling with the dying Judge, who claws at her. She then attempts to drag the Beggar Woman's body into the oven, but Todd arrives and sees the lifeless face clearly for the first time: the Beggar Woman is his wife Lucy. Todd is in shock as Lovett confesses that she did not tell him the full story of Lucy because she loves him herself. Todd then feigns forgiveness, dancing manically with Lovett until pushing her into the raging fires of the oven. Full of despair, Todd embraces the dead Lucy. Toby, with his hair now white from shock and babbling nursery rhymes to himself, picks up Todd's fallen razor, and cuts Todd's throat. As Anthony, Johanna, and some constables break into the bakehouse, Todd falls dead and Toby drops the razor, heedless of the others, while absentmindedly turning the meat grinder ("Final Scene").

Epilogue

The citizens, soon joined by the ghosts of Todd, Mrs. Lovett, and the others, recite "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd." The company exits, with Todd and Mrs. Lovett being the last, with Todd exiting with an abrupt slam of a door.

Musical numbers
Prologue"Organ Prelude" - Instrumental "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" - Chorus, Todd Act I"No Place Like London" - Anthony, Todd, Beggar Woman "The Barber and His Wife" - Todd "The Worst Pies in London" - Mrs. Lovett "The Barber and His Wife (Reprise)/Poor Thing" - Mrs. Lovett "My Friends" - Todd and Mrs. Lovett "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Reprise 1)" - Chorus "Green Finch and Linnet Bird" - Johanna "Ah, Miss/Green Finch and Linnet Bird (Reprise)" - Anthony, Johanna, Beggar Woman "Johanna" - Anthony "Pirelli's Miracle Elixir" - Tobias, Todd, Mrs. Lovett, Chorus "The Contest" - Pirelli "Tooth-Pulling Scene" † - Pirelli "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Reprise 2)" - Chorus "Johanna (Mea Culpa)" †‡ - Judge Turpin "Wait" - Mrs. Lovett "Pirelli's Death" - Pirelli "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Reprise 3)" - Tenor Trio "Kiss Me" - Johanna, Anthony "Ladies in their Sensitivities" - Beadle, Judge Turpin "Kiss Me (Quartet)" - Johanna, Anthony, Beadle, Judge Turpin "Pretty Women" - Todd and Judge Turpin "Epiphany" - Todd "A Little Priest" - Mrs. Lovett and Todd Act II"God, that's Good!" - Tobias, Mrs. Lovett, Todd, and Chorus "Johanna (Quartet)" - Anthony, Todd, Beggar Woman, Johanna "By the Sea" - Mrs. Lovett and Todd "Wigmaker Sequence" - Todd and Anthony "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Reprise 4)" - Chorus

"The Letter" - Quintet and Todd "Not While I'm Around" - Tobias and Mrs. Lovett "Parlor Songs": "Sweet Polly Plunkett" - Beadle "The Tower of Bray" † - Beadle, Mrs. Lovett, Tobias "Sweet Polly Plunkett (Reprise)" † - Mrs. Lovett

"The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Reprise 5)" - Chorus "Final Sequence": "Fogg's Passacaglia" - Lunatics "City on Fire" / "Searching" - Lunatics, Johanna, and Beggar Woman / Mrs. Lovett and Todd "Ah, Miss (Reprise)" - Anthony and Johanna "Beggar Woman's Lullaby" § - Beggar Woman "Pretty Women (Reprise)" - Todd and Judge Turpin "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Reprise 6)" - Chorus "Final Scene (Including the reprises of Poor Thing, A Little Priest, By the Sea and The Barber and His Wife)" - Mrs. Lovett and Todd

Epilogue"The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Reprise 7 - Finale)" - Company

Notes on the songs: † Despite being cut in previews for reasons of length, these numbers were included on the Original Cast Recording. They have been restored in subsequent productions. ‡ This song was moved to after "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Reprise 3)" in the 2000 and 2014 New York Philharmonic concert performances, and on the Original Broadway Cast Album. § This number was written for the original London production and first recorded for the 2000 New York Philharmonic concert performance. The song "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" and its multiple reprises are titled in some productions by their first lyrics to differentiate them from one another:

[show]

List of their full titles here

Sources: SondheimGuide.com[2] & InternetBroadwayDatabase[3]

Principal roles
Character Voice Type[4] Description Sweeney Todd / Benjamin Barker Bass-Baritone or Baritone Morose and vengeful; a barber by profession who returned to London, after fifteen years of unjust incarceration in an Australian penal colony, to seek revenge first on the corrupt judge who sent him there, and then on all his clients. Mrs. Lovett Contralto[5] or Mezzo-soprano[6] A cheerful, talkative, but amoral restaurateur; Todd's landlady, but enamored of him. Anthony Hope Baritone / Tenor A young, naïve sailor who has rescued Todd and falls in love with Johanna Barker. Johanna Barker Soprano Todd's beautiful young daughter, claimed by Judge Turpin as his ward. Judge Turpin Bass or Bass-Baritone A corrupt judiciary official who becomes infatuated with Lucy Barker, and later with her daughter Johanna. Tobias Ragg Tenor/ Boy soprano A simpleton who works first for con-man Pirelli, and then for Mrs. Lovett, but does not trust Todd. Beadle Bamford Tenor / Countertenor Turpin's right-hand man and accomplice. Beggar Woman / Lucy Barker Mezzo-soprano A mad crone whose interjections go unheeded, eventually identified as Benjamin Barker's wife, Lucy, who was raped by Judge Turpin. Adolfo Pirelli / Daniel O'Higgins Dramatic Tenor An Irish charlatan and former employee of Benjamin Barker's who has since developed a public persona as a flashy Italian barber; he attempts to blackmail Todd, but is immediately killed.

