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The Weekend Theater Presents:

Sweeney Todd (Musical)

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Hugh Wheeler
June 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22

Attend the tale of "Sweeney Todd" at the Weekend Theater for a haunting, but also delightfully dark and amusing melodrama of greed and revenge, one of Stephen Sondheim's most complex, challenging works.

The horror-musical hybrid opens with a 7:30 p.m. show Friday, June 6, at the Weekend Theater, Seventh and Chester streets in downtown Little Rock (across from Vino's). Performances continue at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Sundays through June 22; tickets cost $18 for general admission and $14 for students and seniors age 65 and older. For reservations or more information, call the theater at (501) 374-3761 or visit the Web site at www.weekendtheater.org .

First presented on Broadway in 1979 by director Harold Prince, "Sweeney Todd" features music and lyrics by Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler As director Andy Hall notes, the basic plot - a crazy barber and his pie-making accomplice - can be traced to at least the early 1800s in English legends; some say it goes back even further.

"It has often been told with a comic point of view, but the Prince/Sondheim 1979 version went for a darker, grander approach," Hall says. "Sondheim said the theme of the play was revenge and obsession, while Prince felt it was important to illustrate the class struggle and devaluing of the individual in the Industrial Revolution."

This is the second time Weekend Theater has presented this show. The first time was in 1997, with Ralph Hyman and Kathryn Pryor in the lead roles of Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett; they are reprising those roles for this production.

After 15 years exile in Australia for a crime he didn't commit, Sweeney Todd (Hyman) returns to his native 19th century London intent on revenge against the powerful Judge Turpin (Duane Jackson), who framed him in order to get hold of Todd's beautiful young wife. Todd discovers that his wife has succumbed to a mysterious fate and Turpin has adopted Todd's daughter, Johanna (Shea Williamson), now grown into a lovely young woman.

Enter Mrs. Lovett (Pryor), who cheerfully admits to making "the worst (meat) pies in London," and offers Todd the space above her shop to restart his trade. In a moment of inspiration after Todd dispatches flamboyant rival "Italian" barber Pirelli (Gabe Washam), they form a partnership. Todd, enraged at the world and waiting for the chance to have Turpin in his chair, wields his razor across the throats of unsuspecting customers, in the process providing Mrs. Lovett with the, um, "ingredients" that will make her pies much tastier. Helped by the innocent boy Tobias (Zachary Hickman), both establishments flourish. Often lurking about in the shadows is a beggar woman (Roben Johnson), whose shattered mind occasionally yields to moments of painful clarity.

A much sweeter story threads through the plot, as young Anthony (Dustin Ashley Beam), a sailor Todd meets on the boat back to England, falls in love with Johanna at first sight after seeing her at a window in Turpin's home, and determines to win her heart. This won't be easy, as Turpin is determined to keep her for himself, and dispatches his Beadle (Alan Douglas) to keep Anthony away.

Filling out the cast in the ensemble are Michael Bartholmey, Jennifer Boccarossa, Kari L. Boyd, Darren Drone, Drew Ellis, Sarah Jane Kershaw, Joshua Miller, Ian Moore, Martha Norton, Allison Pace, Ashley Pettit, Sam Pettit, Justin Pike, Jeremy Ricketson, Herb Rule, Laura Shultz, Byron Taylor, and Natalie Toon. Lori Isner provides musical direction.

"The main characters, while quite dark, are still strangely relatable," Hall says. "Todd is a victim consumed with vengeance and Lovett, a kook who will do anything for him. The true villains are the judge and his beadle, who show no regard for anyone but themselves. Both Todd and Lovett cross the line, however."

The music, he adds, "is some of Sondheim's most celebrated, but also extremely difficult." The rather grim, almost chant-like opening chorus sets the mood, inviting the audience to "Attend (pay attention to) the tale of Sweeney Todd," and the bulk of the score is in that minor key. There are moments of black comedy, as when Mrs. Lovett laments her awful pies, or when she and Todd gleefully hatch their scheme. Then again, there are achingly lovely moments, as when Anthony sings of his love for Johanna.

The original production was not a major hit, but did have a respectable run of 557 performances and won all the major Tony Awards of its year, including Best Musical, Best Actor for Len Cariou as Todd and Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Lovett. Over the years, it has developed quite a cult following, and subsequent revivals have been much acclaimed. Most recently, there is the 2007 movie version directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp - a very, VERY bloody affair.

Hall is certain the movie affected the record turnout of auditioners for this summer's season of musicals; he's not sure what impact it might have on audience members who might compare the two.

"The play and the movie are quite different - not in story, but in style and emphasis," he says. "This is not a show about gore. In our production, blood is not the main focus - we don't have the resources to duplicate the bloodletting of the movie. So we hope the story and the theatricality of the performances will satisfy the audience."

Curtain Times

On Fridays and Saturdays, curtain times are at 7:30 p.m.
For special Sunday showings (Musicals only) curtain times are at 2:30 p.m.