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This musical thriller is set in darkest Victorian England and tells the infamous tale of Sweeney Todd - the demon barber of Fleet Street - who seeks revenge when a malicious Judge frames him, ravages his young wife and kidnaps his daughter Johanna. Together with Mrs Lovett - the enterprising proprietress of the pie shop downstairs - the pair form an innovative business partnership cooking up blood-curdling results.

Prologue
The company assembles as a chorus of London's citizens to perform a no-frills burial, dumping a body bag into a shallow grave. As they sing, Sweeney Todd rises from the grave as though summoned forth ("The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: Attend the Tale of Sweeney Todd"), before the actual play begins, set some months before the burial. The company continues to appear throughout the show to comment on the action of the play through song.

Act I
The year is 1846. A young sailor named Anthony Hope rides a ship into London, full of joy about his return home; conversely, the aloof Sweeney Todd, whom Anthony recently rescued during a storm at sea, is grim and uneasy. On land, Todd's mood is worsened by a half-mad Beggar Woman who sexually solicits both Anthony and Todd, and appears to recognize Todd ("No Place Like London"). Before the two shipmates part, Todd discourages Anthony's innocently happy worldview by recounting the tragic story of a young and naïve barber, his beautiful wife, and the lustful judge who exiled him to pursue her ("The Barber and His Wife"). Todd soon enters a meat pie shop on Fleet Street, where he encounters the shop's proprietress, Mrs. Nellie Lovett, who laments about the difficult economic times ("Worst Pies in London"). When Todd asks about her unoccupied upstairs apartment, she recounts the sad tale of the previous tenant, a barber named Benjamin Barker. Barker was sentenced on false charges by the corrupt Judge Turpin because of the Judge's lust for Barker's wife, Lucy. Mrs. Lovett reveals how, once Barker had been transported to Botany Bay in Australia, the Judge and his cohort, Beadle Bamford, then lured Lucy to the Judge's home and raped her ("Poor Thing"). Upon hearing the tale, Todd's reaction of explosive despair confirms Mrs. Lovett's suspicions that he is himself Benjamin Barker, back from Australia. She tells Todd that his wife poisoned herself and his then-infant daughter, Johanna, became a ward of the Judge. Todd swears revenge on the Judge and Beadle before Mrs. Lovett reveals Todd's old collection of sterling silver straight razors, which she has kept hidden for years, telling him that he can now live above her shop and become a barber again ("My Friends" and "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: Lift Your Razor High, Sweeney!").
Meanwhile, Anthony, walking through Kearny's Lane, notices an exquisite blonde girl singing at a window ("Green Finch and Linnet Bird"). The Beggar Woman again passes by and tells Anthony that the girl is Johanna, Judge Turpin's ward. Unaware that Johanna is his friend Todd's daughter, Anthony is immediately smitten ("Ah, Miss") and pledges to woo her; however, the Judge and the Beadle threaten Anthony off by violently killing a bird that he buys for Johanna. Anthony swears to rescue her from such vile captors ("Johanna"). Meanwhile, in the crowded marketplace, renowned "Italian" barber Adolfo Pirelli and his simple-minded assistant, Tobias Ragg, pitch a cure-all for hair loss ("Pirelli's Miracle Elixir"). Todd, after exposing the elixir as a hoax, challenges Pirelli to a shaving competition. Pirelli puts on a grandiose show before Beadle Bamford and other townsfolk, but Todd wins easily ("The Contest"). Todd invites the impressed Beadle to visit his parlor some time for a complimentary shave ("The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: Sweeney Pondered and Sweeney Planned").
Several days later, as Todd waits for the Beadle's arrival, Mrs. Lovett urges the persistence of his diminishing patience ("Wait"), when Anthony enters the shop. He tells Todd of his sudden romance with Johanna and requests to use Todd's barbershop as a safe house for the girl. No sooner has Anthony left than Pirelli and Tobias visit the shop; Mrs. Lovett distracts Toby downstairs, leaving Todd alone with Pirelli, who drops his Italian accent to reveal an Irish one. Pirelli declares his true identity as Danny O'Higgins and recounts having served as an assistant to Todd fifteen years ago. O'Higgins now attempts to blackmail his former employer; however, Todd suddenly strangles O'Higgins and dumps his body into an empty trunk. Once Toby—seeking his master—has again entered and exited, Todd opens the trunk and finishes off O'Higgins by slitting his throat ("The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: His Hands Were Quick, His Fingers Strong").
Across town, Judge Turpin is tormented by his lust for Johanna, finally announcing his intention to marry her ("Johanna–Mea Culpa"). Disgusted by the prospect, Johanna and Anthony plan to elope ("Kiss Me"). At the same time, the Beadle recommends Todd's services to the Judge, in order to improve his appearance for better winning Johanna's affections ("Ladies in Their Sensitivities"). Mrs. Lovett continues to distract Toby until the Judge enters Todd's shop. Although caught off guard and eager for blood, Todd prepares to exact his revenge by first carefully calming the Judge ("Pretty Women"). Before Todd strikes, however, Anthony barges in to tell Todd about his and Johanna's plans, accidentally informing the enraged Judge, who storms out, vowing never to return. Todd, having lost his opportunity for vengeance, drives Anthony away before descending into furious madness and broadening his anger's target to all of humanity: by punishing the rich and corrupt, and relieving the poor of their misery, through death ("Epiphany"). Mrs. Lovett, however, is more practical while discussing how to dispose of O'Higgins' body and has a sudden burst of inspiration, suggesting through wordplay that they use the flesh of Todd's victims in her meat pies, an idea which Todd enthusiastically adopts ("A Little Priest").

