Written by Patrick Chavis

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is playing now at the Chance Theater in Anaheim from July 12 – August 11, 2024.

The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is back with a vengeance! Oh, sweet vengeance! It is upon us to feast on its decadence and not the pies. Those things are creepy. The Chance Theater’s James Michael Mchale-directed Sweeney Todd brings the gloom and the dastardly creep to the penny dreadfuls looking for a masterful take. It’s a tour de force on the Sondheim classic! This one is dark, my friends. Hold on for your life — ahahahahahah!

Story:

Sweeney Todd is a musical about barber Benjamin Barker, aka Sweeney Todd, played by Winston Peacock, who a corrupt Judge Turpin, played gruesomely well by Justin Ryan, falsely accuses. Sweeney returns to London after escaping his prison in Australia. With a taste for revenge, Sweeney goes on a murder spree with his barber knife in hopes of getting the chance to avenge his wife, Lucy, and daughter, Johanna, played by the nimble Naya Ramsey-Clarke. But is the price of revenge too high? This and more in Sweeney Todd!

Sondheim created many successful musicals during his life. Time and time again, Sweeney Todd is recognized as one of the best shows he ever created, which means a lot. Sweeney Todd won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1979, picked up many nominations, and has won various awards as recently as last year. This piece isn’t slowing down in relevance on the stage, and I don’t see it slowing down at all with productions like this, still finding new and creative stagings.

Set Design:

The stage takes up the entire width of the Cripe. Its dark, Gothic atmosphere is accented by the lighting from Jacqueline Malenke and exquisite projection designs from Nick Santiago. As you find your seat, you will find yourself in this dark, haunted theater house as ghostly sounds fill the room. The back of the stage has a movable wall that allows movement from behind the stage to be visible to the entire audience. In the front of the stage, movable boxes are set underneath the stage for sequences that are sometimes just a foot away from the audience. The metal-looking gears and chambers provide an industrial London atmosphere. Then, of course, there is the scorching and dangerous oven.

Direction/Costume:

This is a 2-hour and 45-minute production, and the hours float away. There is not a dull moment in the show, thanks to the excellent pacing and creative movement. Using a dolly to communicate a ship coming into port is brilliant. It’s jam-packed with so many significant creative design decisions. To top it off, this cast that didn’t hit a wrong note. This ensemble moves in a unique and physically taxing way thanks to acrobatic choreography from Mo Goodfellow.

Gwen Sloan’s costume design consisted of many variations of suit jackets, vests, and the light muslin dress worn by Johanna, making the trapped bird metaphor in the play incredibly obvious if you weren’t paying attention. There are fitted, ruffled shirts and tight corsets because it’s British. The effect of having the characters wear mostly sedated colors is seen when Adolfo Pirelli, played by Emmanuel Madera, pops up with his loud purple overcoat, communicating the character’s silliness and unpredictability.

Acting:

It is a fantastic cast of singers. In addition to talent, a clear direction is needed throughout. Winston Peacock’s (Sweeney Todd) acting portrayed a man with a single mission, and his vocals and singing expressed the heartache and torture of a cruel world.

Justin Ryan’s performance as Judge Turpin is one word—magnificent. His acting and singing is a performance fit for Broadway. Jocelyn A. Brown as Mrs. Lovett will charm you with her comical witticism and cheeky attitude. Adam Levia brings out Tobias Raggs’s tragically demented pathos in his performance and silky smooth vocals in tunes like “Not While I’m Around.”

Last but not least, Naya Ramsey-Clarke’s performance of Johanna Barker was impressive, showing great, precise movements and vocal control with some of the show’s more challenging vocal ranges.

The Chance has outdone themselves with this latest venture — well worth the price of admission!