Attend the Tale...

... of a hastily rendered performance of Sweeney Todd.

It's fitting that Sweeney, Sondheim's most operatic musical, be performed in an opera house. But it's not opera and requires more acting chops than these singers could muster, which is why Elaine Paige, the sole musical theater veteran, stood out amongst them. I especially liked her "By the Sea". She was able to make the part her own, even though the production was actually just a restaging of the original 1979 production.

Mark Develan had the vocal chops to handle Sweeney's Epiphany without taking a breath, but he played the demon barber too angry from the get-go so it came out less like an epiphany and more like a rousing affirmation of his previous sentiments. And there was little subtlety is his spoken dialogue. Anthony was Hope-less (oh the "pun"ishment!)

One highlight, however, was the reinsertion of the Judge's "Johanna", or the orgasm song as I like to put it. Nothing like seeing a half-naked old man flog himself onstage.