Casts

Character

Original Broadway Cast 1979

Original London Cast 1980

First Broadway Revival 1989

First London Revival 1993

Los Angeles Concert Production 1999

Second London Revival 2004

Second Broadway Revival 2005

Third London Revival 2012

New York Concert Production 2014

Sweeney Todd Len Cariou Denis Quilley Bob Gunton Alun Armstrong Kelsey Grammer Paul Hegarty Michael Cerveris Michael Ball Bryn Terfel

Mrs. Lovett Angela Lansbury Sheila Hancock Beth Fowler Julia McKenzie Christine Baranski Karen Mann Patti LuPone Imelda Staunton Emma Thompson

Anthony Hope Victor Garber Andrew C. Wadsworth Jim Walton Adrian Lester Davis Gaines David Ricardo-Pearce Benjamin Magnuson Luke Brady Jay Armstrong Johnson

Johanna Barker Sarah Rice Mandy More Gretchen Kingsley Carol Starks Dale Kristien Rebecca Jenkins Lauren Molina Lucy May Barker Erin Mackey

Judge Turpin Edmund Lyndeck Austin Kent David Barron Denis Quilley Ken Howard Colin Wakefield Mark Jacoby John Bowe Philip Quast

Tobias Ragg Ken Jennings Michael Staniforth Eddie Korbich Adrian Lewis Morgan Neil Patrick Harris Sam Kenyon Manoel Felciano James McConville Kyle Brenn

Beadle Bamford Jack Eric Williams David Wheldon-Williams Michael McCarty Barry James Roland Rusinek Michael Howcroft Alexander Gemignani Peter Polycarpou Jeff Blumenkrantz

Beggar Woman Merle Louise Dilys Watling SuEllen Estey Sheila Reid Melissa Manchester Rebecca Jackson Diana DiMarzio Gillian Kirkpatrick Audra McDonald

Adolfo Pirelli Joaquin Romaguera John Aron Bill Nabel Nick Holder Scott Waara Stephanie Jacob Donna Lynne Champlin Robert Burt Christian Borle

Productions
Original Broadway production and tour

The original production premiered on Broadway at the Uris Theatre on March 1, 1979 and closed on June 29, 1980 after 557 performances and 19 previews. Directed by Hal Prince and choreographed by Larry Fuller, the scenic design was by Eugene Lee, costumes by Franne Lee and lighting by Ken Billington. The cast included Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Lovett, Len Cariou as Todd, Victor Garber as Anthony, Sarah Rice as Johanna, Merle Louise as the Beggar Woman, Ken Jennings as Tobias, Edmund Lyndeck as Judge Turpin, Joaquin Romaguera as Pirelli, and Jack Eric Williams as Beadle Bamford. The production was nominated for nine Tony Awards, winning eight including Best Musical. Dorothy Loudon and George Hearn replaced Lansbury and Cariou on March 4, 1980.[7]

The first national U.S. tour started on October 24, 1980, in Washington, D.C. and ended in August 1981 in Los Angeles, California. Lansbury was joined by Hearn[8] and this version was taped during the Los Angeles engagement and broadcast on PBS on September 12, 1982.

A North American tour started on February 23, 1982, in Wilmington, Delaware, and ended on July 17, 1982, in Toronto, Ontario. June Havoc and Ross Petty starred.[9]

Original London production

The first London production opened on July 2, 1980, at the West End's Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, starring Denis Quilley and Sheila Hancock along with Andrew C. Wadsworth as Anthony, Mandy More as Johanna, Michael Staniforth as Tobias, Austin Kent as Judge Turpin, Dilys Watling as the Beggar Woman, David Wheldon-Williams as Beadle Bamford, Oz Clarke as Jonas Fogg, and John Aron as Pirelli. The show ran for 157 performances. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the production won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical in 1980. The production closed on November 14, 1980.

1989 Broadway revival

The first Broadway revival opened on September 14, 1989 at the Circle in the Square Theatre, and closed on February 25, 1990 after 189 performances and 46 previews. It was produced by Theodore Mann, directed by Susan H. Schulman, with choreography by Michael Lichtefeld. The cast featured Bob Gunton (Sweeney Todd), Beth Fowler (Mrs. Lovett), Eddie Korbich (Tobias Ragg), Jim Walton (Anthony Hope) and David Barron (Judge Turpin). The production, affectionately referred to as "Teeny Todd," was originally produced Off-Off-Broadway by the York Theatre Company at the Church of the Heavenly Rest from March 31, 1989 to April 29, 1989.[10] This production received four Tony Award nominations: for Best Revival of a Musical, Best Actor in a Musical, Best Actress in a Musical and Best Direction of a Musical, but failed to win any.