Act II
Mrs. Lovett's pie shop has become a thriving business with even Toby helping to wait on its many customers ("God, That's Good!"). The only downside is the Beggar Woman, who continually hangs around the pie shop defaming Mrs. Lovett. Todd and Mrs. Lovett now have a specially-designed mechanical barber's chair that allows Todd to kill someone in the barbershop and then send the body through a chute directly into the pie shop's basement bakehouse for Mrs. Lovett to cook. Todd accustoms himself to the idea that he may never see Johanna again, spending his time methodically slashing throats, while Anthony longs to be with her romantically ("Johanna–Quartet"). After a day of hard work, Mrs. Lovett daydreams of a future life of retirement with Todd, though he appears uninterested ("By The Sea").
In the meantime, Anthony discovers that the Judge has committed Johanna to Fogg's Lunatic Asylum and, with Todd's help, plans to rescue her by infiltrating the asylum posing as a wigmaker intent on purchasing inmates' hair ("Wigmaker Sequence" and "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: Sweeney'd Waited Too Long Before"). Jubilant at the possibility of having his revenge fulfilled after all, Todd sends a secret letter to notify the Judge about Anthony's plot, hoping to lure the Judge to his shop, where he writes that Anthony plans to return with Johanna. (The contents of the letter are sung aloud by a quintet from the company; "The Letter.")
In the pie shop, Toby expresses suspicions about Todd and his desire to protect Mrs. Lovett, whom he has come to view as a mother figure ("Not While I'm Around"). When he recognizes Pirelli's coin purse in Mrs. Lovett's possession, she refocuses his attention on learning how to work her meat grinder and other bakehouse machinery, secretly locking him alone in the basement when she leaves. Back upstairs, she encounters Beadle Bamford sitting at her harmonium, commissioned by neighbors to investigate the strange smoke and smells from the pie shop's chimney. Mrs. Lovett stalls for time before Todd arrives and offers the Beadle his promised "free shave"; Mrs. Lovett loudly plays music on her harmonium to cover the screams of the Beadle's demise above ("Parlor Songs"). Immediately after, Toby discovers a hair and fingernail in pie he samples when suddenly the Beadle's fresh corpse tumbles into the basement. Above, Mrs. Lovett informs Todd that Toby has figured them out and they head downstairs to dispose of him.
Anthony arrives at the asylum to rescue Johanna, but Fogg, the deranged owner of the asylum, attempts to stop them. Anthony brandishes a pistol but when he is unable to kill Fogg, Johanna instinctively grabs the weapon, aims true, and fires, fleeing with Anthony to Todd's parlor (Johanna disguised in sailor's clothing). The asylum's inmates pour out onto the streets, ecstatically proclaiming the end of the world; at the same time, Todd and Mrs. Lovett hunt for Toby in vain ("City on Fire/Searching"), abandoning their search when the Judge approaches. Alone in Todd's parlor while Anthony seeks out a coach on the street, Johanna quickly hides as the Beggar Woman, especially frenzied, enters the barbershop. Todd stumbles upon the Beggar Woman and, anticipating the Judge's arrival, frantically slits her throat, sending her down the chute a moment before the Judge bursts in. Todd assures the Judge that Johanna is totally repentant and the Judge lustfully asks for a quick face massage and some cologne before reuniting with her. Once he has the Judge in his chair, Todd soothes then suddenly mocks him, alerting the Judge to his former identity. Both the Judge and Todd scream "Benjamin Barker!" before Todd, at last, passionately slashes his enemy's throat and sends him hurtling down the chute ("The Judge's Return"). Johanna, who has heard every noise, emerges from her hiding place in the room and is also nearly slain by Todd; however, Mrs. Lovett shrieks from the bakehouse below, providing a distraction for Johanna to escape out the door.
Down in the bakehouse, Mrs. Lovett panics while struggling with the wounded Judge, who claws at her before finally dying. Storming into the room and seeing the face of the Beggar Woman clearly with the oven's light, Todd realizes in horror that she is in fact his wife Lucy. When Mrs. Lovett said that Lucy had poisoned herself, Todd interpreted this to mean his wife was dead. Todd now furiously accuses Mrs. Lovett of deceiving him, but Mrs. Lovett maintains her guiltlessness, saying that although Lucy had indeed taken poison, she did not die but instead went insane. Lovett says she withheld the whole truth from Todd in order to spare his feelings because she loves him. Todd feigns calm forgiveness, waltzing Lovett over to the huge oven, abruptly hurling her into the fire, and slamming the doors shut. Todd then sinks to the floor and cradles his deceased wife in his arms. Toby, driven completely insane and with his hair now white from shock, reappears from the shadows, picks up Todd's fallen razor, and strikes at Todd's throat. As Anthony, Johanna, and some constables break into the bakehouse, Todd falls dead and Toby drops the razor, heedless of the others, while beginning to absentmindedly parody the motions of turning a meat grinder ("Final Scene").

