Steven Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd is fiendish, in each topic and execution.
The story, subtitled The Demon Barber of Fleet Road, has its origin in mid-Victorian “penny dreadfuls” (low cost printed horror thrillers) and tells the grotesque story of a barber, unjustly convicted and transported, who returns to take revenge on those that wronged him, and the world at giant, by dispatching his victims along with his razor and turning their corpses over to his confederate, Mrs. Lovett, to be baked into pies. Sondheim being Sondheim, nonetheless, there have to be extra to it than that, and the musical owes extra to a play by Christopher Bond that makes Sweeney’s story tragic in addition to horrible by giving the antiheroes extra human motivations.
Ryan Energy, Iris DeWitt, Erin Branigan, and Kenneth Darby in ‘Sweeney Todd.’ Photograph by Bruce Rosenberg.
The scope of the rating is diabolical — 80 % sung-through, with much more than the same old Sondheimian dissonant harmonies, quirky time signatures, and intelligent rhymes, and elements starting from deep bass notes for Todd to excessive, chirpy coloratura for the ingenue Johanna, all of which should carry clearly over a dozen devices within the orchestra. Sondheim himself known as the present a “dark operetta,” however that doesn’t maybe give it sufficient weight.
All this problem may be immensely rewarding to beat, and Rockville Musical Theatre’s manufacturing is greater than as much as the problem, offering chills and thrills aplenty.
Director Karen Fleming handles the whole lot from the complexities of Jos. B. Musumeci Jr.’s ingenious set with all its sliding chairs, trapdoors, and rotating items, to the perennial downside of how one can deal with the gore (Stephen Deming’s purple lighting results), to the emotional arcs of the characters that vary from nearly nonexistent to deep and darkish. Above all, Fleming maintains a temper that’s wealthy, atmospheric, and creepy all through, even within the very needed scenes of comedian aid. One of the efficient parts is available in Rikki Howie Lacewell’s choreography, which, from its startling swinging actions through the opening quantity to the zombie-like poses on the finish, nails the sinister feeling. Linda Swann’s costumes are appropriate, principally somber and generally ragged, however with touches of opulence the place wanted. Stephen Deming’s lighting, too, is darkish and atmospheric — maybe at instances a bit an excessive amount of so, or maybe the actors had been at instances nonetheless having bother discovering their lights when shifting throughout the stage.
However the actual focus of this present is the sound, and right here it’s top-notch. Stuart Y. Weich’s orchestra, seen within the orchestra pit appropriately for such an operatic work, is eerie, evocative, and wealthy. The stability is so good that even small chimes may be heard together with all the opposite devices. Matthew Datcher’s sound design very successfully permits the voices to hold over the orchestra into the big auditorium of the Fitzgerald Theatre.
Above all are the voices. There may be not a bum be aware within the bunch — all are wonderful. Clearly the crème de la crème of the DC space’s musical actors got here out for this present, and the most effective of them had been solid. From the numerous ensemble numbers stuffed with quirky harmonies and counterpoint to the countertenor duet within the finale that brings chills, the refrain is super.
(High row:) Jenny Gleason, Michael Beder, Will Townsend, Bob Bryant, Ray Essick, Courtney Knoerlein; (backside row:) Religion Wang, Charlie Retzlaff, Xaria Douglas, Alex Hong, Bob Schwartz, and Leah Ann Boyd in ‘Sweeney Todd.’ Photograph by Bruce Rosenberg.
As for the featured gamers, their performing is on par with their singing. Bob Schwartz nails his loopy cameo because the evil asylum proprietor. Elijah Beeler could be very affecting as Tobias, particularly in “Not While I’m Around,” one of many few moments of human-sized, accessible emotion within the present. Noah Beye offers very welcome comedian aid alongside along with his effective voice as Pirelli. Timothy Ziese was greater than suitably slimy as Beadle Bamford. And Kenneth Darby’s Decide Turpin ricochets disturbingly from condemning criminals to mooning like a love-struck boy to (actually) flagellating himself, all delivered from a face and type that might belong to the Grim Reaper. Because the Beggar Lady, Erin Branigan makes essentially the most of switching from her keening cries of “Alms for a miserable woman!” and “City on Fire!!” to propositioning male characters to telling hints of who she was once.
