SONDHEIM VISITS A PIE SHOP
There he was…sitting right across the aisle from me in the New York State Theatre at Lincoln Center (Upper West Side, NYC) in the year 2000. Now I’m not one to worship celebrity per se, but being that close to Stephen Sondheim encouraged my heart to beat a little faster than normal, I must admit. I was there to witness one of the world’s greatest orchestras, the New York Philharmonic, interpret the poet of musical theatre’s masterpiece. Full voice to the richness of SWEENEY TODD, THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET was slated to be interpreted by the likes of Patti LuPone (my #1 diva crush), George Hearn, Neil Patrick Harris and Audra McDonald. In short, a musical banquet was on the menu. (Snap out of it, Bill!)
Back to the present and the South Coast Rep production of SWEENEY as the curtain is about to rise on the Segerstrom Stage. The memories from the above referenced grand concert are still cascading feverishly, now interspersed with the drumbeat of anticipation for still another interpretation of this classic by one of the nation’s finest regional theatres. The pre-performance audience instructions are in full swing. Finally, the shrill industrial whistle shrieks and the shroud of the Grand Guignol aesthetic, along with the organ panoply of gloom and doom, demands attention to the “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd”. I’m all in.
The Rep has gathered a first class cast to essay the gruesome story penned by Hugh Wheeler. It never achieves the horror of – let’s say – TITUS ANDRONICUS, real life Victorian bear-baiting or a host of stomach-churning slasher cinema, yet grinding murdered human victims into “meat pies” lies a healthy distance from the “syruptitude”(sorry, my word) of THE SOUND OF MUSIC. And the oven-ready “city on fire” of Victorian London is a whole lot more fun when contrasted with being “high on a hill with The Lonely Goatherd” strolling the Alps.
David St. Louis, as the title character, manages a steely and chilling demeanor, steadfast in his determination to right past wrongs perpetrated by certain Londoners. His soaring and resonant baritone slices to the core of songs such as “My Friends”. Only when he climbs to the higher register does his voice become a bit thinner.
His cohort in crime, Jamey Hood (“Mrs. Lovett”) captures the denizen’s scheming and amoral nature. Her lunacy and comic aplomb lands her performance in audience favorite territory. Likewise, her singing chops are worthy of adulation – a different approach from both Lansbury and LuPone, but nevertheless engaging. There were moments, though, when her performance became a bit too studied and deliberate in gesture and expression, straying from its organic roots.
Both Erica Hanrahan-Ball (“Beggar Woman”) and Conlan Ledwith (“Tobias Ragg”) stunned with their pivotal performances. Vocally impressive and affecting in their portrayals of characters on the edge bring these actors into rarefied focus. Bloody well done to these descendants of Thespis.
Noteworthy also are the turns by Juliana Hansen (“Johanna”), Devin Archer (“Anthony”) and Roland Rusinek (“Adolfo Pirelli”), satisfyingly doing justice to their featured roles in the production. Plenty pleased to see Brent Schindele, a local acting chameleon, shine as “Jonas Fogg” as well.
The whole lot of featured actors comprise the ensemble at one time or another. All of them can be singled out here or there for well-deserved recognition. Oh, and David O (he has to be tired of lame “O” jokes) has blended a beautiful sound from these talented singers. Not only that, he leads his orchestra of 10 in a knowing rendition of the ravishing score.
Director Ken Nicholson shapes the enterprise with distinction. The other creatives make their mark as well with a special shoutout to the scenery design of John Iacovelli. His canvas is not the Gershwin (nee Uris) on Broadway where SWEENEY TODD first played, but given the limitations of this smaller stage, a worthy effort even so.
I was certainly glad to be a part of this audience peopled with quite a few deaf citizens in our community. In particular, I couldn’t avoid observing the enthusiastic interpreter enacting the grinding of the meat pies in the basement of the “shop”. South Coast Rep deserves credit for making this service available.
Of course, this afternoon’s performance of SWEENEY TODD could never erase my vivid, cherished memories of the NY Philharmonic concert. No matter…entering the world envisioned by Christopher Bond, the original playwright who provided the source material for the music and lyrics of the master Sondheim, always serves as a thrill. Anytime I can receive another dose of “A Little Priest” – especially when it’s “well done” – leads me to the conclusion that it has been a generous theatre feast! The barber’s razor at Costa Mesa sadly will rest as of February 16.
Theatre Curtain Calling… Reviewing the Situation