1993 West End revival

In 1993, the show received its first West End revival at the Royal National Theatre. The production opened originally at the Cottesloe Theatre on June 2, 1993, and later transferred to the Lyttleton Theatre on December 16, 1993, playing in repertory and closing on June 1, 1994. The show's design was slightly altered to fit a proscenium arch theatre space for the Lyttleton Theatre. The director was Declan Donnellan and the Cottesloe Theatre production starred Alun Armstrong as Todd and Julia McKenzie as Mrs. Lovett, with Adrian Lester as Anthony, Barry James as Beadle Bamford and Denis Quilley (who had originated the title role in the original London production in 1980) as Judge Turpin. When the show transferred, Quilley replaced Armstrong in the title role. Sondheim praised Donnellan for the "small 'chamber' approach to the show, which was the composer's original vision for the piece."[11] This production received Olivier Awards for Best Musical Revival, Best Actor in a Musical (Armstrong) and Best Actress in a Musical (McKenzie), as well as nominations for Best Director and two for Best Supporting Performance in a musical.[12]

1995 Barcelona production

On 5 April 1995 it premiered in Catalan at the theater Poliorama of Barcelona (later moving to the Apollo), in a production of the Drama Centre of the Government of Catalonia. The libretto was adapted by Roser Batalla Roger Pena, and was directed by Mario Gas. The cast consisted of Constantino Romero as Todd, Vicky Peña as Mrs.Lovett, Ma. Josep Peris as Johanna, Muntsa Rivers as Tobias, Pep Molina as Anthony and Xavier Ribera-Vall as Judge Turpin, with critical acclaim and audience applause (Sondheim himself traveled to Barcelona after hearing the success it was having and was delighted with the production). Later it moved to Madrid. The show received over fifteen awards.

2004 London revival

In 2004, John Doyle directed a revival of the musical at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury, England, running from July 27, 2004 until October 9, 2004. This production subsequently transferred to the West End's Trafalgar Studios and then the Ambassadors Theatre. This production was notable for having no orchestra, with the 10-person cast playing the score themselves on musical instruments that they carried onstage.[13] This marked the first time in nearly ten years that a Sondheim show had been presented in the commercial West End. It starred Paul Hegarty as Todd, Karen Mann as Mrs. Lovett, Rebecca Jackson as The Beggar Woman, Sam Kenyon as Tobias, Rebecca Jenkins as Johanna, David Ricardo-Pearce as Anthony and Colin Wakefield as Judge Turpin. This production closed February 5, 2005.

In spring 2006, the production toured the UK with Jason Donovan as Todd and Harriet Thorpe as Mrs. Lovett.

2005 Broadway revival

A version of the John Doyle West End production transferred to Broadway, opening on November 3, 2005 at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre with a new cast, all of whom played their own instruments, as had been done in London. The cast consisted of: Patti LuPone (Mrs. Lovett/Tuba/Percussion), Michael Cerveris (Todd/Guitar), Manoel Felciano (Tobias/Violin/Clarinet/Piano), Alexander Gemignani (Beadle/Piano/Trumpet), Lauren Molina (Johanna/Cello), Benjamin Magnuson (Anthony/Cello/Piano), Mark Jacoby (Turpin/Trumpet/Percussion), Donna Lynne Champlin (Pirelli/Accordion/Flute/Piano), Diana DiMarzio (Beggar Woman/Clarinet) and John Arbo (Fogg/Double bass). The production ran for 349 performances and 35 previews, and was nominated for six Tony Awards, winning two: Best Direction of a Musical for Doyle and Best Orchestrations for Sarah Travis who had reconstructed Jonathan Tunick's original arrangements to suit the ten-person cast and orchestra. Because of the small scale of the musical, it cost $3.5 million to make, a sum small in comparison to many Broadway musicals and recouped in nineteen weeks.[14] A national tour based on Doyle's Broadway production began on August 30, 2007 with Judy Kaye (who had temporarily replaced LuPone in the Broadway run) as Mrs. Lovett and David Hess as Todd. Alexander Gemignani also played the title role for the Toronto run of the tour in November 2007.[15]

2012 London revival

Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton starred in a new production of the show that played at The Chichester Festival Theatre, running from 24 September to 5 November 2011. Directed by Jonathan Kent, the cast included Ball as Todd, Staunton as Mrs. Lovett, James McConville as Tobias, John Bowe as Judge Turpin, Robert Burt as Pirelli, Luke Brady as Anthony, Gillian Kirkpatrick as Lucy Barker, Lucy May Barker as Johanna and Peter Polycarpou as Beadle Bamford. It notably takes place in the 1930s instead of 1846 and restored the oft-cut song "Johanna (Mea Culpa)".[16] The production received positive reviews from both critics and audience members and transferred to the Adelphi Theatre in the West End in 2012 for a limited run from March 10 until September 22.[17] The West End transfer received six Laurence Olivier Award nominations of which it won the three; Best Musical Revival, Best Actor in a Musical for Ball and Best Actress in a Musical for Staunton.[18]

