by Tony Annicone
Trinity Rep’s closing musical of their 59th season is Stephen Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd,” which opened on Broadway on March 1, 1979, and won 8 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. This musical is a macabre tragicomedy based on the legend of a half-mad 19th Century English barber driven to crime when an evil judge takes his wife and daughter from him. Unjustly imprisoned, Todd eventually escapes 15 years later and vows to bring justice to the judge who destroyed his life and all the people of London. He forms a partnership with Mrs. Lovett, an enterprising bar mistress whose previously worst meat pies in London soon become the tastiest, with Todd’s victims as their secret ingredient. This musical also shines with a fabulous turntable set by the late Eugene Lee and Patrick Lynch with terrific costumes by Shahrzad Mazaheri. Director Curt Columbus infuses his cast with the energy and insight to pull off these complex characters. At the same time, music director Andrew Smithson taught the talented cast members the intricate and precise Sondheim music and lyrics in this over three-hundred-page score. The diction is crystal clear. Their combined efforts produce a sensational musical that must not be missed. It is rewarded with a resounding standing ovation at night’s close.
Curt does a brilliant job with this show, and choreographer Sharon Jenkins incorporates stylized dance moves by the whole cast in the group numbers. Curt has them use every part of the theatre for his performers. His keen insight into these characters pours out to the appreciative and attentive audience. Curt’s attention to every detail of this epic musical is incredible. Todd’s death scene is perfectly executed. Andrew conducts a fantastic six-piece orchestra, plays lead keyboards, and the chorus numbers’ harmonies are astounding, especially in “Ladies in their Sensitivities.” Dawn Chiang supplies the lighting for this production. Especially impressive is the mood lighting for each scene of the show and the one used for the intense and dramatic numbers. The lighting for “Pretty Women” when Todd first attempts to kill the evil Judge is lovely, too.
This talented cast is led by Erick Pinnick as Sweeney Todd. He plays the mad barber splendidly and possesses a strong baritone voice. From his “No Place Like London” to “Pretty Women” to the “Letter,” he captivates you with his strong stage presence. He transitions from Benjamin Barker into Sweeney Todd, his descent into madness, during the incredible “Epiphany” song, which stops the show with his powerful rendition. Erick captures the mad desperation of the character, and the murders send chills up your spine. I last reviewed him at Trinity in “Oliver.”
Todd’s counterpart is marvelously played by Rachael Warren, who steals almost every scene in this role. She is very comical in this role and displays her amazing voice in “Worst Pies in London,” “Poor Thing,” and “By the Sea,” which all win her many laughs. Rachael brings a lot of humor to lighten up the show, and her Cockney accent is top-notch, too. Her duets with Erick, “Epiphany,” and “Little Priest” leave the audience in stitches as they figure out what to do with the dead bodies. Congrats to both performers in these demanding roles. I first reviewed Rachael as Anybody’s in “West Side Story” at Trinity in 2004 and last reviewed her here in “The Inferior Sex.” I saw the original Broadway show “Sweeney Todd” starring Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury back in 1979.
The strong chorus is a highlight of this show. They handle several demanding numbers, including the continuous “Ballad of Sweeney Todd,” which is based on the Dies Irae, the Roman Catholic Mass for the dead, the frightening “City on Fire,” and “God, That’s Good,” which sounds like “Oom Pah Pah” from “Oliver.” Curt has the chorus start in jail cells and have them come downstage to tell the tale to the audience. Taavon Gamble and Rebecca-Anne Whittaker play the young lovers, Anthony and Johanna, who is Todd’s kidnapped daughter. Taavon is fantastic as the heroic young sailor who saves the damsel in distress from the clutches of the evil judge by keeping her from the insane asylum. His strong tenor voice soars off the charts in the rousing ballad “Johanna” and the pretty duet “Kiss Me” with Rebecca. Rebecca’s songs are “Green Finch and Linnet Bird” and the duet with Taavon. I last reviewed Taavon in “By the Queen” in January.
Myka Cue wonderfully plays the mysterious Beggar woman who has a secret past. She displays her comic timing as this insane creature. One of her funniest moments occurs when she tries to grab Anthony’s crotch. Myka shows her lovely voice in “Alms” and “City on Fire.” Another comic performer is Alexander Crespo Rosario, who plays the role of Toby. He first appears as Pirelli, the barber’s assistant, but soon becomes Mrs. Lovett’s employee. Alexander displays his strong tenor voice in “Pirelli’s Magic Elixir,” “God, That’s Good,” and in the poignant “Not While I’m Around,” which is my favorite song in the show. It is sung when Toby wants to protect Mrs. Lovett from the dangers in her shop.
The horrible evil judge is excellently played by Stephen Thorne. He oozes venom as this insidious character who lusts after his much younger ward, Johanna. Stephen displays his voice in “Johanna,” where he self-flagellates himself with a whip and lusts lasciviously over making love to the young girl, in “Ladies in their Sensitivities” with Anthony, Johanna and Beadle and “Pretty Women,” a duet with Todd when he first tries to kill him. I first reviewed Stephen as Tom Joad in “Grapes of Wrath here in 2013, and I look forward to seeing him direct “A Christmas Carol” at Trinity later this year. The judge’s sidekick is the vicious Beadle Bamford. Sophie Zmorrod shows this character’s evil side when Beadle kills Johanna’s bird. Sophie’s strong soprano voice is heard in “Ladies in their Sensitivities” and the Parlor songs.
The third suspicious character is the Italian barber, Pirelli, played for laughs. Pirelli is wonderfully played by Kai Thomani Tshkosi, who has a top-notch Italian accent but does a hilarious Irish brogue when he confronts Todd. He displays his high tenor voice in the contest song when he shaves a contestant slower than Todd. Later on, when he tries to blackmail Sweeney, he becomes his first murder victim of the show. The evil owner of the insane asylum, Jonas Fogg, is excellently played by Kevin Patrick Martin, a Rhode Island native whom I first reviewed in “Fiddler on the Roof” when he was 12 and last reviewed at Trinity in “Oklahoma.” He also displays his strong bass voice and is killed off several times. The particular blood side effects are stunning. The harmonic sound in this show is incredible, and so are the insightful and brilliant touches Curt Columbus added to this show. So, for a fantastic version of “Sweeney Todd,” be sure to get your tickets at Trinity Rep before the show is completely sold out. Tell them Tony sent you. I have been reviewing shows for Trinity Rep since “Grapes of Wrath” in 2013 but have attended performances here since “Wilson in the Promised Land” in 1969. This show was seen through the Project Discovery Program. For further info and ticket information, go to their website at www.trinityrep.com
Sweeney Todd (25 May to 25 June)
Trinity Repertory Company, 201 Washington Street, Providence, RI
1(401)351-4242
