Times are hard in 1846 London and one must make do. So
Nellie Lovett adds something extra to the meat pies she peddles on Fleet
Street. The secret ingredient: freshly murdered victims of her partner in
crime, barber Sweeney Todd. Composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim refashions a
macabre tale into a musical masterwork in this dazzling performance of the
1979 Broadway hit originally staged by Harold Prince. In her Tony-winning role
(one of eight the show earned, including Best Musical), Angela Lansbury plays
Nellie. George Hearn turns his stage role of twisted Sweeney into an Emmy-
winning triumph. The score coils around itself in ever-tightening spirals. The
lines ripple with black humor and madness. Enter Sweeney's tonsorial parlor.
Attend the tale. Stephen Sondheim's Victorian horror thriller
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is generally considered his
greatest work, macabre but darkly humorous with a viscerally powerful score
that has found a home both on Broadway and in opera houses. George Hearn (who
replaced Len Cariou of the original Broadway cast) plays the title character,
a wronged man whose lust for revenge drives him to murder (an 18th-century
legend who has been traced to a real-life barber), and Angela Lansbury plays
his partner in crime, Mrs. Lovett, who finds a practical business use for
Todd's victims. This combination of horror and humor is echoed in Sondheim's
score: brooding menace ("The Ballad of Sweeney Todd," "My Friend"), achingly
beautiful ballads ("Johanna," "Not While I'm Around"), clever puns ("A Little
Priest"), coloratura arias ("Green Finch and Linnet Bird"), and intricate
choral and ensemble numbers. Continuing a fortuitous tradition of capturing
the Sondheim legacy on video recordings, this performance was filmed before a
live audience in Los Angeles during the 1982 national tour. Almost 20 years
later, Hearn returned to the role opposite Patti LuPone in an acclaimed
concert production. But Sweeney Todd is an especially compelling experience in
this 1982 version, complete with the clever staging tricks (e.g., the barber's
chair) and as close to the original cast as we're likely to see. --David
Horiuchi