Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
For Salem Theater in Salem, N.Y.
Book by Hugh Wheeler
Music and lyrics by Steven Sondheim
Directed by James Alexander
“Nothing’s gonna harm you. Not while I’m around.”
Three love stories and sexual misconduct dominate the Stephen Sondheim musical “Sweeney Todd,” now on stage at Fort Salem Theater in upstate New York. The musical tells the story of a man betrayed by his local government in London and transported to Australia, who returns home after nearly 20 years to find no trace of his former life, his wife reported as dead, his daughter stolen by his enemy. He then takes much-deserved revenge on society. Benjamin Barker, now known as Sweeney Todd, loves his departed Lucy with passion. His young friend Anthony, a sailor who saved Todd’s life at sea, falls in love with a young woman held prisoner by her patron. The shopkeeper—Mrs. Lovett, a baker of meat pies whose shop is below Todd’s old residence and workplace—is in love with the Benjamin Barker who was and now with the Sweeney Todd who is. These three relationships form the crux of the plot. They are all volatile.
Judge Turpin, very well played by Travis Barone, creator of Barker’s downfall, has loved the wife and now wants to marry the daughter he has raised as his ward. She is a young blonde beauty played by Jenna Wilkinson who sings like the bird she serenades. Judge Turpin’s associate, Beadle Bamford, is played ideally by Will Heatley, though his idea of the character is a tiny bit soft. Todd’s professional rival, the Italian barber Pirelli, is acted and sung by Rory Alexa, whose performance highlights the smarminess of the man to perfection. His very young assistant, Tobias, is performed by the equally young Charlie Palmer, who brought honest innocence to the role for the first time in my long experience of this show. The sailor, Anthony, is enacted by Keith DuBois, whose voice was often hard to hear, probably due to a faulty microphone. The ensemble also had sound problems, but they did their parts as well as possible.
The two leads gave their “all” to their roles. Molly Waters’ Mrs. Lovett was a perfect example of a woman whose judgement is marred by passion. Her eagerness to assist Todd and have him to hold was chilling, but her lack of enunciation made her divine lyrics by Sondheim difficult to understand at times. Alexander, who also directed the show, chose to play the rage/revenge aspects of Todd with an unrelenting insensitivity that altered my previous vision of the character. He sang with strength, clarity, and beauty, but he has no other emotions to play which managed to cripple his character. I could not either take his side or point of view.
Alexander has set his production in a decrepit British church with its three levels representing the many places in London where the action takes place. The set design by Charles J.I. Krawczyk was an eyeful, and it worked very well. Most of Rory Alexa’s costumes were appropriate and looked good. Some of the lighting design was confusing, and the sound was not well handled.
“Sweeney Todd” is a difficult show and not a joyous one—more an opera than a musical. This edition is well worth a visit, but keep your passport handy; you may want to flee the horrors of rage.
“Sweeney Todd” plays at the Fort Salem Theater through May 4. For information and tickets, visit the theater’s website.
