Sweeney Todd is a phenomenal musical with a brilliant score, so it’s no surprise why it’s been brought back to Broadway after Sondheim’s recent passing.
There’s no doubt that Sondheim’s score is masterful. The complexity of his writing will never fail to amaze me. It's somewhat operatic, but at the same time contemporary. You can never guess what's coming next and his lyricism will always capture a moment and mood.
The lighting design of this production matched the tone of the show; dark and morbid. Blood red lights were used whenever death was near. Stark white lights were used to illuminate the characters within the darkness. I liked the use of the strobe lights, which appeared in act two that flashed to the beat of the music. These flashes also heightened the tenseness of the scene. Furthermore, I liked how it was difficult to see the characters when they were in the cellar, making things more realistic. Additionally this detail allowed the foreshadowing of the ending to not be so obvious.
The set did not bother taking up space that it didn’t need, allowing everything in the set to serve a purpose. This allowed for a lot of movement on the stage and the blocking was probably my favorite part. The functional aspects of the set were interesting. The platform over the stage was able to move up and down. This is where Sweeney's barber shop resided, which makes sense as it is on the 2nd floor, above the pie shop. This was a highlight of the set for me, especially because the platform could almost be at the same level with the balcony. This platform conveniently allowed characters to slide into the shoot directly from the chair. This was creative and made the fall into the shoot more dramatic.
Josh Groban plays the perfect Sweeney Todd. Of course his operatic voice blends magically with the Sondheim score. I’m happy to see him back on Broadway, continuing his acting career. Annaleigh Ashford is a brilliant Mrs. Lovett, reminiscent of Angela Lansbury’s, while still incorporating a neurotic style of her own. Gaten Matarazzo was a strong Tobias and his version of “Not While I’m Around” was gorgeous. I feel as though his unique voice can truly blend with any score. His love for Mrs. Lovett and his fear for the events that occur is so palpable. I’m happy to see Matarazzo making his return to Broadway as well.
The only thing I disliked about the show is its ending. Personally, it did not give me enough closure. However, this is a flaw with the writing, rather than specifically this production.
It looks like things are shaping up to be a competitive Tony season, especially in the category of Best Revival of A Musical. The Sweeney Todd revival has definitely proved itself, but I’m unsure how it will compare up against Parade.
P.S. I must say that I was absolutely mesmerized by Alex Lacmiore, who was conducting. I caught myself just staring at him a few times. He is one of my favorite orchestrators and although he didn’t do the orchestrations for this show, it was cool to see him in action. He clearly knows the ins and outs of music and he really makes me respect how hard conductors work. I can’t imagine how difficult it is to conduct a show because in a way it’s similar to calling a show, but with music. Everything has to be exactly on time and if it’s not it’s noticeable.
Jordan Fisher and Erin Rose Doyle meeting.
P.P.S. I saw Erin Rose Doyle at the stage door after the show (she was there in support of Gaten) and I got to talk to her! She was super kind and I got the chance to tell her how amazing I thought she was in Parade.
Signing off,
-Jo 🌈
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