Review: SWEENEY TODD Slays with Quality

This past weekend The Main Stage, Inc. presented Sweeney Todd for just two nights at The Century Center's Bendix Theater. The musical follows Sweeney Todd, formerly known as Benjamin Barker, as he returns to London after a 15-year exile. Todd has returned to exact revenge upon the corrupt Judge Turpin who had him wrongfully imprisoned so he could pursue Todd's beautiful wife. During his quest for revenge, Todd returns to his former career as a barber (with a deadly twist), with the help of Mrs. Lovett, an admirer of Todd's who runs a failing meat-pie shop.

This was my first time reviewing for The Main Stage, Inc. and I have to say the production quality of the show was astounding. Even though the Bendix Theater does not belong to The Main Stage, Inc., what other set elements were in their control was nothing short of impressive. The costumes were superb, with each outfit consistently matching the macabre and oddly whimsical nature of the show. The makeup added elements to each actor that were perfect in completing their character, such as creepy, hallowed out eyes added to Sweeney Todd's intimidating stare. The stage setting also left no detail spared; painted cobbled floors to reflect the streets of London, run down wooden slats for walls, blood trailing down the stairs that lead to the above apartment/make shift barber shop above the meat-pie shop, and other trappings that created a dark musical world. At the beginning of the show, there was perfect ambience music reminiscent of an old cathedral that set the tone for the musical. Coupled with amazing light choices, the show never faltered on creating a feeling of despair and anguish that most of the characters felt throughout their journeys on stage.

The musical was also a thrill to watch because the ensemble had the best performing abilities of any I have seen before in community theatre. Under the direction of Jon West, the ensemble never faltered in taking every opportunity on stage to act their hearts out in their various roles. They moved constantly and with purpose, leaving no dead space on stage and allowing for no weird drops in energy; it was a perfectly paced show thanks to their consistent enthusiasm. The only critique I can give the ensemble is that the volume of singing was occasionally inconsistent; at times they were too low to hear or too loud, not allowing for certain acting moments to be heard or fully understood. Also, for a majority of the show, the background music was way too loud, not allowing for a lot of the action/singing on stage to be heard properly again, which is a shame because the talent was there, it just wasn't getting the best opportunity to be displayed.

The show was full of incredible actors, each with their own strengths. Taylor Calderone, who played Johanna, had an incredible singing voice. Darren Kemble, who played the immoral Judge Turpin, was perfect in creating the sinister persona of the main villain. Sarah Fish played the Beggar Woman, and had an astounding voice as well, and was one of the best ensemble actors. The strongest actor of the bunch had to be Jill Hillman, who played Mrs. Lovett. Hillman was constant in her portrayal of Mrs. Lovett, with faultless acting choices, a beautiful singing voice, and seamless comedic abilities. I'd be remiss if I didn't point out the charming Eddie Bell, who played the young Tobias Ragg, because it was so inspiring to watch a young kid committing so fully to his performance. With a sweet voice and impressive acting chops to boot, Bell is a young star in the making.

The show had very few criticisms to speak of. Save for the sound issues mentioned above, there were only a few scenes/moments that could have used improvement. There were some sporadically sloppy moments that either moved too quickly or were poorly blocked and executed. This was unfortunate, because a lot of these blunders happened at important moments in the plot where the revelations happening on stage were extremely important to understand for the storyline. If you maybe did not know the plot of the show beforehand, it was easy to miss what was happening or you could have been left dissatisfied with how seemingly quickly or hastily things climaxed with little catharsis. However, most of the show was a blast and The Main Stage, Inc. should be commended on a great show. It is a shame it did not run longer! Be sure to be on the lookout for more of The Main Stage, Inc.'s shows coming up this season... because if they keep up with this type of quality theatre, you won't want to miss the next show!

Photo Credit: Lynee Martens

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