Epilogue
The company assembles one last time to sing "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd." As the resurrected ghosts of Todd and Mrs. Lovett rise from their graves, they conclude that the capability for revenge is within all of us. The company exits with Todd and Mrs. Lovett being the last. Todd pauses at the large iron door at the back of the stage to look at Mrs. Lovett one final time before slamming the door in the audience's face.

The musical is based on the 1973 play Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street by Christopher Bond.

Original Broadway production and tour
The original production premiered on Broadway at the Uris Theatre on March 1, 1979 and closed on June 29, 1980 after 557 performances and 19 previews. Directed by Hal Prince and choreographed by Larry Fuller, the scenic design was by Eugene Lee, costumes by Franne Lee and lighting by Ken Billington. The cast included Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Lovett, Len Cariou as Todd, Victor Garber as Anthony, Sarah Rice as Johanna, Merle Louise as the Beggar Woman, Ken Jennings as Tobias, Edmund Lyndeck as Judge Turpin, Joaquin Romaguera as Pirelli, and Jack Eric Williams as Beadle Bamford. The production was nominated for nine Tony Awards, winning eight including Best Musical. Dorothy Loudon and George Hearn replaced Lansbury and Cariou on March 4, 1980.
The first national US tour started on October 24, 1980, in Washington, D.C. and ended in August 1981 in Los Angeles, California. Lansbury was joined by Hearn and this version was taped during the Los Angeles engagement and broadcast on PBS on September 12, 1982.
A North American tour started on February 23, 1982, in Wilmington, Delaware, and ended on July 17, 1982, in Toronto, Ontario. June Havoc and Ross Petty starred.

Original London production
The first London production opened on July 2, 1980, at the West End's Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, starring Denis Quilley and Sheila Hancock along with Andrew C. Wadsworth as Anthony, Mandy More as Johanna, Michael Staniforth as Tobias, Austin Kent as Judge Turpin, Dilys Watling as the Beggar Woman, David Wheldon-Williams as Beadle Bamford, Oz Clarke as Jonas Fogg, and John Aron as Pirelli. The show ran for 157 performances. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the production won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical in 1980.

1989 Broadway revival
The first Broadway revival opened on September 14, 1989 at the Circle in the Square Theatre, and closed on February 25, 1990 after 189 performances and 46 previews. It was produced by Theodore Mann, directed by Susan H. Schulman, with choreography by Michael Lichtefeld. The cast featured Bob Gunton (Sweeney Todd), Beth Fowler (Mrs. Lovett), Eddie Korbich (Tobias Ragg), Jim Walton (Anthony Hope) and David Barron (Judge Turpin). The production was originally produced Off-Off-Broadway by the York Theatre Company at the Church of the Heavenly Rest from March 31, 1989 to April 29, 1989. This production received four Tony Award nominations: for Best Revival of a Musical, Best Actor in a Musical, Best Actress in a Musical and Best Direction of a Musical, but failed to win any.

