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In honor of its return to Broadway next month, we will be talking about Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in this edition of Sound Check. With music by Sondheim, Sweeney Todd has seen many Broadway revivals, tours, and international productions since its debut in 1979. Today, we’ll be focusing on Tim Burton’s 2007 film adaptation starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter.
The show begins with Sweeney Todd returning to London after being rescued at sea by Anthony. He walks into Mrs. Lovett’s pie shop, where business is struggling, and she explains how the former tenant above her shop, a barber named Benjamin Barker, was imprisoned by Judge Turpin who (allegedly) murdered Barker’s wife and raised their young daughter Johanna. Sweeney Todd reveals to Mrs. Lovett that he was Benjamin Barker, and has now assumed his new mysterious identity after his time in jail. Mrs. Lovett returns his old razors, which prompts Sweeney Todd re-open his barber shop. He commences his revenge era by killing an assistant of Judge Turpin who was masquerading as a magician’s assistant. When deciding what to do with the bodies, Mrs. Lovett suggests baking them into pies. Thus the chaos begins as Sweeney kills even innocent clients to help the pie shop on his mission to avenge his wife, who (spoiler) is actually still alive and right under his nose the whole time.
The music is Sondheim’s signature, with complementing tempos and fugue moments. Many songs are gloomy and threatening, like “Poor Thing” and “My Friends”, while others are comical and full of puns to make light of the dark situation, such as “A Little Priest” and “By The Sea.” Take, for example, this lyric from “A Little Priest”:
“It’s man devouring man out there, and who are we to deny it in here?”
There is one song that stands out as unlike all the others, and that is “Johanna.” With a lighter and more hopeful tone, this song shows Sweeney Todd’s softer side as he longs to see his daughter again. While it does not justify his killing spree, it adds dimension to his character and some motivation for his actions, showing that he is not naturally a malevolent person.
Personally, I believe the movie captures the essence of the stage show perfectly. While I have not seen a stage version, I have listened to the cast recordings from them, and the tone and setting that one would imagine through the songs seems to be cohesively displayed in Tim Burton’s dark style. There has been some dispute over Mrs. Lovett’s character, however. In the original stage production, she is not a love interest for Sweeney Todd, simply a partner in crime. I prefer this interpretation, as it breaks the expectation that the male and female main characters in a show must be romantic interests. In the 2007 movie, though, there is a line in which Mrs. Lovett implies she would marry Sweeney Todd, instead of simply living by the sea together as shown in the song “By The Sea.” I don’t mind this interpretation, but the original seems to be preferred among fans.
Overall, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a masterpiece of musical theater. The plot is captivating, the music beautifully fitted to the story, and the characters unlike any other show. I highly recommend watching the film version, or better yet, join me in seeing the Penn State Thespian Society production in late March!