Review: SWEENEY TODD with Denver Center Theatre Company

Ladies and gentlemen, you can't imagine the rapture in store for you with Denver Center Theatre Company's killer production of Sweeney Todd.

The musical tale of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street tells of the return of Benjamin Barker (now Sweeney Todd) to his home in London after several years of imprisonment for a crime he didn't commit. He arrives alongside a young sailor, Anthony. Todd stumbles upon his former home, now an unoccupied space above a struggling pie shop owned by Mrs. Lovett. He discovers Judge Turpin, the man who sent him away and destroyed his family, is holding his daughter, Joanna, captive. Coincidentally, Anthony has fallen in love with her. Sweeney resurrects his barbershop for a more sinister purpose, and Lovett recruits him to make pies from his...customers.

Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's darkly comedic musical first appeared on Broadway in the late 1970s, inspired by Christopher Bond's 1972 play. Since its inception, the show has been revived with a cast who played their own instruments and also turned into a successful Tim Burton film. Even today, the themes of cannibalism and murder could be viciously uncomfortable if it weren't for the show's clever ability to gawk at its own context. (There's an entire song that utilizes wordplay to justify eating various kinds of people.)

An updated score is kudos to Denver's own Grammy-nominated DeVotchKa, whose sound you might connect to their scoring of Little Miss Sunshine. DeVotchKa frequently collaborates with the Denver Center's theatrical testing lab, Off-Center.

The combination of Sondheim's classic score infused with DeVotchKa's gypsy-punk vibe provides Sweeney an eccentricity you never knew it needed. While the original production calls for 26 musicians, DeVotchKa's orchestrations use only nine musicians playing 39 instruments--3 of those musicians are DeVotchKa themselves (Shawn King, Jeanie Schroder and Tom Hagerman...who even make brief appearances in Sweeney's chair).

DeVotchKa's signature sound permeates the show's familiar tunes, but don't expect an unrecognizable score. Percussion adds a riveting heartbeat to the ballads, and instruments like sousaphone and accordion lend a delectable amount of whimsy. The songs I thought I'd heard plenty were suddenly new and vibrant.

Robert Petkoff nails a visceral portrayal of the tortured barber. His Sweeney has demons behind his eyes, but they're cleverly masked by an attractive charisma. Petkoff's powerful demeanor is matched with soft introspective moments that layer his depiction.

Linda Mugleston is a charmingly sinister Mrs. Lovett. Her comedic timing slays as her sharp tongue effortlessly spits out the some of trickiest lyricism in Sondheim's book. Mugleston grips onto a fierce passion that rarely dims. She's on fire.

But it's the entire ensemble that truly ignites this piece. Daniel Berryman's slick tenor voice and Samantha Bruce's soaring soprano deliver Anthony and Joanna with unfailing magnetism. Kevin Mcguire's Turpin is an ominous brute, and, as his cohort Beadle Bamford, Dwelvan David pierces each scene with a pair of menacing eyes fitted to a ferocious persona. Kevin Curtis gives the young assistant Tobias a worthwhile journey of his own, and Michael Brian Dunn's Pirelli is flamboyant perfection. Even Kathleen McCall's Beggar Woman provides her own impeccable brand of lunacy. The supporting ensemble are sharply on their game, down to the strictest harmonies and head-snaps.

James Kronzer's set design is so captivating I found myself getting distracted by its attention to details. It's highlighted by a striking and vibrant lighting design by Kenton Yeager. I could go on for days about Kevin Copenhaver's dramatically gorgeous costume design. Zach Williamson's sound design gave the right amount of chills throughout, especially with the addition of several shrill whistles at the perfect moments. High five to Kurt Van Raden's stage management.

Director Kent Thompson crafted a production that's as hypnotizing as it is heartbreaking; as chilling as it is charming. Sweeney Todd has always been a show that's held my attention in spurts, but this production...God, it's good.

Denver Center Theatre Company's production of Sweeney Todd plays now through May 15 at the Stage Theatre with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Show times are 6:30 p.m. Tuesday - Thursday and 7:30 p.m. Friday - Saturday with 1:30 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets start at $35-40 and can be purchased at DenverCenter.org or by calling (303)893-4100.

Photos: Adams Visual Communications

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