1993 West End revival
In 1993, the show received its first West End revival at the National Theatre. The production opened originally at the Cottesloe Theatre on June 2, 1993, and later transferred to the Lyttleton Theatre on December 16, 1993, playing in repertory and closing on June 1, 1994. The show's design was slightly altered to fit a proscenium arch theatre space for the Lyttleton Theatre. The director was Declan Donnellan and the Cottesloe Theatre production starred Alun Armstrong as Todd and Julia McKenzie as Mrs. Lovett, with Adrian Lester as Anthony, Barry James as Beadle Bamford and Denis Quilley as Judge Turpin. Quilley had originated the title role in the original London production in 1980. When the show transferred, Quilley replaced Armstrong in the title role. Sondheim praised Donnellan for the "small 'chamber' approach to the show which was the composer's original vision for the piece." This production received Olivier Awards for Best Musical Revival, Best Actor in a Musical (Armstrong) and Best Actress in a Musical (McKenzie), as well as nominations for Best Director and two for Best Supporting Performance in a musical.

2004 London revival
In 2004, John Doyle directed a revival of the musical at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury, England, running from July 27, 2004 until October 9, 2004. This production subsequently transferred to the West End's Trafalgar Studios and then the Ambassadors Theatre. This production was notable for having no orchestra, with the 10-person cast playing the score themselves on musical instruments that they carried onstage. This marked the first time in nearly ten years that a Sondheim show had been presented in the commercial West End. It starred Paul Hegarty as Todd, Karen Mann as Mrs. Lovett, Rebecca Jackson as The Beggar Woman, Sam Kenyon as Tobias, Rebecca Jenkins as Johanna, David Ricardo-Pearce as Anthony and Colin Wakefield as Judge Turpin. This production closed February 5, 2005.

2005 Broadway revival
A version of the John Doyle West End production transferred to Broadway, opening on November 3, 2005 at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre with a new cast, all of whom played their own instruments, as had been done in London. The cast consisted of: Patti LuPone (Mrs. Lovett/Tuba/Percussion), Michael Cerveris (Todd/Guitar), Manoel Felciano (Tobias/Violin/Clarinet/Piano), Alexander Gemignani (Beadle/Piano/Trumpet), Lauren Molina (Johanna/Cello), Benjamin Magnuson (Anthony/Cello/Piano), Mark Jacoby (Turpin/Trumpet/Percussion), Donna Lynne Champlin (Pirelli/Accordion/Flute/Piano), Diana DiMarzio (Beggar Woman/Clarinet) and John Arbo (Fogg/Double bass). The production ran for 384 performances and was nominated for six Tony Awards, winning two: Best Direction of a Musical for Doyle and Best Orchestrations for Sarah Travis who had reconstructed Jonathan Tunick's original arrangements to suit the ten-person cast and orchestra. Because of the small scale of the musical, it cost $3.5 million to make, a sum small in comparison to many Broadway musicals and recouped in nineteen weeks.[15] A national tour based on Doyle's Broadway production began on August 30, 2007 with Judy Kaye (who had temporarily replaced LuPone in the Broadway run) as Mrs. Lovett and David Hess as Todd. Alexander Gemignani also played the title role for the Toronto run of the tour in November 2007.

2012 London revival
Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton starred in a new production of the show which played at The Chichester Festival Theatre, running from 24 September to 5 November 2011. Directed by Jonathan Kent, the cast included Ball as Todd, Staunton as Mrs. Lovett, James McConville as Tobias, John Bowe as Judge Turpin, Robert Burt as Pirelli, Luke Brady as Anthony, Gillian Kirkpatrick as Lucy Barker, Lucy May Barker as Johanna and Peter Polycarpou as Beadle Bamford. It notably takes place in the 1930s instead of 1846 and restored the oft-cut song "Johanna (Mea Culpa)". The production received positive reviews from both critics and audience members and transferred to the Adelphi Theatre in the West End in 2012 for a limited run from March 10 until September 22. The West End transfer received six Laurence Olivier Award nominations of which it won the three; Best Musical Revival, Best Actor in a Musical for Ball and Best Actress in a Musical for Staunton.

