Stage Review - Sweeney Todd (5th Avenue)
Stage Review - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Presented By: The 5th Avenue Theatre (Seattle, WA)
Date Reviewed: Friday, April 28, 2023
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman
Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd
His skin was pale and his eye was odd
He shaved the faces of gentlemen
Who never thereafter were heard of again
So starts the prelude to Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, a dark and discordant musical that is the second installment of the two-part tribute to the late Stephen Sondheim produced by the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle. Following up on the successful, and very entertaining, 5th Avenue presentation of Into the Woods, the theatre has taken a decidedly darker turn with its current show, on stage through May 14. When done right, Sweeney Todd isn’t just a musical, it’s an experience, and the 5th most certainly does it right. Directed by Jay Woods, who also directed the 5th Avenue version of Beauty and the Beast last season, Sweeney Todd represents a confluence of lighting and sound design, a uniquely creative set, and a phenomenal cast, led by Yusef Seevers in a passionate and emotional performance as the Demon Barber himself. Other than a bit of choppiness early on, with some deliberate feeling scene changes, and a few perhaps inconsistent accents, there’s not much to criticize about this production. It’s very well designed and excellently performed. Jay Woods has gone all in on the dark theming of Sweeney Todd and, like one of Mrs. Lovett’s mystery meat pies, it’s very well done.
The success of this production of Sweeney Todd begins with its creative elements. Lex Marcos is no stranger to creative set designs, he also designed Into the Woods at The 5th, and this is no different. Utilizing a series of stairs, ladders, and scaffolding to compliment a central rotating set piece, Lex’s set represents practically the whole of London, from the shipyard where Sweeney Todd and his friend Anthony Hope come ashore, to the balcony at Judge Turpin’s estate where Todd’s daughter Johanna is being kept. The central piece, set atop the theater’s rotating turntable, is Mrs. Lovett’s bakery with Sweeney’s barber shop above, his shop largely open save for a trunk, table, and the barber’s chair. Rotating, it also becomes the prep area for Mrs. Lovett’s meat pies, and if you know anything about the story, all of the mechanisms are in place for the acquisition of her ingredients. What I love about the kind of set that Lex has designed here, is that while a large part of it is abstract, for instance the balcony isn’t really a balcony, the audience has no doubt that it is what it’s supposed to be. It’s creative, while at the same time being efficient. It’s also agile. Musically, this is a powerful show, especially during numbers where the ensemble is on stage, and the set provides a wonderful vehicle for the cast to assemble onstage for these group performances
The character of Sweeney Todd dates back to the mid-1800s, first introduced in the Victorian serialization The Penny Dreadfuls. Since it debuted, it seemed to have been made for the theatre, the earliest stage versions produced just about the same time the story first appeared in print. Though the character was familiar throughout the following years, the version most are familiar with these days, the barber who was sent away by a ruthless judge to Australia while he drove Todd’s wife mad and raised his daughter, debuted in 1973, in a play written by Christopher Bond. It was this play that gained the attention of Stephen Sondheim, who added a more serious complexity to the character, and with Hugh Wheeler’s book created the musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. It’s had three runs on Broadway (including the current revival starring Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford), three on the West End, any number of national tours, and a film version starring Johnny Depp. The dark theme of the show, and much of its current popularity, has a lot to do with the music, which in this production is under the direction of Matt Perri and performed immaculately by the production’s live orchestra in accompaniment of this superb cast, but it also has lighting and sound to thank. Robert J. Aguilar’s lighting is just wonderful The use of colors, especially at the most dramatic moments, takes the audience into an asylum, Todd’s murderous barber shop, and the inner workings of the meat pie creation process. It, along with Haley Parcher’s sound design, drive the mood of the show at least as much, if not more, than the music. At the very least, it’s all in sync, creating enough drama for an entire season of shows. Finally, there is Danielle Nieves and her costume design. This is yet another creative aspect of the design that is so well done. Each period inspired costume unique and each as good as the next. Sweeney’s transformation from his shipboard attire after arriving back in London to his more respectable clothing when he opens his shop is just one example where each costume tells a story, or Mrs. Lovett’s costume changing from an off the shoulder collection of random fabric to a rose-adorned coordinated outfit as her business becomes more successful. Other highlights are Adolfo Pirelli’s performance costume and rags worn by the beggar woman. The ensemble pieces are also amazing, and the way they’re lit by Robert bring out the absolute best in them.
