By Jennifer Mustoe and Craig Mustoe
In the new Noorda complex on Utah Valley University campus in Orem, Utah, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street ushers in the Halloween season with a startlingly flawless production on its main stage. Sweeney Todd is bloody, and bloody brilliant, in all the spooky, creepy, lovely, discordant ways that we have come to love in October in Utah. With so many theaters jumping into the Halloween season, Sweeney Todd is often produced. But whether you’ve seen it before or not, don’t miss this one right in Orem at the beautiful new UVU theater complex. It’s that good.
UVU graduate Jacquelyne Jones Johnson plays the title role of meat pie baker Mrs. Nellie Lovett, and I struggled to watch anyone else while she was onstage. I’ve followed Jones Johnson’s career since I saw her in Next to Normal at UVU and was frankly thrilled to see what she would do with this deliciously frantic, chaotic, “loving”, diabolical role. She outdoes herself. Cockney accent firmly in place, Jones Johnson belts out each perfect note, moves comfortably and mincingly onstage, and at the talk back after the show told us that this role has been challenging with its need to be so active onstage, “IN A CORSET,” she grinned.
Brought into the production only two weeks ago, Jeff McCarthy reprises the role of the Demon Barber himself, Sweeney Todd, with a vigor and fervor that makes him transfixing to watch. He is everything we love to love and hate and fear and not able to stop rooting for, even though he’s (spoiler alert) a murderer. This is McCarthy’s third time in the role andhe revealed at the talk back that he will be playing Todd a fourth time in Arizona soon. This is obviously a role he loves and he brings a patina to the lead that puts layers into this production that further its brilliance.
Adrien Swenson plays the Beggar Woman with such ferocity, she made me hurt for her. In the talkback, Swenson shared that she patterned her character after someone who suffers from schizophrenia and implemented some physical mannerisms (tapping her head to keep out the voices) and a generally truly pathetic affect that made us all hurt for her in the most loving way. The big reveal at the end of the show about who the Beggar Woman is is one of the more heartbreaking plot lines. Even though I knew it was coming, I wanted to stand and shout, NO! Swenson’s strong voice and acting talent are put to the best use in this production.
The love couple Anthony Hope, played by the honey-voiced Jadon Webster, and Johanna, played by the sings and looks like an angel Ellora Lattin, are the one truly “happy” story line in Sweeney Todd, and these two do a lovely job. Perfectly in tune vocally and mesmerizing in their cohesion onstage, I was ready to watch a show simply about them. Counterpoint to the awful and bewitching couple ship of Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett, Webster and Lattin are refreshing and all we adore about young love.
The cast is complete with Judge Turpin (Brian Neal Clark), Beadle Bamford (Kenneth Wayne), Tobias Ragg (Davis Underwood), and the hilarious Pirelli (Spencer Hunsicker). This crew brings depth, some (slight) levity, and weave more into the darkness and the feeling, as director Tim Threlfall explained, of each character being trapped. I hadn’t really thought of that until he said that, but all the characters were trapped in their drudgery, their dismal hopes of revenge, or crazed need for love or power or safety.
Music Director Anne Puzey shared that she wanted the music to sound stark, so the orchestra that accompanied the production was whittled down to only a few instruments so we could hear a single clarinet, a single trumpet, and so forth. She also changed the notes to different octaves to further the stark feeling of the piece. It works. It also shows the incredible talent (and willingness) of the performers to apply this direction.
Set Designer Josh Steadman has built into his incredible set the metaphors he wanted to convey. Each color has meaning. Red: love, blood, revenge. Drabs and browns: being trapped, being poor and dirty. Two towers on each side of the stage are “cages” and in an inventive device show into the boxes (six in each tower) several motifs. One, members of the ensemble miming industrial working to highlight Sweeney Todd takes place during the Industrial Revolution. Using the lighting design by Jaron Kent Hermansen, these boxes show the inhabitants inside or just look like tattered buildings. Sound Design by Matthew Kupferer brings us machine sounds harshly clanking as well as other contributions to this amazing musical. Nothing is “kind”. Nothing is sweet. The delicious steam punk costumes by Nancy Cannon are wonderful and I, being a huge steam punk fan, was delighted. Hair and makeup by Samantha Lambson is spot on perfect, from Jones Johnson’s beautifully wicked makeup to the nigh close to death pallor of the ensemble. Choreographer Becky Wright Phillips has given her players strong, convincing, powerful movement which again, is jarring and effective. Properties Designer Rachel Summerhalder adds impressive props to the show.
The story of Sweeney Todd can be summarized quickly: Todd is bent on revenge and becomes a killer with his barber blade. Mrs. Lovett makes pretty terrible meat pies until the flesh from Todd’s kills becomes her new addition to the pies. Almost everyone in the entire show is evil or is in a tragic mess at the hands of others’ evil. And though this show could have had spurting blood (and there is a little blood, but not much), it doesn’t need it. The underlying darkness is so profound–but it doesn’t feel scary, just sad, but not in a weepy way. Sweeney Todd is a great explanation of what can happen when too many things go awry at the hands of evil. We have sympathy for all the characters, and so few are truly good. Steven Sondheim‘s discordant score is perfect for this dark story.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is an excellent show to attend during the Halloween season, and this is a production you do not want to miss. With top notch performers, a script and music that will make you gasp and sometimes cringe (in the best way), and a visual delight, this will tickle your need to be afraid and entertained in the most delectable of ways.
Utah Valley University presents Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by Hugh Wheeler. Co-Produced with Utah Repertory Company.
Noorda Center for the Performing Arts, Smith Theater, UVU campus, Orem, UT 84097
October 24-November 9, 2019 M-Sat 7:30 PM, Saturday matinees 2:00 PM
Tickets: $13-$45 ( Use code “BARBER” for BOGO tickets)
Contact: 801-863-7529
The Noorda Center for the Performing Arts Facebook Page
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Facebook Event
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