than the current incarnation from Kokandy Productions at the Chopin Theatre’s downstairs space, directed and choreographed by Derek Van Barham. I’ve seen more polished versions of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s magnum opus.that so ruthlessly depicts the darkness and corruption of the world that surrounds us. It’s evident in the opening number: Barber Sweeney Todd returns to London after being falsely imprisoned for decades.
The cast holds up frames as Sweeney unleashes his inner torment by slashing the throats of his customers, demanding the entire audience contemplate their own inner Sweeney, as do the lyrics with Sondheim’s brilliant brutality:No one is spared. Usually there’s a scene where Sweeney decides against killing one of his customers because he sees the man has a small child and loving wife. Van Barham has cut it.
The production uses minimal props. Sweeney’s razor, for example, doesn’t show up until the very final moments, and he’s not the one looking at it in wonder. There’s no fancy barber chair shooting bodies down to the grinder in Maxin’s minimalist set, which is a mostly bare rotating platform. Sweeney’s barber chair is a lightly upholstered piece that looks like it came from a thrift-store dining set. And make no mistake. You need someone who reads older than mid-20s to play Judge Turpin.
Of paramount importance: Jackson’s Mrs. Lovett is a frowsy delight. Her carefully calibrated, bone-dry gallows humor and pragmatic optimism offer both comic relief and—crucially—a foil to Sweeney Todd’s lethal wall of cynicism.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.