2015 London revival

Cameron Mackintosh produced the West End transfer of the Harrington's Pie and Mash Shop production of Sweeney, which ran in London in October and November 2014.[19] This production takes place in a pie shop that has been recreated for the occasion in Shaftesbury Avenue and runs from 19 March to 16 May 2015. The cast includes Jeremy Secomb as Sweeney Todd, Siobhan McCarthy as Mrs. Lovett, Nadim Naaman as Anthony, Ian Mowat as the Beadle, Duncan Smith as the Judge, Kiara Jay as Pirelli, Joseph Taylor as Toby and Zoe Doano as Johanna. [20]

2015 South African production

Pieter Toerien and KickstArt produced a tour of Sweeney Todd at the Pieter Toerien Monte Casino Theatre (Johannesburg) which ran until December 13, 2015 before transferring to the Theatre on the Bay (Cape Town) until April 2016. Directed and designed by the award-winning KickstArt team of Steven Stead and Greg King, and starring Jonathan Roxmouth (Sweeney Todd) and Charon Williams-Ros (Mrs. Lovett).

Featured an all-star South African cast that includes Michael Richard (Judge Turpin), Jaco van Rensburg (Tobias), Anne Marie Clulow (Beggar Woman), Adam Pelkowitz (Beadle Bamford), Cameron Botha (Anthony), Sanli Jooste (Johanna), Germandt Geldenhuys (Adolfo Pirelli) Weslee Swain Lauder (Emcee/Jonas Fogg), Candice van Litsenborgh, Luciano Zuppa, Pauline du Plessis, Claire Simonis, Megan Rigby, Schoeman Smit and Earl Gregory. Musical director forhe show is Rowan Bakker. Costume designs by Neil Stuart Harris. Lighting is by Tina le Roux.

Other notable productions 1994 Los Angeles revival In 1994, East West Players in Los Angeles staged a revival of the show directed by Tim Dang, featuring a largely Asian Pacific American cast. It was also the first time the show had been presented in an intimate house (Equity 99-seat). The production received 5 Ovation Awards including the Franklin Levy Award for Best Musical (Smaller Theatre) and Best Director (Musical) for Dang. 2002 Kennedy Center production As part of the Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration, Sweeney Todd ran from May 10, 2002 through June 30, 2002 at the Eisenhower Theatre, starring Brian Stokes Mitchell as Todd, Christine Baranski as Mrs. Lovett, Hugh Panaro as Anthony, Walter Charles (a member of the original cast), as Judge Turpin and Celia Keenan-Bolger as Johanna. It was directed by Christopher Ashley with choreography by Daniel Pelzig.[21] 2007 Dublin production Irish tenor David Shannon starred as Todd in a highly successful Dublin production of the show at the Gate Theatre, which ran from April 2007 through June 2007. The production employed a minimalistic approach: the cast consisted of a small ensemble of 14 performers, and the orchestra was a seven-piece band. The look of the production was quite abstract. The Sunday Times wrote that "The black backdrop of David Farley's rough hewn set and the stark minimalism of Rick Fisher's lighting suggest a self-conscious edginess, with Shannon's stylised make-up, long leather coat and brooding countenance only adding to the feeling."[22][23] When a character died, flour was poured over them.[24] 2008 Gothenburg production The 2008 Gothenburg production premiered on May 15, 2008 at The Göteborg Opera. The show was a collaboration with West End International Ltd. The cast featured Michael McCarthy as Sweeney Todd and Rosemary Ashe as Mrs Lovett and David Shannon this time as Anthony. The show did a four week-run and ended on June 8, 2008.[25] 2010 National Youth Music Theatre, London In 2010, fifty members of the National Youth Music Theatre staged a production at the Village Underground as part of Stephen Sondheim's 80th birthday celebrations in London. NYMT took the show, directed by Martin Constantine, out of a conventional theatre space and staged it within a converted Victorian warehouse in the city's East End.[26] NYMT's patron Jude Law was in attendance on the last night. The company revived the show in 2011 for the International Youth Arts Festival at the Rose Theatre in Kingston upon Thames.[27] 2011 Paris production A major new production opened in April 2011 at the Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris), which first gave Sondheim a place on the French stage with their production of A Little Night Music. The director was Lee Blakeley with choreography by Lorena Randi and designs by Tanya McAllin. The cast featured Rod Gilfry and Franco Pomponi (Sweeney Todd) and Caroline O'Connor (Mrs Lovett).[28] 2013 DUCTAC, Centrepoint Theatre, Dubai Directed by Joseph Fowler with staging by Cressida Carre and designs by Jamie Todd. The cast featured Simeon Truby as (Sweeney Todd) and Natacza Boon (Mrs Lovett) 2014 Boston production The Lyric Stage Company of Boston produced a run in September and October 2014 with the company's Artistic Director Spiro Veloudos staging and directing the show. The cast included Christopher Chew as Sweeney Todd and Amelia Broome as Mrs. Lovett.[29] 2014 Quebec City production Quebec City-based Théâtre Décibel produced the French-speaking world-premiere of the show. Translated by Joëlle Bond and directed by Louis Morin, the show played from October 28 to November 8, 2014 at the Capitole de Québec. The cast includes Renaud Paradis as Sweeney Todd, Katee Julien as Mrs. Lovett, Jean Petitclerc as Judge Turpin, Sabrina Ferland as the Beggar Woman, Pierre-Olivier Grondin as Anthony Hope, Andréane Bouladier as Johanna, David Noël as Tobias, Jonathan Gagnon as Beadle and Mathieu Samson as Pirelli.[30]

