“Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street” was performed by our very own Canyon Drama from March 26-28, and it was by far the best show I’ve seen in the four years I’ve been attending their productions.
Admittedly, I had never seen or consumed any media related to “Sweeney Todd” before the couple of days prior to my first viewing of the show. I had a semblance of an idea that it was about a crazy couple of English lads who tossed people into pies, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that there was much more to it than cannibalism.
“Sweeney Todd” is set in 19th century London and follows Benjamin Barker, a man who was exiled to Australia for 15 years by a scheming Judge Turpin and his accomplice, Beadle Bamford, in order to steal away Barker’s wife. When Barker returns, he discovers that his wife has ‘died,’ leaving his daughter in the hands of Judge Turpin. He wants vengeance over the Judge, and in order to do so, he adopts the alias of Sweeney Todd and opens a barber shop over Ms. Lovett’s meat pie shop. Todd and Lovett begin scheming against the Judge, going on quite the killing spree—and baking the corpses into her meat pies.
Canyon’s reenactment of the famous story-turned-play-turned-musical changes up the setting to a post–World War II London instead of the original Victorian setting, creating an atmosphere that is by far more melancholic and, no pun intended, quite war-torn.
Josh Ighodaro played the role of Sweeney Todd and was, to say the least, incredible. His acting and singing were both phenomenal—one of the main reasons I attended two out of the three nights—and captured the essence of a heartbroken, vengeful man perfectly. The juxtaposition of his crazed thrill at seeing his razor for the first time after 15 years versus his nonchalance during his barber-battle with Pirelli showcased Todd’s overwhelming emotional detachment with ease, and multiple times, I forgot that I was at a show and not a real-life bystander.
Evie Greene took on the role of Ms. Lovett, Todd’s accomplice slash admirer. She was astounding, acting out the part of a crazed, desperate woman with ease. Her mannerisms during her ballads, demeanor shift between interactions, and onstage faux-chemistry with Ighodaro never felt forced. In addition to her impressive character, her vocals were lovely in “A Little Priest” and “The Worst Pies in London.”
Other major and incredibly performed roles include Diane Riser as Johanna, Brandon Davenport as Anthony, Melody Ramirez as Beadle Bamford, Isla Singley as the beggar woman, and Breezy Mulan as Signor Pirelli. Mulan’s characterization of Pirelli was comical, and Davenport’s performance of a desperate, lovesick young man was captivating. Riser, Singley, and Ramirez all had voices that were nothing short of angelic.
In addition to the amazing casting and overly impressive vocals, the set design was beautiful; all of the buildings really cemented the post World War II ambience, but it was the small details—like the old fashioned streetlamp and cleverly implemented shute at the top of Lovett’s Pie Shoppe— that brought the show to life.
Overall, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” was incredibly captivating and an admirable showcase of talent. Canyon Drama’s next production will be “Little Shop of Horrors” on May 14, 15, and 16. Don’t miss out!
