Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in Concert

"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street" In Concert, which aired Halloween night on PBS, is a truly splendid sight for those who know songs like "Worst Pies In London," "Pretty Women," and the show-stopping "Little Priest" by heart. Stephen Sondheim is a musical Renaissance man, and Jonathan Tunick's orchestrations are magnificent. George Hearn is a wonderful Sweeney, and Patti Lupone, even though she looses her British accent in a few places, is lively and attractive as Mrs. Lovett. Everyone else, including Neil Patrick Harris and his surprising singing voice, is wonderful! The style of the production - everyone dressing in black, the blood-red sheet, etc. - are very appropriate for the show. See this show! Only thing this reviewer would inquire is that they could've included more of Hugh Wheeler's clever dialogue. Otherwise, "Sweeney Todd" is a show that needs to be seen more by anyone looking for a good time, and to have their ears blessed by Stephen Sondheim's definitive score! "God, That's good!"

I have seen 3 versions of Sweeney Todd: the 2007 movie by Tim Burton, the 1979 version with Angie Lansbury, and this. I became a fan of Sweeney after seeing the wonderfully amazing 2007 version (I WILL review that), and this was the 2nd Sweeney I've seen, and I've never been disappointed yet except for the atrocious camera work in the 1979 version.

Now you guys already know the plot, so I won't give anything away. But anyways, here's my breakdown of some of the cast: GEORGE HEARN as SWEENEY TODD: Awesome!!!!! He was much better than Johnny Depp... and Depp's my favorite actor (Depp did an amazing job in the movie though, keep in mind). I couldn't believe my eyes and ears. His singing is perfect, and so is his acting! PATTI LuPONE as LANDLADY MRS. LOVETT: The best Mrs. Lovett I've seen. She did an amazing job. Throughout she kept me captivated, and I loved it.

NEIL PATRICK HARRIS as TOBEY RAGG: Good performance, especially in "Not While I'm around".

DAVIS GAINES as ANTHONY: Great performance! Especially when he sings "I have sailed the world and seen its wonders...", that's when you know he's awesome from the beginning.

VICTORIA CLARK as the BEGGAR: Great!!!!! I felt like they actually used an actual beggar for her role.

I will leave the rest for you to see, but I was amazed by this Sweeney adaptation. Watch it!

For those who may have missed it on Broadway or the filming with most of the original Broadway cast, this film of the 2001 concert version performed with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra is equally as exciting. Director Lonny Price has assembled a first-rate cast for this concert version of the 1979 Gothic musical about the relationship between a demented barber hellbent on vengeance and the slightly daffy but lovable owner of a meat pie shop who falls in love with him. This version is almost more riveting because, as a concert version, with limited sets, costumes, and props, the audience is allowed to focus where their focus should be...on Stephen Sondheim's frighteningly beautiful musical score, flawlessly sung by a rock-solid cast backed by a first rate orchestra. Tony winner Patti Lupone puts her own spin on Mrs. Lovett, the pie maker originated on Broadway by Angela Lansbury. Lupone is careful to never mimic Lansbury and because she is technically a better vocalist than Lansbury, gives the musical portion of her performance so much more meat than Lansbury did. George Hearn, who followed original Sweeney Len Cariou on Broadway again proves to be the ultimate interpreter of this role in another powerhouse rendering of this richly complex role, which at times is downright bone-chilling, particularly in his rendering of "Epiphany" one of the most powerful pieces of music ever written. Timothy Nolen's brilliant interpretation of the evil Judge Turpin is a standout, including his rendition of "Johanna"...a song that was cut from the original Broadway production. Davis Gaines makes a strong Anthony and works well with Lisa Vroman, who is the loveliest Johanna I ever seen, offering a flawless rendition of "Green Finch and Linnet Bird". Victoria Clark is outstanding as the Beggar Woman and TV's Neil Patrick Harris makes a surprisingly devastating Toby. A once in a lifetime concert experience that will stay with you.