2014 prog metal version, Landless Theatre Company, Washington, D.C.

Sondheim grants DC's Landless Theatre Company permission to orchestrate a "prog metal version" of Sweeney Todd, the first rock orchestration of the score. The production plays at DC's Warehouse Theatre in August, 2014. Directed by Melissa Baughman. Music Direction by Charles W. Johnson. Prog Metal Orchestration by The Fleet Street Collective (Andrew Lloyd Baughman, Spencer Blevins, Charles Johnson, Lance LaRue, Ray Shaw, Alex Vallejo, Andrew Siddle). The cast features metal band front singers Nina Osegueda (A Sound of Thunder) as Mrs. Lovett, Andrew Lloyd Baughman (Diamond Dead) as Sweeney Todd, Rob Bradley (Aries and Thrillkiller) as Pirelli, and Irene Jericho (Cassandra Syndrome) as Beggar Woman. The show receives three 2015 Helen Hayes Awards nominations for Best Musical, Outstanding Director of a Musical (Melissa Baughman), and Outstanding Music Director (Charles W. Johnson).

2015 Welsh National Opera production

In Autumn 2015 Welsh National Opera and Wales Millennium Centre produced a co-production with West Yorkshire Playhouse and the Royal Exchange Manchester as part of the "Madness" season. Directed by James Brining and designed by Colin Richmond, the production was set in the 1970/80s, and was performed in Cardiff before touring to Southampton, Bristol, Llandudno, Oxford, Liverpool, Birmingham before returning to Cardiff. It is based on Brining's previous smaller productions from Dundee Rep in 2010, West Yorkshire Playhouse and Royal Exchange Manchester in 2013.

Opera house productions

The first opera company to mount Sweeney Todd was the Houston Grand Opera in a production directed by Hal Prince, which ran from June 14, 1984 through June 24, 1984 for a total of 10 performances. Conducted by John DeMain, the production used scenic designs by Eugene Lee, costume designs by Franne Lee, and lighting designs by Ken Billington. The cast included Timothy Nolen in the title role, Joyce Castle as Mrs. Lovett, Cris Groenendaal as Anthony, Lee Merrill as Johanna, Will Roy as Judge Turpin, and Barry Busse as The Beadle.[31]

In 1984 the show was presented by the New York City Opera. Hal Prince recreated the staging using the simplified set of the 2nd national tour. It was well received and most performances sold out. It was brought back for limited runs in 1986 and 2004. Notably the 2004 production starred Elaine Paige as Mrs Lovett. The show was also performed by Opera North in 1998 in the UK starring Steven Page and Beverley Klein, directed by David McVicar and conducted by James Holmes.

In the early 2000s, Sweeney Todd gained acceptance with opera companies throughout the United States, Canada, Japan, Germany, Israel, Spain, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Australia. Bryn Terfel, the popular Welsh bass-baritone, performed the title role at Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2002, with Judith Christian, David Cangelosi, Timothy Nolen, Bonaventura Bottone, Celena Shaffer and Nathan Gunn. It was performed at the Royal Opera House in London as part of the Royal Opera season (December 2003-January 2004) starring Sir Thomas Allen as Todd, Felicity Palmer as Mrs. Lovett and a supporting cast that included Rosalind Plowright, Robert Tear and Jonathan Veira as Judge Turpin. The Finnish National Opera performed Sweeney Todd in 1997-98. The Israeli National Opera has performed Sweeney Todd twice. The Icelandic Opera performed Sweeney Todd in the fall of 2004, the first time in Iceland. On September 12, 2015, Sweeney Todd opened at the San Francisco Opera with Brian Mulligan as Todd, Stephanie Blythe as Mrs. Lovett, Matthew Grills as Tobias, Heidi Stober as Johanna, Elliot Madore as Anthony and Elizabeth Futral as the Beggar Woman/Lucy.

Concert productions

A "Reprise!" Concert version was performed at Los Angeles' Ahmanson Theatre on March 12–14, 1999 with Kelsey Grammer as Todd, Christine Baranski as Mrs. Lovett, Davis Gaines as Anthony, Neil Patrick Harris as Tobias, Melissa Manchester as The Beggar Woman, Roland Rusinek as The Beadle, Dale Kristien as Johanna and Ken Howard as Judge Turpin.

