Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in Concert (2001)

In 1846 Thomas Peckett Prest combined several urban legends in the story A STRING OF PEARLS; within a year it was adapted to the stage under the title SWEENEY TODD, THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET. It was popular, and, in an era that knew little of copyright law, theatres throughout England soon picked up the play, changing the story around as they saw fit. In 1973 playwright Christopher Bond recreated the story for the London stage--and in the process caught the attention of Stephen Sondheim, one of great talents of the 20th Century musical stage.Using Bond's script as a foundation, Sondheim created a hybrid of musical comedy, operetta, grand opera, and grand guingol for the Broadway stage. SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET opened at the Uris Theatre in 1979 with Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury. Although it captured every critical accolade imaginable, it proved too dark for most theatregoers, played a somewhat disappointing 557 performances, and lost a fair amount of money in the process; nonetheless, its critical power was such that two tours were mounted, each of which did extremely well, and which led to a film record of the Lansbury-Hearn tour.After several revivals in various venues and of varying success, the play was selected for a "concert" staging in New York in 2000--a format in which a full orchestra supports the vocalists, who play on a largely bare stage with minimal staging in an almost "recital-like" manner. Starring George Hearn (who had played Todd opposite Lansbury on tour) and Patti LuPone, it was a great success--and was restaged in 2001 in San Francisco again with Hearn and LuPone in the leads. The San Francisco concert was filmed--and this DVD is the result.Stage performances are designed to be seen live, often with the actors at a significant distance from the audience; as such, they often seem to be overplayed when seen on film. Such is the case here--but even so, and although the concept of "concert staging" requires an additional leap, this is a knock-out. Johnny Depp's performance in the recent Tim Burton film has received considerable acclaim, and he is indeed excellent, but there is no doubt that Hearn is the great interpreter of the role; he is ferocious, frightening, and absolutely believable. It is worth noting that Patti LuPone is something of an acquired taste; those who like her like her tremendously and those who do not tend to cringe at the mention of her name. Being among the former, I have to say that she is an absolute knock-out in the role of the wicked Mrs. Lovett, who bakes Sweeney's victims into pies; her "The Worst Pies In London" is a great masterpiece of dark comedy, and she and Hearn make for a memorable pair.The downside of seeing SWEENEY TODD in a concert version is that the story does not always lend itself to such a pared-down staging: you miss the tilting chair, the bloody visuals, and corpses piling up as the pies go down--so unless you've already seen the stage version or even the film version you may find yourself a little nonplussed by the sparseness involved. Nonetheless, this really is the production that began to push SWEENEY TODD toward a wider acceptance in both the musical theatre and opera world, and it is very nice to have a record of it. The DVD comes with a "making of" featurette that includes comments from Hearn, LuPone, members of the principal cast, director Lonny Price--and, thankfully, Stephen Sondheim himself. I recommend it, but primarily for those who are already used to such "concert stagings." GFT, Amazon Reviewer

This is a wonderful representation of this brilliant musical. The performances are all at peek energy and perfect characterization. Patti LuPone's voice and new spin on the classic character of Mrs. Lovett is the highlight of this concert, for me. She is moving, hysterical, coy, and her voice is always beautiful. George Hearn gives a wonderful reprise performance of the role he played so many years ago. All other performances are wonderfully acted and beautifully sung by both Broadway and opera singers. Lonny Price's new vision and direction for this concert is just about perfection. He uses minimal set, props and costumes, but still creates the atmosphere of the show. Also, the opera ensemble and symphonic orchestra only adds to the magnitude and beauty of the piece. This is a must-have for any Sweeney fan!

Of all the various performances, this is my favorite one. The chorus moves while singing in the manner of ancient Greek classics. The lighting is very, very effective. But of course it is the music and the singing that makes this the best one yet. Friends who have never heard of Sweeny Todd have enjoyed this - as well as people who did not like the stage presentation. Watch it and fall in love with this classic.

"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street" In Concert, which aired Halloween night on PBS, is a truly splendid sight for those who know songs like "Worst Pies In London," "Pretty Women," and the show-stopping "Little Priest" by heart. Stephen Sondheim is a musical Renaissance man, and Jonathan Tunick's orchestrations are magnificent. George Hearn is a wonderful Sweeney, and Patti Lupone, even though she looses her British accent in a few places, is lively and attractive as Mrs. Lovett. Everyone else, including Neil Patrick Harris and his surprising singing voice, is wonderful! The style of the production - everyone dressing in black, the blood-red sheet, etc. - are very appropriate for the show. See this show! Only thing this reviewer would inquire is that they could've included more of Hugh Wheeler's clever dialogue. Otherwise, "Sweeney Todd" is a show that needs to be seen more by anyone looking for a good time, and to have their ears blessed by Stephen Sondheim's definitive score! "God, That's good!"