In 1846 Thomas Peckett Prest combined several urban legends in the story A STRING OF PEARLS; within a year it was adapted to the stage under the title SWEENEY TODD, THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET. It was popular, and, in an era that knew little of copyright law, theatres throughout England soon picked up the play, changing the story around as they saw fit. In 1973 playwright Christopher Bond recreated the story for the London stage--and in the process caught the attention of Stephen Sondheim, one of great talents of the 20th Century musical stage.

Using Bond's script as a foundation, Sondheim created a hybrid of musical comedy, operetta, grand opera, and grand guingol for the Broadway stage. SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET opened at the Uris Theatre in 1979 with Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury. Although it captured every critical accolade imaginable, it proved too dark for most theatregoers, played a somewhat disappointing 557 performances, and lost a fair amount of money in the process; nonetheless, its critical power was such that two tours were mounted, each of which did extremely well, and which led to a film record of the Lansbury-Hearn tour.

After several revivals in various venues and of varying success, the play was selected for a "concert" staging in New York in 2000--a format in which a full orchestra supports the vocalists, who play on a largely bare stage with minimal staging in an almost "recital-like" manner. Starring George Hearn (who had played Todd opposite Lansbury on tour) and Patti LuPone, it was a great success--and was restaged in 2001 in San Francisco again with Hearn and LuPone in the leads. The San Francisco concert was filmed--and this DVD is the result.

Stage performances are designed to be seen live, often with the actors at a significant distance from the audience; as such, they often seem to be overplayed when seen on film. Such is the case here--but even so, and although the concept of "concert staging" requires an additional leap, this is a knock-out. Johnny Depp's performance in the recent Tim Burton film has received considerable acclaim, and he is indeed excellent, but there is no doubt that Hearn is the great interpreter of the role; he is ferocious, frightening, and absolutely believable. It is worth noting that Patti LuPone is something of an acquired taste; those who like her like her tremendously and those who do not tend to cringe at the mention of her name. Being among the former, I have to say that she is an absolute knock-out in the role of the wicked Mrs. Lovett, who bakes Sweeney's victims into pies; her "The Worst Pies In London" is a great masterpiece of dark comedy, and she and Hearn make for a memorable pair.

The downside of seeing SWEENEY TODD in a concert version is that the story does not always lend itself to such a pared-down staging: you miss the tilting chair, the bloody visuals, and corpses piling up as the pies go down--so unless you've already seen the stage version or even the film version you may find yourself a little nonplussed by the sparseness involved. Nonetheless, this really is the production that began to push SWEENEY TODD toward a wider acceptance in both the musical theatre and opera world, and it is very nice to have a record of it. The DVD comes with a "making of" featurette that includes comments from Hearn, LuPone, members of the principal cast, director Lonny Price--and, thankfully, Stephen Sondheim himself. I recommend it, but primarily for those who are already used to such "concert stagings." GFT, Amazon Reviewer

I love Sweeney Todd, but I did not love this concert version. I did not care for Patti LuPone and I really abhorred the way it was taped. During the Judge's Song (Johanna), the camera kept panning back and forth from Johanna to the Judge. Towards the middle of the song, there were brief and idiotic shots of Johanna's chest, hands, and face that were timed with crescendi in the music. Cornball! It took away a lot from Timothy Nolen's wonderful performance because the viewer becomes too aware of the camera. The director is saying: "Look at how the camera moves! Aren't I ever so clever?" Aside from that, I did enjoy the extras on the DVD: a short documentary on the genesis and making of the concert versions of Sweeney Todd, plus interviews with Sondheim, George Hearn, Timothy Nolen, Victoria Clarke, Lisa Vroman, Neil Patrick Harris, Patti LuPone (blech) and unfortunately, the execrable Lonny Price (good stage direction; bad TV direction). If you love Sweeney Todd, you'll want to see this no matter how badly the camera is directed.