London's Royal Festival Hall hosted two performances on February 13, 2000, starring Len Cariou as Todd, Judy Kaye as Mrs. Lovett, and Davis Gaines as Anthony. A 4-day concert took place in July 2007 at the same venue with Bryn Terfel, Maria Friedman, Daniel Boys and Philip Quast.

Director Lonny Price directed a semi-staged concert production of "Sweeney Todd" on May 4–6, 2000 at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, New York with the New York Philharmonic. The cast included George Hearn (a last-minute substitute for Bryn Terfel), Patti LuPone, Neil Patrick Harris, Davis Gaines, John Aler, Paul Plishka, Heidi Grant Murphy, Stanford Olsen and Audra McDonald. This concert also played in San Francisco, from July 19, 2001 to July 21, with the San Francisco Symphony. Hearn and LuPone were joined once again by Harris, Aler, and Olsen as well as new additions Victoria Clark, Lisa Vroman and Timothy Nolen. This production was taped for PBS broadcast. The same production played at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago on August 24, 2001, with most of the cast from the preceding concerts, except for Plishka and Clark, who were replaced by Sherrill Milnes and Hollis Resnik. [32]

In 2014, Price directed a new concert production, returning to Avery Fisher Hall with the New York Philharmonic on March 5–8 with Bryn Terfel as Todd, Emma Thompson as Mrs. Lovett, Philip Quast as Judge Turpin, Jeff Blumenkrantz as The Beadle, Christian Borle as Pirelli, Kyle Brenn as Tobias, Jay Armstrong Johnson as Anthony, Erin Mackey as Johanna[33] and in some of the performances Audra McDonald as The Beggar Woman.[34] The concert was again filmed for broadcast on PBS as part of their Live from Lincoln Center[35] series and was first aired on September 26, 2014. This production transferred to London Coliseum Theatre for 13 performances from March 30 through April 12, 2015. The cast included original members like Terfel, Thompson and Quast, as well as new actors like John Owen-Jones and Rosalie Craig.[36]

Film adaptation
Main article: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007 film)

A feature film adaptation of Sweeney Todd, jointly produced by DreamWorks and Warner Bros., was released on December 21, 2007. Tim Burton directed from a screenplay by John Logan. It stars Johnny Depp as Todd (Depp received an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe Award for his performance), Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett, Alan Rickman as Judge Turpin, Sacha Baron Cohen as Signor Pirelli, Jamie Campbell Bower as Anthony Hope, Laura Michelle Kelly as The Beggar Woman, Jayne Wisener as Johanna, Ed Sanders as Toby, and Timothy Spall as Beadle Bamford. The film received high acclaim from critics and theatregoers and also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.[37]

Cultural references
On the Warner Bros. sitcom Just the 10 of Us, "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" is performed by Connie Lubbock (JoAnn Willette) for her debut as a night club singer at a pizzeria.

In The Office episode "Andy's Play", Ed Helms's character, Andy Bernard, portrays Anthony Hope in a local production of the show.

The Simpsons' 2009 Halloween episode Treehouse of Horror XX features a segment based on the show prominently featuring Moe, Homer and Marge Simpson. The segment is presented as a show-within-a-show style stage musical, even at one point showing Moe improvising his lines onstage while Homer is applying prosthetics and fake blood.

In Kevin Smith's film Jersey Girl, characters from the film perform a song from the play Sweeney Todd for a school performance.

A modified version of the logo is featured on the cover of the album, Hints Allegations and Things Left Unsaid by Collective Soul. The razor is replaced by a huge banner, the picture is in colour and is on a red background, and just the man is on the cover.

The Criminal Minds episode "Legacy" depicts a local meat packing plant owner abducting homeless people, prostitutes, and others he considers to be detrimental to society. While kidnapping one of his victims, the criminal whistles the song "Johanna."

School edition
Music Theatre International recently adapted the production to be performed by high schoolers. The only substantial edits that have been made are the removal of the Judge's "Johanna" and optional slightly different lyrics for a few of the Beggar Woman interludes, as well as optionally removing most of the swearing, and providing optional alterations to the stage directions so the murders did not need to be performed onstage. Other edits include the removal of the "Wigmaker" and its reprise (although the fourth reprise of "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" is referred to as "Wigmaker Sequence"). There are some changes in the naming of songs. "The Barber and His Wife" is considered part of "No Place Like London," the first reprise of "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" is considered part of "My Friends." "Pretty Women," "By the Sea," and "Searching" are in two parts ("Searching (Part II)" is mainly just "Ah Miss (Reprise)") and "Parlour Songs" and "Final Scene" are in three, (the epilogue is considered "Final Scene (Part III)"). "Pirelli's Entrance," "The Contest," "Wigmaker Sequence," "The Letter," "Fogg's Asylum," "City on Fire," "Searching," "Judge's Return," and "Final Scene" are all considered separate songs.[38] Repertory Company Theatre of Dallas's school of musical theater division in the United States, Ysgol Bryn Elian, North Wales from the UK; Artestudio, a musical theatre school in Mexico; John Septimus Roe Anglican Community School in Perth, Australia and the Sunbeams School in Dhaka, Bangladesh were the first in their respective countries to perform the School Edition.

