SWEENEY TODD SCHOOL EDITION at PORTSMOUTH AREA ARTS COUNCIL

The rare instance of a musical thriller, Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler?s chilling, suspenseful, heart-pounding masterpiece of murderous barber-ism and culinary crime tells the infamous tale of the unjustly exiled barber who returns to 19th century London seeking revenge against the lecherous judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife. His thirst for blood soon expands to include his unfortunate customers, and the resourceful proprietress of the pie shop downstairs soon has the people of London lining up in droves with her mysterious new meat pie recipe!brbrSophisticated, macabre, visceral and uncompromising, ?Sweeney Todd? nevertheless has a great sense of fun, mixing intense drama with howlingly funny moments of dark humor: audiences find themselves laughing hysterically one moment and gasping in surprise the next.brbrAt the show?s core is a challenging score of epic proportion with two tasty tour de force roles in Sweeney and his comic female accomplice Mrs. Lovett. Although it has been extremely popular with opera companies and in concert presentation, ?Sweeney Todd? is equally effective as an intimate chamber musical.