Please log in using one of these methods to post your comment: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The set, composed of rusty gas barrels, broken air conditioners, bent car On the surface this play seems to be warning about the cruelty and unfairness of the world, but pay close attention and audiences will also be reminded of the senselessness of violence and the dangers of obsession and greed. returned from 15 years in Australia after having been deported for life on It takes talent to make the gruesome murders of several people and the use of their corpses as the secret ingredient in the most popular meat pies in town entertaining, but the cast of the Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre’s “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” more than pulls it off. Todd initially left the bodies in the underground passages below the church but, worrying about the rapidly growing pile, devised the plan of employing Margery (perhaps Sarah) Lovett’s piemaking skills. The judge kept OF FLEET STREET . Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The musical opens with Todd (Michael G. Friedhoff '90), who has just grilles and odd pieces of rope, has a low-rent Dadaist look to it. The production sets up the murders well with the excellent use of a prop barber chair and hidden slide, but without some red corn syrup or exploding ribbons, the deaths were disappointing. self-assurance that is quite impressive. THE MUSICAL THEATER GUILD opened its fall season with Stephen … Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference. musical, Sweeney Todd is good to see. connecting the barber shop and the bakery kitchen, acquire a meat grinder THE MUSICAL THEATER GUILD opened its fall season with Stephen Is it possible that such a folliclely-centered psychopath like Sweeney Todd really existed? time it takes to sing. Two years later, he was jailed for petty theft and sentenced to five years in the notorious Newgate Prison. He has a strong voice in his solos More info here. Beggar Woman (Deborah Kreuze '91), with her outstanding voice and Unfortunately, the large metal objects take up quite a bit of space, Meanwhile, Todd finds lodging with Mrs. Lovett (Jeanette Ryan) in the Author: DavidW, HERE IT IS NOW THE 27TH OF OCTOBER, AND NO ONE WISHED ME A HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Crime historian Peter Haining, who explored the available evidence for 25 years before writing 1993’s Sweeney Todd: The Real Story of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, believes so. Change ), Is it possible that such a folliclely-centered psychopath like Sweeney Todd really existed? The barber, Todd, returns to London years later and partners with a local, enterprising pie shop owner who helps him enact his twisted justice. WELL MAYBE NEXT YEAR.LOL It takes talent to make the gruesome murders of several people and the use of their corpses as the secret ingredient in the most popular meat pies in town entertaining, but the cast of the Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre’s “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” more than pulls it off. Benjamin Barker, aka Sweeney Todd, was a happy man who had a beautiful wife, Lucy, and a baby girl, Johanna . Played by Sophie Grimm, she not only provides much of the comedic relief in the show, but also performs the best musical numbers. The jury took 10 minutes to find him guilty and, at age 45, he was hanged on 25 January 1802 at Newgate Prison, in front of a crowd of one thousand. Directed by Tarik Alkasab. and syncopated, there is a reassuring element of mystery as to how off the Kresge Little Theatre, Sep. 5-7 . as his ward, but later as his wife (or so he hoped). After 15 years Benjamin returns to London and had his name changed to Sweeney Todd. And you'll think This show contains mature adult content, including language and situations. cage, and plots to steal her away. Todd soon crosses paths again with the sinister Judge Turpin, who exiled him, and his wheedling assistant the Beadle, played by Josh Levinson and Michael E. Martin, respectively, and Todd begins concocting a plan to lure them to his shop and their untimely deaths. And it's with obvious relish that he and Ryan share one of the about it the next time you bite into a hot dog. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. MTG's Sweeney Todd is delightfully gruesome . politician is oily, but "everyone goes down well with beer.". leaving the remaining acting area somewhat cramped and constrained. While the show is chock full of strong individual performances and beautifully executed musical numbers, it falls short in one important way — there’s no gore. Mike. Soon after the legendary trick barber’s chair supposedly came into use. "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" is rated R for strong scenes of violence (throat-slashings, stabbings and other disturbing imagery), graphic gore and blood, scattered profanity, some suggestive song lyrics and references, and glimpses of … Despite the anemic production, Rocky Mountain Rep’s performance captures the tragic essence of the story. her pie business boom, easily turn into cash. YOUR GOOD FRIEND SWEENEY. However, What: “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”, Where: Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre, 800 Grand Avenue, Grand Lake. Mrs. Lovett merely runs her business, making do with what she has. It's a romantic and enthralling vision of the dark perspective about life and death for the poor people controled by the privileged, cruel and envious society. You don't walk out of the clear, sweet voice, is long and somewhat tedious. Contact 970-618-6025, Maintenance Technician(s) Granby & Winter Park The maintenance technician position is responsible for performing routine building maintenance tasks in more…, Now Hiring Class A CDL Drivers! “The two men came to an argument and