Themes
Stephen Sondheim believes that Sweeney Todd is a story of revenge and how it consumes a vengeful person. He has asserted, "…what the show is really about is obsession."[39]

Hal Prince believed it to be an allegory of capitalism and its selfish qualities. He described this theme as follows: "It was only when I realized that the show was about revenge…and then came the factory, and the class struggle—the terrible struggle to move out of the class in which you're born…"[40]

Musical analysis
Sondheim's score is one of his most complex, with orchestrations by his long-time collaborator Jonathan Tunick. Relying heavily on counterpoint and rich, angular harmonies, its compositional style has been compared to Maurice Ravel, Sergei Prokofiev, and Bernard Herrmann (who scored Alfred Hitchcock films). Sondheim also utilizes the ancient Dies Irae in the eponymous ballad that runs throughout the score, later heard in a musical inversion, and in the accompaniment to "Epiphany". According to Raymond Knapp "Most scene changes bring back "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd", which includes both fast and slow versions of the "Dies Irae".[41] He also relies heavily on leitmotif - at least twenty distinct ones can be identified throughout the score.

Depending on how and where the show is presented, it is sometimes considered an opera.[42] Sondheim himself has described the piece as a "black operetta",[43] and indeed, only about 20% of the show is spoken; the rest is sung-through.[44]

In his essay for the 2005 cast album, Jeremy Sams finds it most relevant to compare Sondheim's work with operas that similarly explore the psyche of a mad murderer or social outcast, such as Alban Berg's Wozzeck (based on the play by Georg Büchner) and Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes (1945). On the other hand, it can be seen as a precursor to the later trend of musicals based on horror themes, such as The Phantom of the Opera (1986), Jekyll & Hyde (1997), Little Shop of Horrors (1982) and Dance of the Vampires (1997), which used the description of the trend, "grusical", as its commercial label. Theatre critic and author Martin Gottfried wrote on this subject: "Does so much singing make it an opera? Opera is not just a matter of everything being sung. There is an operatic kind of music, of singing, of staging. There are opera audiences, and there is an opera sensibility. There are opera houses. Sweeney Todd has its occasional operatic moments, but its music overall has the chest notes, the harmonic language, the muscularity, and the edge of Broadway theater."[45]

Donal Henahan wrote an essay in The New York Times concerning the 1984 New York City Opera production: "The difficulty with Sweeney was not that the opera singers were weaklings incapable of filling the State Theater with sound – Miss Elias, who was making her City Opera debut, has sung for many years at the Metropolitan, a far larger house. The other voices in the cast also were known quantities. Rather, it seemed to me that the attempt to actually sing the Sondheim score, which relies heavily on a dramatic parlando or speaking style, mainly showed how far from the operatic vocal tradition the work lies. The score, effective enough in its own way, demanded things of the opera singers that opera singers as a class are reluctant to produce."[46]

Orchestration

The original Broadway pit consisted of a 26 piece orchestra. (The number of percussionists may vary for different shows, though the percussion book is written for two players). Strings: 6 Violins, 2 Violas, 2 Celli, 1 Double Bass, 1 Harp Brass: 2 Trumpets, 1 French Horn, 2 Trombones, 1 Bass Trombone Keyboards: 1 Organ/Celesta Woodwinds: Reed 1: Flute, Piccolo. Reed 2: Bb and Eb Clarinet, Flute, Piccolo. Reed 3: Bass Clarinet, Bb Clarinet. Reed 4: Oboe, English Horn. Reed 5: Bassoon. Percussion: (2 Players) 3 Timpani, Bass Drum, Xylophone, Vibraphone, Snare Drum, Tom Toms, Bass Drum with Pedal, Orchestra Bells, Tam-Tam, Chimes, 4 Suspended Cymbals, Wood Block, Crash Cymbals, Bell Tree, Tambourine, Washtub

An alternate orchestration is available from Music Theatre International for a 9 piece orchestra. It was written by Jonathan Tunick for the 1993 London Production. Strings: 1 Violin, 1 Cello, 1 Double Bass Brass: 1 Trumpet in Bb, 1 French Horn Woodwinds: Reed 1: Clarinet; Reed 2: Bassoon Keyboard Percussion: Bass Drum, Bell Tree, Bells, Chimes, Crotales, Rachet, Side Drum, Snare Drum, Swiss Bell, Tam-Tam, Tambourine, Temple Blocks, Triangle, Tympani, Vibraphone, Whistle, Wood Block, Xylophone

Original orchestrator Jonathan Tunick revised his large orchestration for the 1993 London revival, adding a dirtier, grittier texture to the score's arrangements.

