Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, a 1979 musical with music by the late Stephen Sondheim, closed its Broadway run on May 5th, 2024.
The musical follows the story of Sweeney Todd, who is both an ex-barber and an escaped convict. He returns to his home in London to find out that he’s been the subject of many rumors after being unfairly incarcerated years before. His former landlady, Mrs. Lovett, and Todd become close after she allows him to move back into his old apartment and humors him as his vengeful nature begins to show itself. She goes along with his every scheme in hopes of winning his affection. In the process, she gets intertwined with Todd’s brutal revenge and his growing murderous urges.
I had the opportunity to see the show the day before it closed, and it quickly solidified itself as one of the best musicals I’ve seen on Broadway.
There is not one character in the musical that isn’t flawed, and that makes for a truly interesting show. While I can’t say I enjoyed the miscommunication that was used to the point where I felt like the plot depended on it, each character’s storyline felt fully fleshed out and interesting. No matter which character was singing or speaking, I was invested. Sondheim’s music complimented the dialogue amazingly, and his lyrics are brilliant, especially in the pun-filled song, “A Little Priest.”
Other horror musicals like Beetlejuice, Little Shop of Horrors, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show all try to counteract the darkness of their stories with comedy or flashy costumes, but Sweeney Todd leans into the darkness. Topics like cannibalism, murder, and lunacy are emphasized and even focused on. Even the comedy is dark and dramatic, fitting the tone of the show.
The two main characters, Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett, played by Aaron Tveit and Sutton Foster respectively, were two of the best-suited characters I’ve seen onstage. Whether it was Tveit and Foster’s performance or the well-written dialogue, Mrs. Lovett’s unhinged physical humor and Todd’s subdued, quiet insanity complimented each other amazingly. They captured the audience with every line.
Sweeney Todd’s choreography, lighting design, and overall passion coming from the cast made it a show worth seeing, and one that I will mourn the closing of. The musical has had three revivals on both the West End and Broadway, so it’s safe to assume it will be back someday. For now, however, Broadway’s audience members can say goodbye to the tale of Sweeney Todd.