Prologue
"Organ Prelude"
"The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" – Company

Act I
"No Place Like London" – Todd, Anthony and Beggar Woman
"The Barber and His Wife" – Todd
"The Worst Pies in London" – Mrs. Lovett
"Poor Thing" – Mrs. Lovett
"My Friends" – Todd and Mrs. Lovett
"The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" (Reprise) – Company
"Green Finch and Linnet Bird" – Johanna
"Ah, Miss" – Anthony and Beggar Woman
"Johanna" – Anthony
"Pirelli's Miracle Elixir" – Tobias Ragg, Todd, Mrs. Lovett and Company
"The Contest":
"Pirelli's Entrance" – Pirelli
"Shaving Sequence" – Pirelli
"Tooth-Pulling Sequence" – Pirelli and Tobias †
"The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Reprise 2)" – Ensemble
"Wait" – Mrs. Lovett
"Pirelli's Death" – Pirelli
"The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Reprise 3) – Ensemble
"Johanna (Judge's Song): Mea Culpa" – Judge Turpin † ‡
"Kiss Me (Part I)" – Johanna and Anthony
"Ladies in their Sensitivities" – Beadle Bamford
"Kiss Me (Part II/Quartet)" – Beadle Bamford, Johanna, Anthony and Judge Turpin
"Pretty Women (Parts I and II)" – Todd and Judge Turpin
"Epiphany" – Todd and Mrs. Lovett
"A Little Priest" – Todd and Mrs. Lovett

Act II
"God, That's Good!" – Tobias, Mrs. Lovett, Todd and Company
"Johanna" (Quartet) – Anthony, Todd, Johanna and Beggar Woman
"By the Sea" – Mrs. Lovett and Todd
"Wigmaker Sequence":
"Wigmaker (Part I)" – Todd and Anthony
"The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" (Reprise 4) – Company
"Wigmaker (Part II)" – Todd and Anthony
"The Letter" – Company quintet
"Not While I'm Around" – Tobias and Mrs. Lovett
"Parlor Songs": †[2]
"Sweet Polly Plunkett" – Beadle Bamford and Mrs. Lovett
"Tower of Bray" – Beadle Bamford, Mrs. Lovett and Tobias
"Sweet Polly Plunkett" (Reprise) – Mrs. Lovett
"Final Sequence":
"The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" (Reprise 5) – Company
"Fogg's Asylum" – Company
"City on Fire/Searching" – Company, Johanna and Anthony/Todd, Mrs. Lovett and Beggar Woman
"Ah, Miss" (Reprise) – Anthony and Johanna
"Beggar Woman's Lullaby" – Beggar Woman §
"The Judge's Return" – Todd and Judge Turpin
"The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" (Reprise 6) – Company
"Final Scene" – Todd, Mrs. Lovett and Tobias

Epilogue
"The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" (Reprise 7) – Company

Notes on the songs:

† Despite being cut in previews for reasons of length, these numbers were included on the Original Cast Recording. It has been restored in subsequent productions.
‡ This song is after "The Contest" in the 2005 Broadway Revival.
§ This number was written for the London production and first recorded for the 2000 New York Philharmonic concert performance.

Sweeney Todd/Benjamin Barker: Morose and brooding, a barber by profession who returned to London (after fifteen years of unjust incarceration in an Australian penal colony) to seek revenge first on the corrupt judge who sent him there, and then simply on whoever proves unfortunate enough to end up in his shop.
Mrs. Nellie Lovett: A cheery and chatty but wholly amoral restaurateur whose business has become run down due to a scarcity of meat and who would like to be more than a landlady to Mr. Todd.
Anthony Hope: A young, naïve sailor who has rescued Todd and falls in love with Johanna Barker.
Johanna Barker : Todd's beautiful young daughter, claimed by Judge Turpin as his own ward.
Judge Turpin : A corrupt and depraved judiciary official who twists the system to serve his own ends and who has become infatuated by Johanna as she has matured.
Tobias Ragg : A simple young lad who works first for Pirelli, and then for Mrs. Lovett, but does not trust Todd.
Beadle Bamford Turpin's right-hand man and accomplice to his dirty deeds.
Beggar Woman/Lucy Barker: A mad crone with a filthy tongue whose interjections go unheeded, but who is eventually revealed to be Lucy Barker, the wife of Benjamin Barker.
Adolfo Pirelli/Danny O'Higgins: An Irish charlatan and former employee of Benjamin Barker's who has since developed a public persona as a flashy, Italian barber; he attempts to blackmail Todd whom he ultimately recognizes from his youth. (In some productions, Pirelli has been played by a woman but still portrayed as a male character.)

Aucun dossier informatif complémentaire concernant Sweeney Todd

Aucun dossier informatif complémentaire concernant Sweeney Todd