2012 London Revival: 15 piece orchestra. Strings: 2 Violins, 1 Viola, 1 Cello, 1 Double Bass Brass: 1 French Horn, 2 Trumpets, 1 Trombone Woodwinds: Reed 1: Flute, Clarinet. Reed 2: Oboe, Cor Anglais. Reed 3: Clarinet. Reed 4: Bassoon. Keyboard Percussion

Awards and nominations
Original Broadway production

Year

Award Ceremony

Category

Nominee

Result

1979 Tony Award Best Musical Won Best Book of a Musical Hugh Wheeler Won Best Original Score Stephen Sondheim Won Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical Len Cariou Won Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical Angela Lansbury Won Best Direction of a Musical Harold Prince Won Best Scenic Design Eugene Lee Won Best Costume Design Franne Lee Won Best Lighting Design Ken Billington Nominated Drama Desk Award Outstanding Musical Won Outstanding Book of a Musical Hugh Wheeler Won Outstanding Lyrics Stephen Sondheim Won Outstanding Music Won Outstanding Actor in a Musical Len Cariou Won Outstanding Actress in a Musical Angela Lansbury Won Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Ken Jennings Won Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Merle Louise Won Outstanding Choreography Larry Fuller Nominated Outstanding Director of a Musical Harold Prince Won Outstanding Set Design Eugene Lee Nominated Outstanding Costume Design Franne Lee Nominated Outstanding Lighting Design Ken Billington Nominated

Original London production

Year

Award Ceremony

Category

Nominee

Result

1980 Laurence Olivier Award Best New Musical Won Best Actor in a Musical Denis Quilley Won Best Actress in a Musical Sheila Hancock Nominated

1989 Broadway revival

Year

Award Ceremony

Category

Nominee

Result

1990 Tony Award Best Revival of a Musical Nominated Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical Bob Gunton Nominated Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical Beth Fowler Nominated Best Direction of a Musical Susan H. Schulman Nominated Drama Desk Award Outstanding Revival of a Musical Nominated Outstanding Actor in a Musical Bob Gunton Nominated Outstanding Actress in a Musical Beth Fowler Nominated Outstanding Set Design James Morgan Nominated Outstanding Lighting Design Mary Jo Dondlinger Won

1993 London revival

Year

Award Ceremony

Category

Nominee

Result

1994 Laurence Olivier Award Best Musical Revival Won Best Actor in a Musical Alun Armstrong Won Best Actress in a Musical Julia McKenzie Won Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical Adrian Lester Nominated Barry James Nominated Best Director of a Musical Declan Donnellan Won

2005 London revival

Year

Award Ceremony

Category

Nominee

Result

2005 Laurence Olivier Award Outstanding Musical Production Nominated Best Actor in a Musical Paul Hegarty Nominated

2005 Broadway revival

Year

Award Ceremony

Category

Nominee

Result

2006 Tony Award Best Revival of a Musical Nominated Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical Michael Cerveris Nominated Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical Patti LuPone Nominated Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Manoel Felciano Nominated Best Direction of a Musical John Doyle Won Best Orchestrations Sarah Travis Won Drama Desk Award Outstanding Revival of a Musical Won Outstanding Actor in a Musical Michael Cerveris Nominated Outstanding Actress in a Musical Patti LuPone Nominated Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Alexander Gemignani Nominated Outstanding Orchestrations Sarah Travis Won Outstanding Director of a Musical John Doyle Won Outstanding Set Design Nominated Outstanding Lighting Design Richard G. Jones Won Outstanding Sound Design Dan Moses Schreier Nominated

2012 London revival

Year

Award Ceremony

Category

Nominee

Result

2012 Evening Standard Award Best Musical Won 2013 Laurence Olivier Award Best Musical Revival Won Best Actor in a Musical Michael Ball Won Best Actress in a Musical Imelda Staunton Won Best Costume Design Anthony Ward Nominated Best Lighting Design Mark Henderson Nominated Best Sound Design Paul Groothuis Nominated

Recordings and broadcasts
An original Broadway cast recording was released in 1979. It included the Judge's "Johanna" and the tooth-pulling contest from Act I, which had been cut in previews.[47]

A performance of the 1980 touring company was taped before an audience at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles during the first national tour, with additional taping done in an empty theatre. It was televised on September 12, 1982, on The Entertainment Channel and broadcast on PBS.[48] It was later released on both VHS and DVD.[49]

In July 1994, the Royal National Theatre revival production starring Denis Quilley and Julia McKenzie was broadcast by the BBC.[50] Opera North's production was also broadcast by the BBC on March 30, 1998 as was the Royal Opera House production in 2003.

In 1995, the Barcelona cast recorded a cast album sung in Catalan. This production was also broadcast on Spanish television.

The 2000 New York City Concert was recorded and released in a deluxe 2-CD set.[51] This recording was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.[52]

In 2001, the same concert was held in San Francisco with the same leads and minor cast changes. It was also videotaped and broadcast on PBS, and then was released to VHS and DVD in 2001.[53]

The 2005 Broadway revival also was recorded.[54] The producers originally planned only a single-disk "highlights" version; however, they soon realized that they had recorded more music than could fit on one disk and it was not financially feasible to bring the performers back in to re-record. The followings songs were cut: "Wigmaker Sequence",