Apart from looking good through costumes and lighting, this cast sounds good as well. Musically, as I mentioned above, Sweeney Todd is excellent. Yusef Seevers is a fantastic Sweeney Todd, he’s emotional and passionate. Sweeney is a tortured soul, and while his decision making may be flawed, through Yusef’s performance, it’s clear why the barber makes the decisions he does. From the longing in “The Barber and His Wife” through the intensity of “Pretty Women” and “Epiphany”, he is spot on with Sweeney Todd’s emotional arc. He also has the opportunity to flex his comedic chops as well, in “A Little Priest” with Anne Allgood’s Mrs. Lovett. This number, which closes out the first act, is the most lighthearted moment of the show, that unique instance that is so enjoyable to watch, it’s only when you take a step back do you realize how dark of a song it really is. Anne is a wonderful Mrs. Lovett, too. She’s supportive of Sweeney, takes on Italian Barber Adolfo Pirelli’s assistant Tobias Ragg (Nik Hagen) as an assistant at her shop after Pirelli’s “disappearance”, and generally seems to be the voice of reason, at least for much of the first act. As the show progresses, it becomes more clear that perhaps she has some other motives, something resting just below the surface, and Anne plays this all very well, and does this with beautiful voice and an accent that is consistent and clear throughout.
There are two main story lines in Sweeney Todd, the barber’s search for revenge against the corrupt Judge Turpin (Sean David Cooper) and his servant Beadle Bamford (Jason Weitcamp) for what he did to Sweeney’s wife, Lucy, and his aim to be reunited with his daughter Johanna (Leslie Jackson). At the same time, Sweeney’s friend Anthony Hope (Deon’te Goodman), who it’s pointed out early on saved the barber’s life and is responsible for his being able to return to London, sees Johanna and is determined to be with her and take her away from her imprisonment. It’s when these two story arcs converge that Sweeney Todd really takes off. Prior to that, until “Pretty Women”, there are certain scenes that don’t flow into each other as well as those during this number and beyond. I also feel that the some of the scenes involving Anthony feel superfluous, though that’s no fault of Deon’te. Other than a few times during Friday’s opening night performance that his accent felt inconsistent, he plays a fine Anthony, very good in fact, especially during Act 2. Regarding the rest of the cast, Leslie Jackson is a beautiful Johanna, young and innocent, aghast at the advances from Judge Turpin. And speaking of Judge Turpin, how good Sean is in this role is evident by the boos that he received during the well deserved opening night standing ovation, the boos not directed toward him, his powerful vocals and exemplary portrayal of this evil character are beyond reproach, but rather at the character of Turpin, who on his own merits received at least a few gasps at his behavior during the show. Jason’s Beadle isn’t quite so evil, but is the perfect henchman, carrying out Turpin’s wishes against the citizenry of London. A bit slimy perhaps, but even more so in search of attention and approval, I enjoyed Jason’s performance quite a bit. In fact, each of the characters in this production are portrayed wonderfully. Jesus Garcia’s flamboyant Adolfo Pirelli and Porscha Shaw’s Beggar Woman are two other standouts for me, Jesus’ work another bit of lightheartedness during “The Contest” and Porscha’s mysteriousness adding to the darkness of the mood.
From the leads through to the ensemble, this is a cast that performs well and sounds even better. Supported by a creative team led by director Jay Woods, this production provides all of the justification anyone needs for why we should all “attend the tale of Sweeney Todd”.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street runs through May 14 at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle. For more information, and tickets, visit https://www.5thavenue.org/.
Photo Credit: Mark Kitaoka