The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is back! The first musical ever presented at Signature gets a brand new environmental staging in the MAX Theatre as part of our 20th anniversary season.
No one's work better represents Signature than composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim's. And Sweeney Todd is Sondheim's masterpiece - with all its gothic gore, lush songs, and romantic melodrama. It's a grand musical that has all the stuff of a classic horror story - betrayal, revenge, madness, and murder.
The "meat" pies will be baking and the blood will be flowing in this thriller musical comedy featuring a celebrated cast of Signature Theatre favorites.
Some Food For Thought
I have always thought about this watching productions of Sweeny in the past..If Sweeny and Beggar Women have " Jet Black" hair where did Joanna get her "Golden Hair" which is actually a very important part of the plot.
I would love to see the " Milkman" of Fleet Street"s hair color.
The best production I have ever seen of Sweeny was this past summer at New Jersey Center of Performing Arts..with the gifted youth 16-22 years of New Jersey..they were AMAZING and any one of the performers could be on Broadway tomorrow..What Cynthia Meril did with those young adults was nothing short of a miracle..Bravo!!
Reviewed by mcclung_peter on Tuesday, Feb 23rd, 2010
RE:Sweeny Todd at Signature
All in all the production was very mixed...it was evident at least to this reviewer that the director was too busy with his new Million Dollar Quartet to give this Sweeny is 100 per cent attention. Not a bad production but could have been much better.
Lovett was one of the best I have seen and I have seen them all..trust me..acting..singing and takes on role wee just beautiful.
Sweeny was one of the worst I have seen and I have seen them all..trust me...his singing was not up to Signature..professional Equity ? levels..he seemed very tired on opening night.
The ensemble was magnificent..letter perfect..The Letter Quintet was the best I Have ever heard
Tobias Non Equity was the strongest of all the male leads which shows this reviewer that Equity means nothing as far as better talent just a larger paycheck and easier to get a audition..
I loved the Beggar women for this reason alone,,it was the first time I understood EVERY lyric and she was a little human in her take on the role and after all isnt Sondhiem all about the lyric?
Orchestra for as tiny as it was did MAGIC!!..Bravo!!
Anthony..Beadle..Joanna..and Judge were OK ..they presented respectable performances..not incredible but then not bad..just what you would expect.
One casting note.. And I live in New York and dont have ties to Tobys except for seeing a show now and then..I truly think this Sweeny would have been raised a notch by casting Russell Sunday as Sweeny..although he just finished the role at Tobys..he was wonderful and if the wheel is not broke?? well you get the picture..at least he sings and is on pitch..I really think " your good friend Mr. Sondhiem,,would have cringed in his seat on opening night hearing some of those notes and pitches ..No pun intended but this peformer " Butchered the Role"
anyway..I will be back because I love Signature and always brag about it to the NYC folk because I am proud of the DC Theatre talent pool..its great to always think out of the box..but dont get to comfortable in taking chances on the talent and casting especially with this show..it will come back to haunt you!
Lots of luck with the show and run...after Showboat which was horrific and now this bloody mess you may want to pick a sure fire hit for next season.
Peter McClung
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