Ensemble of Sweeney Todd – Kady Lawson, Fiona Canales, Sasha Baker, Matthew Rangel, Jacob Anthony Cain, Elisabeth Hunter and Kyle Hill (Photo by Ron Lyon Photo)
Reviewed by Dana Martin
One More Productions at the GEM Theatre
Through Sept. 27
RECOMMENDED
(Photo by Ron Lyon Photo)
There is something truly sinister afoot at the GEM Theatre in Garden Grove. Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, with music and lyrics by Steven Sondheim, and book by Hugh Wheeler, is a dark and gory tale of revenge and meat pies.
On the dark and dangerous streets of London, circa the 19th century, Sweeney Todd (Bryan Fraser) arrives, rescued from a shipwreck by the sweet and affable Anthony Hope (Aiden McGuiness). He immediately makes his way to Fleet Street and into Mrs. Lovett’s (Nicole Cassesso) floundering meat pie shop where she almost instantly recognizes Todd as Benjamin Barker, the talented barber exiled by the corrupt Judge Turpin (James Scognamillo) 15 years prior. Turpin had set his lecherous sights on Barker’s wife, Lucy, and assaulted her. She subsequently poisoned herself, leaving her daughter Johanna (Sydney DeMaria) as Turpin’s ward. Fifteen years later, Barker is back, disguised as Todd, and hellbent on seeking bloody revenge on Turpin.
Meanwhile, Hope has fallen in love with Johanna, now a lovely young woman. Turpin, who has cared for her since her adolescence, has decided he wants to marry her. Upon this discovery, Johanna flees with the intention of marrying Hope. Elsewhere, Todd and Mrs. Lovett have turned her failing meat pie business into a booming success, and Todd lies in wait for another opportunity to slit the throat of Turpin, having missed his first chance several months before. Todd does eventually exact his revenge, but things go south for Todd and Lovett, as these things tend to do, and they both end up slaughtered and incinerated like their victims before them.
The ensemble is impeccable; their movement and vocals are collectively crisp, laser-focused, and restrained. Kady Lawson’s clever choreography is individually suited to each actor’s ability and elevates an already excellent production. The musical’s most powerful moments occur when the entire cast is present. Fraser’s Todd begins as a wounded man seeking justice and slowly reveals himself as someone consumed by the violence of his own obsession. His voice is rich and powerful, as is his presence. The absence of an English dialect however, strangely Americanizes his delivery. Scognamillo’s Turpin delivers some of the production’s most unsettling moments and commits fully and authentically to the character’s depravity. Cassesso’s Lovett is quirky, fun, and provides much-needed levity. At times, her performance leans toward signaling Mrs. Lovett’s eccentricities rather than fully embodying them. DeMaria’s Johanna and McGuiness’ Hope are wonderful and their respective voices are angelic.
The production’s design elements are also impressive. Under the clean and precise direction and music direction of Damien Lorton, this Sweeney Todd feels larger than life in the intimate theater. Scenic designer Michael Wogulis makes magic in a very intimate space, creating a dizzying number of playing spaces, including a tunnel, and rotating staircases used to great effect. Luis Cornejo’s costumes are dazzling, Roccio Zappia’s makeup is deliciously macabre, and Edvan Galvan’s wigs round out the 19th century world. Jon Hyrkas’ lighting design is a sight to behold, creating depth, mood, and a feeling of danger around every corner. Victor Crisafulli’s prop design serves the story well with practical function and humor. Sound design by Samuel Moss is expertly blended; the vocals are front and center without detracting from the fine playing from the 12-piece orchestra conducted by Adrian Rangel-Sanchez — another reason why this production pops.
Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street opened on Broadway in 1979 and won the Tony for Best New Musical later that year. It’s been revived to critical acclaim multiple times and remains one of Sondheim’s most enduring and popular scores. Sweeney Todd is the story of a man whose grief is consumed by vengeance. Benjamin Barker returns home seeking justice, but somehow the justice he seeks becomes bloodlust. That tension is what makes Sondheim’s dark masterpiece so enduring: beneath the camp, carnage, cannibalistic comedy, and over-the-top operatic elements is a devastating story about what happens when trauma calcifies into revenge. Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd at the GEM theatre this summer, at your own risk.
The GEM Theatre, 12852 Main Street, Garden Grove. Thurs.- Sat., 8 pm, Sat. (9/5, 9/12, 9/19) 2pm & 8pm, Sun. 2pm; thru Sept. 27th. https://theGEMoc.com. Running time: Three hours with one 20-minute intermission.