The principals properly deserve all this wonderful help. Hannah Siegel makes extra of Johanna than maybe the gorgeous blonde ingenue position deserves by leaning into the comedy of her vapid twittering — which makes it all of the extra satisfying a shock when she proves her mettle. Zac Brightbill hasn’t as a lot to work with within the male ingenue position of Anthony, having to ship strains like “I’ll steal you, Johanna” and “I am in the dark beside you, buried sweetly in your yellow hair” with out sounding like a stalker. It have to be a problem making an attempt to play the one unironically romantic half in such a creepy present, however Brightbill, along with his robust voice and honest air, manages to drag it off.
Hannah Siegel and Zac Brightbill in ‘Sweeney Todd.’ Photograph by Bruce Rosenberg.
Then there are the 2 roles on which the entire present hinges. Together with her vocal and performing selection, Iris DeWitt is all that Mrs. Lovett must be, comedian and pining and sensible by turns. Sondheim has stated that she is the actual villain of the piece, and along with her prompt embrace of her macabre resolution to their enterprise issues, plus her relentless assumption of Todd’s affection, she exhibits her satanic selfishness.
Ryan Energy’s Sweeney Todd is the present’s actual towering presence. From the start to the top of an epically demanding position, Energy hits each be aware with a type of savage class. Somewhat than being a crazed serial killer, he’s a real tragic hero, pushed to insanity by his want for revenge, however all of the whereas conserving his human dignity and thus enabling us to empathize with the incomprehensible. It’s a outstanding efficiency.
One may make jokes about how this manufacturing “makes mincemeat” of the present’s difficulties or how “it cooks” or how “cutting edge” it’s, however this proficient solid and crew are price greater than that. General, RMT’s Sweeney Todd relishes the fiendish challenges of this monumental musical. As one viewers member was heard to say, “This was better than some things I’ve seen at the Kennedy Center!”
Seize a ticket for the ultimate weekend. You’ll have a diabolically good time.
Working Time: Roughly three hours together with one 15-minute intermission.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Road performs via November 17, 2024 (Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 2 pm), introduced by Rockville Musical Theatre performing on the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, Rockville Civic Heart Park, 603 Edmonston Dr, Rockville, MD. For tickets ($26; $23 for college students and seniors), name 240-314-8690 or go browsing.
COVID Security: Masks non-compulsory.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Road E book by Hugh WheelerMusic & Lyrics by Stephen SondheimBased on an adaptation by Christopher Bond
Directed by Karen FlemingMusic Directed by Keith Edward & Stuart WeichChoreographed by Rikki LacewellProduced by Dana Robinson & Hayley North
Opera Home
Pavillion opera
luna88
magnum88
mainslot888
margo88
maung888
menang88
mitra777
mitra777slot
msislot88
nonstop888
nonstop888slot
oxwin777
oxwin88
pahala88
pan88
paris777
paris777slot
perdana88
pesiar88
pesiarbet88
pesiarbet88slot
planet777slot
populer88
psg777
puas88
pulaujudi88
queen88
quiz88
quiz88slot
ras77
ras77slot
rolex888slot
rusiaslot888
rute88
sabet88slot
sakti88
sakti888
sakti888slot
satria88
sawit77
sayap88
sensasi77
sensasi77slot
siap4d
sinar88slot
sugih88
surga8888
surga888slot
surya88
surya888
v888toto
vegas888slot
venom88slot
wis777
wis777slot
xuxu88.org
zara88
zara88slot
foya888
dangdut88
polaris888
cuan88slot
cuan88
calon88slot
calon88
axiata88
artis77
artis77
gwin88
santai88
dewanaga777
dewi18
dewigg88
dewijoker88
dombatoto88
dunia30
dunia88
erajp88
fyrewin88
gaca88
gacha88
gacorbet999
gajah88
gemoyslot88
gencar88
gocap88
gol888
grandbet888
gudangslot777
gwd88
harapjp88
himalaya88
hondatoto88
ikan88
imperial888
indahjp88
indobola33
indomax888
indosloter88
interwin888
istana88