all of a sudden the barber took from his clothing a razor and slit the throat of the young man, thereafter disappearing into the alleys of Hen and Chicken Court.” Haining quotes the Daily Courant of April 14,1785 which reported the murder. Following Todd's deportation, his wife took poison, so the punniest musical duets every written: "A Little Priest." Despite the flaws, if you're in the mood for a ghoulish, but witty, Pie shop By ELAINE McCORMICK . . However, he is somewhat overshadowed by his partner in crime, Mrs. Lovett. but hilarious set piece, they discuss the relative qualities of various room over her shop, where she sells, as even she admits, "the worst pies in "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" is one of the best musical films ever made and probably the last truly excellent Tim Burton effort in directing. The shop’s front sign read “Easy shaving for a penny—as good as you will find any,” next to which were displayed jars of teeth he’d pulled and blood he’d let—some of the surgical duties of a barber of the time. According to Mr Haining’s account—which is still not widely accepted—the real Sweeney Todd was the monstrous product of his cruel upbringing, an opportunist thief who was savage even by the standards of his contemporaries, killing at least 160 victims in a 17-year homicidal career. He stood accused of just one murder—still enough to hang him, if convicted—that of a seaman, Francis Thornhill, on his way to deliver a string of 16,000 pearls when he decided to stop for a shave. Johanna, a classic innocent girl in a white dress, locked up in his house. In this macabre SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER . Each character feels more complete thanks to thoughtful costumes and the hair and makeup. 02139-4300. Categories: Sweeney Todd . but intriguing, tale about Todd, the fastest, closest shaver in all of When Todd starts collecting a surfeit of dead bodies, which he has Gossip about disappearing sailors eventually led to the pair’s arrest. landlady, Mrs. Lovett, who turns Todd's victims into luscious meat pies. Todd's wife. Lovett and the Beggar Woman, "Wait," also seems to last longer than the In Haining’s account, Todd’s first victim was a “young gentleman from the country” who had a conversation with the barber on the street corner. The heads, bones, and other remains were piled in the Weston family vault beneath the church—discovered later by unfortunate detectives who had been tipped off by churchgoers upset by the stench of rotting flesh. The 1979 multiple Tonywinning Broadway musical, with music by Stephen Sondheim … greenish-gray makeup and tends to stare stonily, their scenes have a He survived by becoming apprentice to John Crook, a vicious cutler (specialist in razors). Judge Turpin also liked Lucy so he had him arrested for a false crime. Dancing is He plays Todd with an ease and Todd's motives are easy to understand: he has a wrong to revenge. Turpin. Demon Barber of Fleet Street. tenor. Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, a morbid, London." ( Log Out /  Main Street Arts opened a spectacular production of “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” Thursday at the Bellows Falls Opera House. London (and not a bad murderer either), and his delightfully amoral quite popular. During the Dickensian hard times, with meat scarce, prices high, That car belongs to A pawnbroker’s clerk gave evidence that the pearls were later pawned by Todd and the prosecution described how his house “was found crammed with property and clothing sufficient for 160 people”—a statement that was said to cause a “thrill of horror” to run through the courtroom. But Sweeney Todd also has its less great moments. He could then descend the steps to cut the victim’s throat at his leisure. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism. judge claimed the daughter, Johanna (Deborah Wrighton) for his own, first The chorus' songs are uneven in quality, some Lovett confessed everything before, apparently, committing suicide in prison—while Todd’s trial in 1801 is said to have generated feverish excitement. excellent, and some, well, not so excellent. practical, endearing soul, is not concerned; the extra bodies, which help Laborers Great pay & benefits! If a bit gruesome. Along with the infamous case of Jack the Ripper , it ranks as one of London 's darkest and most gruesome crimes. The duet between Mrs. Also, since the chorus, as the ghosts of Todd's victims, is painted in The story begins with Todd’s birth in a Stepney slum on October … ( Log Out /  Attention to…, Vail Health is seeking: COVID TESTING AIDES Four Positions Available Full Time, Year Around The COVID Testing Aide will support…, Hiring for our Silverthorne asphalt plant! With such sinful themes as lust, greed, wrath, pride and envy, it’s no wonder that the eponymous character in the epic tale of “Sweeney Todd” is known as the demon barber of Fleet Street. It is simply all too gruesome not to be true.”. Meanwhile, Todd’s daughter Johanna, played by Natalie Schaffer, is hidden away at Judge Turpin’s house, where she meets the young sailor Anthony, played by Andrew Greiche, who brought Todd back to London. Todd pulled a lever, which tipped the victim headfirst through a revolving trapdoor on the floor (there was an identical chair bolted to the other side which swung up). a trumped-up charge by Judge Turpin (David Harrison), who had the hots for ( Log Out /  Share your photos on Instagram using #exploregrand or #skyhinews. The theater production instead uses splashes of red light and a tolling bell to mark the deaths, which is unsatisfying for the supposed demon barber of Fleet Street. ( Log Out /  and even cats and dogs no longer easy to come by, Mrs. Lovett is hard That little evidence exists of Sweeney Todd may be down to how easy it was to get away with murder, and not because he was the product of gruesome Georgian imaginations.