Are you squeamish at the sight of blood? Do you believe in the old adage “an eye for an eye”? Do you subscribe to turning the other cheek and forgiving when victimized or do you prefer exacting retribution?
Are you a fan of turkey or beef pot pies, with their flaky crusts and yummy insides, the ones that warm your tummy on cold winter nights? Might you fancy one in the immediate future? Well, the Hartford Stage in collaboration with TheaterWorks Hartford has a savory saga, a cautionary note for your perusal that you might want to heed. Until Sunday, July 5, a man bent on vengeance is wielding a razor in London for his personal amusement in “Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” with book by Hugh Wheeler and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim from an adaptation by Christo[her Bond with orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick and it is sharp, memorable, and on target wonderful.
You might ask where do the meat pot pies fit into the story? The answer is that Sweeney Todd has returned from years in an Australian prison where he was sent, unjustly, by an unscrupulous Judge Turpin and his untrusty aide the Beadle Bamford. The Judge fancied Sweeney’s wife and “stole” her and her infant daughter for his own disreputable desires and sent Sweeney away for life.
When Sweeney escapes, he is rescued at sea by a good Samaritan, Anthony Hope. Now Sweeney needs to set his plan of vengeance in motion and he finds a willing Mrs Lovett who aids him in his momentous task.
Mrs. Lovett’s pie business was once a flaky failure until she teams up with a certain mad barber in London’s Fleet Street to create a sensational savory of unusual and peculiar flavor. You’ll figure out the pies' distinctive secret ingredient if you are paying attention.
This is a musical adventure as the barber becomes a barbarian in this passionate tale of revenge. Matt Faucher is driven and superb as Sweeney Todd, the alias he assumes who blames Judge Turpin (Edward Watts) and his liege The Beadle (Brian Ray Norris) for the treachery which led his wife to kill herself and the Judge to claim their infant daughter Johanna (Lauren Maria Medina) as his ward.
Now Todd, played with a steely determination and macabre manner, has returned to the scene of the crime to right the wrongs his family has suffered. With the aid of the lusty Mrs. Lovett, played delightfully by Jackie Burns, and a naval man Anthony (William Butler) who saved Sweeney’s life,Todd soon sets his diabolical scheme in place. Complications in the form of an old beggar woman (Carey Brown), a blackmailer Pirelli (Tristan Caldwell) and a wide eyed lad Tobias (Cole Thompson) threaten his plans. Rob Ruggiero directs this involving dark tale plagued with the “chill of ghostly shadows.” The orchestra is conducted by Wiley DeWeese, Ralph Perkins choreographer, Luke Cantarella an elaborate set design, magical lighting by John Lasiter, sound by Beth Lake and period costumes designed by Fabian Fidel Aguilar.
For tickets ($30 and up) call the Hartford Stage, 50 Church Street,Hartford at 860-527-5151 or online at HartfordStage.org. Performances are Tuesday to Saturday at 7:30 p.m.and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. with talk backs June 23 and June 24. Music in the lobby by Mad Agnes will be held June 25 and 26 at 7:30 p.m. This is the first partnership by Hartford Stage and TheaterWorks Hartford and it is a tribute to thrilling theatrical entertainment. Don’t miss it!
Return to nineteenth century London, if you dare, but be careful to have witnesses if you go to a local barbershop for a trim or a neighborhood pub for a succulent beef pot pie.
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