The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
SWEENY TODD
Contributor: Brittany S. Smith
From Oct. 31 – Nov. 17, 2013 the musical thriller “Sweeney Todd” was performed at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre (CFRT) in Fayetteville, North Carolina; an adaptation by Christopher Bond.
On the evening of Nov. 7, 2013, a community night at CFRT, the musical “Sweeney Todd” had an outstanding review.
Gore is what comes to mind when “Sweeney Todd” is mentioned due to rumored throat slitting and death, but it is not that drastic when viewing the live performance. A mature audience is recommended due to body motions, language, and violence. However, despite the mature audience recommendation, “Sweeney Todd” was hilariously enjoyable.
The sounds of knocking, chains rattling, and scary themed music greeted the audience as they found their seats.
“It’s like the Little Shop of Horrors,” a gentleman whispered to his wife, comparing the surrounding sounds.
Located at the back of the stage behind a curtain sat a live orchestra conducted by Andrew Wheeler, whom played every piece of music during the performance.
The director, Tom Quaintance, gathered everyone’s attention before the show began and made a brief speech on how it was a pleasure for him to direct this musical and thanked all of the other directors, co-producers, sponsors, and cast members.
He described Sweeney Todd’s period as taking place in the Industrial Revolution, where cell phones did not exist, cleverly and politely hinting for audience members to turn off their cell phones.
“Don’t sit back and relax. Lean forward and engage,” Quaintance said to CFRT’s guests.
Taking place in London, the musical started out at a funeral with a somberly looking woman dressed in all black with a laced veil covering her face and a parasol in her hand.
The cast wasted no time jumping into the first song, “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd,” which served as a singing summary for The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
The ballad included all cast members. This gave the audience time to soak in the look of each character. The make-up on each person was highly pronounced and done very well; specifically Judge Turpin who was played by Ken Griggs. Griggs was transformed into a character 20 years his senior, wearing his pseudo aged wrinkles with confidence.
The singing was pleasing to the ear and entertaining with its crude and hilarious lyrics. The diction and pronunciation was superb; it seemed effortless, as if this crew has been singing these songs together for years.
There was a part in the musical where a large sheet was held up and extended with a light shining through it, overshadowing three cast members illustrating hurried past memories of what triggered Sweeney Todd to become a conniving sadistic throat slasher. The participating cast members and artistic staff did a marvelous job manipulating the depth of the shadows.
The entire cast involved the audience members throughout the evening. At one point during the musical, the ensemble walked through the aisles singing. Sweeney Todd jumped off the stage singing and pointing at random male audience members who acquired a spot light, asking if they needed a shave. He was so close sweat could be seen dripping off of his face.
A few of the ensemble members could be seen as playing different parts throughout the musical, but it wasn’t highly noticeable (only to a critics eye) and it is immensely common.
Every single one of the cast members did an exceptional job.
Steven Minow, who played Sweeney Todd and Leanne Borgehsi, who played Mrs. Lovett, executed their characters perfectly. Their performance was extremely impressive. It was obvious that these two were dedicated and enjoyed their roles.
Minow, resembling Uncle Fester from the Addams Family with his pale skin and bald head, represented a man gone mad to the tee. He made the audience believe that his arm was complete when connected with his razor.
Borgehsi, paralleling the modern day Russell Brand with her accent, facial expressions, and filthy mouth, depicted a witty, dramatic, scheming pie-maker sidekick magnificently.
Matt Lamb, who played Anthony and Hailey Best, who played Johanna are applauded with their commendable performance. They did a great job of capturing their characters love.
Major kudos is given to the beggar played by Nicki Hart. She embraced her character and earned chuckles every time she set foot on the stage. The audience knew when the act of mischief was making its way in a scene.
Samantha Fabiani, who played Pirelli, carried out her role with pure merit. Fabiani is a woman who played an Italian man and did it well. She wore her characters over exaggerated mustache and aggressive-like eyebrows proudly.
After 2 ½ hours of entertainment, murders, and human meat pies, the production received a well-deserved standing ovation.
“I’m really glad you suggested this. We will have to find out when another play is playing,” said a young college student to her friend while leaving the theatre.
If anyone is interested in checking out future plays please contact CFRT at 910- 323 4233 for box office hours and tickets or buy online at www.cfrt.org.
Next Showings:
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever • Nov. 30, 2013
The Santa land Diaries • Dec. 13, 2013
Fiddler on the Roof • Jan. 23, 2013
The Piano Lesson • March 6, 2013
The 39 Steps • April 17, 2013
Return to the Forbidden Planet • May 15, 2013
