Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Though the video technology may be dated, this classic musical play, now on DVD, is the best version of Sondheim's most important and polished work on Broadway. If you've never seen SWEENEY TODD, then you must buy this DVD. I saw this production in November 1980 at Kennedy Center in Washington--and fell in love with a pre-"Murder She Wrote" Angela Lansbury. Subsequently, I tried to find any and all of her work, among them: MOVIES: "The Harvey Girls," "The Picture of Dorian Gray," "Manchurian Candidate"; CDs: "Mame," "Dear World," and "Gypsy"; and many more. The rest of the cast is flawless, too. All in all, this wonderful DVD gives us the definitive version of Sondheim's opera!

One of Sondheim's most shocking musicals. After seeing it, it's hard to believe this is the same man who's given us musicals like "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", "A Little Night Music" or "Passion." Lansbury and Hearn are both brilliant in their roles. The music is magnificent. The sets are devilishly grim. Terry Hughes' direction is superb. Hearn won the Emmy for his performance. Lansbury had won a Tony Award for her Broadway performance with then Sweeney, Len Cariou, who also won the Tony under the direction of Harold Prince.

This is the Sweeney Todd to watch. I first watched the Tim Burton version back when it came out and I liked it; it wasn't one of my favorite movies but it wasn't a stinker either. It wasn't until a few years later I knew what I was missing.

After watching this version, you can never go back to that Burton garbage. Would you eat at Taco Bell after tasting food at a REAL Mexican restaurant? No. The first time I fully-understood the story was with this 1982 taping. The Burton adaption was a jumbled mess with many things cut out and many miscasted actors (Helena Bonham Carter being the worst one). Sacha Baron Cohen actually did a remarkable job though.

Anyway, this review IS for the 1982 version, so I'll stop trashing the newer one. In my opinion, George Hearn performs Sweeney better than Len Cariou originally did, but that's just an opinion. Angela Lansbury adds lots of character to Miss Lovett, making her weirdly lovable. Ken Jennings (not to be confused with the high-neck Jeopardy geek)also reprises his role as Toby from the original show as does Edmund Lyndeck as Judge Turpin. Everyone does a remarkable job, however I know a lot of people hate Johanna's singing. But if you stop and think she's asking the birds how THEY sing wonderfully when trapped in a cage....so I suppose she's not supposed to sing well. Cris Groenendaal is wonderfully cheesy as Anthony and was much more likable than that young prissy guy they casted in the Burton movie.

This show is NEVER boring. If you found the Burton movie confusing, I suggest you watch this. It's truly a treat to watch; you'll see why this has an 8.5 score. Hopefully they'll release it on BluRay so we can attend the tale of Sweeney Todd in HD!

First of all, I have watched this show since I was a little toddler, and I have always loved it. Sure, maybe I didn't understand it when I was that young, but I still enjoyed it! And now that I have been able to understand it for several years, I love it even more. The score of this musical is the most wonderfully detailed score I have ever heard! Every note is perfect, I don't even need to hear the singing to enjoy it!

Moving on to this particular production- This is magnificent! Of course no one could play Mrs. Lovett besides Angela Lansbury, and she does it perfectly. And she should, she has been playing this part for several years. George Hearn is absolutely brilliant. The best Sweeney Todd I have ever heard. He has a wonderful voice, yet he can throw his voice so well! His "epiphany" is incredible, as you can tell by the audience's reaction to it. The Judge, Toby, Antony, and Pirelli are also so wonderful in their roles. Everyone is perfect! Well, I still have to fast forward through Johanna's Green finch and linnet bird. She just doesn't sing that song well at all.

This show CAN be appreciated at all ages, but it is not always accepted. I am not your typical middle-aged theater lover, I am only 15 years old, yet Sweeney Todd has given me a greater appreciation for music than I have gotten from any other musical.

Even if you're not a "theatre person," I highly recommend that you see this. Based off of a play of the same name by Christopher Bond (which, in turn, had been based off of an old London legend), Sondheim did a wonderful job bringing it to the musical theatre stage. The score is just amazing-- by far Sondheim's best, and probably one of the best scores written for a musical ever. The show was cast extremely well, my only complaint being of Betsy Joscelyn's portrayal of Johanna. It;s good, mind you, and she's a very versatile actress, but she just doesn't sing "Greenfinch and Linnet Bird" too well. But other than that, it's all phenomenal-- Angela Lansbury *made* the role of Mrs. Lovette, and she just does it so well. George Hearn was a good replacement for Len Cariou in the title role, and Ken Jennings gives a great performance as Tobias. The ending will give you chills. Top marks for a wonderful show.