Review: Chilling 'Sweeney Todd' leaves violence to imagination

In "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," the actors are not only singers but the orchestra and stage crew as well.

They stalk about the stage, belting out chilling ballads while balancing an instrument, all the while manipulating the single set.

There is little of the graphic gore present in the movie, but the musical still manages to unsettle the audience. At times frenetic, at others unnervingly silent, the ominous music weaves together a tale of revenge, missed opportunities and desire.

Three years after its revival opening on Broadway, Stephen Sondheim's "Sweeney Todd" came to Cape Girardeau for two Saturday performances at the Bedell Performance Hall. The afternoon performance was attneded by 305 people, while 628 attneded the evening show.

The premise: Todd seeks vengeance after his wife and daughter are taken from him, and some customers fall victim to the "cutthroat" barber. He strikes a partnership with Mrs. Lovett, who finds a "tasty" way to dispose of the bodies through her meat pies.

The 10 performers entered the stage in silence, and with a bang the white-faced crew began. The set remained virtually unchanged throughout the musical, apart from a raised coffin in the middle of the stage that became a table, a barber's chair or a platform depending on the scene.

Musicians frequently sat on chairs flanking the stage, but actors were not afraid to get some height; they spoke from ladders or perched on top of chairs.

Carrie Cimma, as Mrs. Lovett, was the life of the show, getting the most laughs from the audience. With ripped fishnet stockings and a feisty personality, she flaunted around, mixing her powerful voice with her tuba or triangle playing. She was also the most articulate; with some of the other characters, those that didn't know the plot may have been lost by their blurred enunciation.

Merritt David Janes convincingly conveyed Todd's desperation, and several audience members described Janes afterward as captivating. While much of his carnage was left to imagination, a glaring red light and roaring whistle symbolized Todd's destruction.

"I liked it as much as the movie, and I really loved the movie," said audience member Matt Scroggins.

lbavolek@semissourian.com

388-3627

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