Review: SWEENEY TODD: DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET at The Forum

The musicianship was on fire during The Foundation of Arts production of Stephen Sondheim’s SWENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET, which was performed for one weekend only at The Forum Theater in Jonesboro June 28-30. It is evident that the quality of artistry is next level with this company, and Broadway World is thrilled that Northeast Arkansas is competitive with the other regions in Arkansas. Though you may have missed out on this bloody masterpiece, there are multiple other chances in the near future to see and hear for yourself what FOA has to offer.  

Sweeney Todd (Lorenzo Balderes) was sent away from London on trumped up charges for 15 years and returns to hear that his wife (Anna Ganong) poisoned herself and his daughter Johanna (McKenley Coleman) was taken to live with Judge Turpin (Coltron Bruff). Mrs. Lovett (Kathryn Tarkington) has Sweeney use the room above her meat pie store to open his new barber shop with intent to kill all of the people who have done him wrong. Afterwards, Mrs. Lovett grinds up their bodies and serves them in her pies, which turns out to be a big hit. To thicken the plot, Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett take in Tobias Ragg (Janson Marsico) after his master Adolfo Pirelli (Chance Williams) goes “missing”, and Anthony Hope (Harrison Herget) falls in love with Sweeney’s daughter, who has to be rescued from Jonas Fogg (Hunter Rogers) at the insane asylum. SWEENEY TODD is the perfect horror musical that will have you second guessing what is being served to you!    

Again, I cannot emphasize enough about how impressed I was with the caliber of musicianship that was performed. Directors Krisie Holmes, Dallas Martinez, and Zane Brewer put together a talented ensemble. Sondheim is tough, and the FOA breezed through it with ease. The singing was mesmerizing. The leads’ vocalizations filled the auditorium with power and passion. The drama-infused notes evoked feelings of doom in the best of ways. And while I’m on this subject, having live musicians makes a performance even more special, especially when they are this amazing! 

Musicians for this show were Rex Brown, Shelby Steward, Anastasia Tarkington, Anamaria Tarkington, Arabella Tarkington, and Zedidiah Tarkington on Strings, Audrey Alpha, Alexander Burnett, Connor Dow, Rike Robinson, and Dr. Nairam Simoes on Brass, William Allen, LaPita Guerrero, Alan Navarro, and Karen Osorio on Woodwinds, Krisis Homes and Marc Sexton on Keys, and Daniel Guerrero and David Hall on Percussions.  

The whole ensemble blew me away. They were dramatic and moody, and the voices blended well. Lorenzo Balderes was extra brooding. He embodied Sweeney perfectly and commanded the space every time he was on stage. His partnering with Kathryn Tarkington was menacing and delightful at the same time. Another great pairing was Harrison Herget and McKenley Coleman. Their romance was fun to watch. I also liked the dueting of Janson Marsico and Tarkington during Not While I’m Around. You could really feel the love Tobias had for Mrs. Lovett in that scene.  

Part of the coolness of SWEENEY TODD is the set, costumes and lighting that bring the story to life, and let’s not forget how important it is to have a good working chair. Broadway World would like to acknowledge Dana Bruff for Costumes and Stage Managing, Joe Carr for Set and Lighting Design, James Rich for Set Constructions and Technician and Christina Davenport as the Scenic Artist for bringing the creepy side of London to the stage. There was so much detail in all of it. I loved how the chair slid the victims down, what I will assume was, a slide where they ended up in the basement of the meat pie store. That effect was super cool. The lights complemented the costumes, which were drab and beautiful. Also, the fog was an added bonus that made the whole set look doom and gloom. FOA craftsmanship didn’t hold anything back, and we were impressed.  

Not only does FOA put on fabulous musicals, but they also host all sorts of classes and other performing arts mediums. For more information, visit their website at https://foajonesboro.org for more information. Up next is FINDING NEMO JR.  

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