More Hot Pies

First off, I would like to say that Sweeney Todd is my Favorite Musical. Some would call me a musical snob, because lately I haven’t really been enjoying anything that doesn’t have complex polyphonic harmonies and deep, twisted plot that comes from Sondheim and his various co conspirators. In the past, I’ve listened to this show and thought it can do no wrong, and that is that.

That being said, I’ve known about the new concept for Sweeney, now starting it’s national tour at A.C.T. in San Francisco, directly importing the show from its new Broadway revival (which in turn was directly imported from its London revival). For those of you not in the know, this incarnation of the demon barber is a very stripped down one; characters are vastly cut – gone are the days of the huge ensemble, it’s now a trim cast of 9. The set is sparse, with action and dialogue facing outward toward the audience, a few chairs, a large towering shelf full of various dolls, knives, and other – for lack of a better word – junk, filling the stands, and a large ominous black coffin in the middle of the stage. There is little guess as to what this musical is going to be about.

The orchestra is also cut, and the actors fill in those roles as well. Perhaps done because of budget, this concept is played through with vigor and commitment – bringing strange and innovative dynamics to the character interactions onstage: Antony, the excellent Benjamin Magnuson, and Johanna, played by Lauren Molina beautifully, play their cellos together in almost perfect choreography, matching their love for one another with quick, passionate bow movements. Every member of the cast plays their music aptly and professionally – no small task given the heavy tone of the show and the tightness of the space.

Sweeney Todd was written, so says Sondheim, for a small, intimate setting like this one, “less is more” – it was Hal Prince, the director of the original Broadway production in 1979 who went for the “more is more” route. Perhaps more is what was ingrained in the music itself, because without the heart pounding orchestrations contributing to Todd’s disintegrating sanity, and the nostalgia that comes from seeing someone’s throat slit and their lifeless corpse falling down a chute to the bakery below, something just seems missing. Perhaps to add a little bit of structure to an already plot heavy show, Tobias, the young barber-turned-pie assistant, is given a framing device of being in an insane asylum, giving his account of the events – the character is frequently seen avidly watching the action on stage. This falls short, but like the rest of the show, seems a fault of the concept and the director, not the commitment of the actor.

Certainly, it is the acting and singing and the all around greatness of the cast that brings this show out of a slightly boggy muck. Watching the show, I wanted nothing from the cast – they were doing everything with such commitment and power that I haven’t seen in theatre for a long time.

Magnuson and Molina, the two lovers who originated the revival roles on Broadway, are excellently matched. They fully engross themselves within the world of the play. Their cellos hotly match one another during their songs, burning their passion through quick strokes. Magnuson, playing Antony, is very much the idealist during the show, he believes through thick and thin that everything will work out, even when things continue to travel down to their darkest and the body count continues to rise (an abstract concept within the show, everybody who is killed puts on lab coats with blood splattered, gets up, walks over to their instrument, and continues to play. Quite effective and creepy, especially if you like a zombie motif). And Molina as Johanna certainly adds to that corpse fest, showing that she is truly her father’s daughter; as an ingénue she radiates innocence, beauty, but with a hint of crazy that grows (and grows and grows…).

The other two “lovers” in this show are Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett. It is unsure whether or not they actually have genuine affection for one another, or that they simply love the situation. David Hess makes an incredible Sweeney, taking more character choices from the original incarnation of the role rather than the revival. He ranges from genuinely monstrous to introspective sadness, and one can definitely see the arc of Sweeney’s numbing to the world through Hess’s beautiful performance. Judy Kaye plays Mrs. Lovett with a practical gruesomeness; her macabre sense of humor shines as she takes over the stage. Of course, Kaye leads the showstopper, “A Little Priest,” and she makes it a scene that makes the show worthwhile. It would be hard not to watch her if not for the excellence of the rest of the company: Katrina Yaukey plays the over the top Adolfo Pirelli (the king of barbers, the barber of kings) with grace and style. Edmund Bagnell as Tobias brings another beautiful touch of innocence to the mix; Keith Butterbaugh’s Judge Turpin brings an almost televangical touch to the role, his honesty is extraordinary as well, I almost felt sorry for him at moments when he was thinking about raping his adopted daughter.

Rounding out the cast is another exquisitely tragic Diana Dimarzio as the Beggar Woman; Benjamin Eakeley as a very slimy Beadle; and John Arbo as Jonas Fogg, who’s one scene near the end is short but strong, and adds to the overall macabre and ghastly tone of the show.
The best thing to say about the show is that everyone in the production looks like they’re having fun with what they are doing. And while the new staging is a little clunky and odd, the cast brings it together with strong commitment and excellent musicality.