Oh, no. Not Sweeney Todd. Is he back again?
Yep. This time he’s at San Diego Musical Theatre through Oct. 20. Get ready to spend close to 3 hours in a horrid-looking slum-like place where almost nobody is anywhere near happy, at least not long enough to make the audience smile.
This is the 1979 version with a book by Hugh Wheeler and lots and lots of music by Stephen Sondheim, most of it grimy enough to grate on the ears just as the events you will see do.
“The story is really about obsession,” according to Sondheim. Everybody wants something (or someone) and is willing to do whatever is necessary to get it.
These folks are all victims, mostly of insufficient funds, and are doing whatever they can to get their hands on more money in order to survive.
Deandre Simmons makes his SDMT debut as the demon barber Sweeney Todd in his favorite musical here. He does a smashing (in more ways than one) job of it, though it’s difficult to watch him descend from a fine barber to, well, something less kindly.
Meghan O’Brien Lowery is a delight as the pie-making Mrs. Lovett, who makes the strangest looking “pies” I’ve ever seen. Square? Wrapped in what looks like burlap? Hmm…..
Salima Gangani played in Sweeney Todd at the University of Redlands. There she was Mrs. Lovett, the pie-maker. Here she’s Johanna, the girl every male wants as his girlfriend.
San Diegan Tanner Vydos , a veteran of “Into the Woods” “West Side Story” and other familiar pieces, does an excellent job on everybody’s least favorite character here, Judge Turpin.
Also along for the amusing part of the ride are Ryan Burtanog as Beadle Bamford and Matthew Javier as Tobias,
Sam Castillo does a lot of fine singing as Anthony (and he’s cute to boot), as does Luis Sherlinee as Adolfo Pirelli.
Congrats to director Jason Blitman for a fine job, and also to the musicians: conductor/keyboardist Richard Dueñez Morrison and instrumentalists Katrina Earl, Patricia Schenelberg, Kiersten Smith and Sharon Taylor. Congratulations to Katie Banville for the fine choreography.
The set (by Mathys Herbert) is suitably ugly, and the lighting and sound design are well done by Michelle Miles and Jordan Gray, respectively.
Sweeney and the gang will be at SDMT through October 20, so you have time to find some buddies and grab some tickets.
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