The production of “Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” playing at Cohoes Music Hall through November 3, makes the 40 year old musical fresh and exciting. It’s a must see production.
The Playhouse Stage Company’s production (a division of Park Playhouse) uses the immersive elements of stagecraft to have the performers mingle with the audience as they present the story mostly on the same level as the audience.
The chairs have been removed from the orchestra level of the Cohoes Music Hall and replaced with long tables, where beverages are available. The performers often walk and sing on the tables making direct eye contact with the audience.
It’s a device that makes the presentation extremely intimate and is done without losing the dark or dangerous nature of the material.
What the staging by director Owen Smith and the score by Stephen Sondheim have in common is that both make the complicated look easy.
Owen’s staging is clever and rarely distracting. He uses the space on the elevated stage as well. It’s a wise choice that highlights some important moments.
Though the staging does offer an occasional impaired sight-line – especially when the actors are seated on the main floor, it is not harmful to the presentation.
As for Sondheim’s score, it is beautiful, sensitive and haunting. It’s wonderfully served by a cast with incredible voices. They make the solo numbers beautiful and when they combine to form an ensemble - they are amazingly powerful. You will never attend a better sung version of “Sweeney Todd.”
It’s not just the talented singers. Music director Brian Axford has a lot to do with shaping each great performance.
Casting is another non-traditional element in the production. Jason Jacoby is younger than the normal Sweeney and his slight frame does not offer the expected imposing figure of the man driven mad by social injustice.
But Jacoby is both an excellent singer and a smart actor. He brings intensity rather than flamboyance to the role and he adds to his numbers the actor’s skill of finding emotion within Sondheim’s brilliant lyrics.
Molly Rose McGrath is likewise perfect in her portrayal of Mrs. Lovett. McGrath has a gorgeous singing voice, an ability to find charm in even the most macabre character and she finds humor in the darkest situation.
She and Jacoby establish a connected relationship not often found in a production of “Sweeney Todd.” This is a case of two excellent individual performances made better by collaboration.
There are no flaws in the cast. Costumes are excellent, and Mike Hanrahan does a terrific job lighting an awkward space and keeping the dark mood of the play intact.
“Sweeney Todd” can be disturbing as it explores the psyche of a man who does violent things in the name of revenge. Indeed, it is a dark and dangerous piece of theater that might not be for all tastes.
However, the intimacy of this production and the clarity of which it is presented elevates the material to an examination of madness rather than a gratuitous display of violent behavior. It’s really good.
“Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” at Cohoes Music Hall in Cohoes. Through November 3. For tickets and schedule 518-434-0776 or go to playhousestagecompany.com
Bob Goepfert is theater reviewer for the Troy Record.
The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.
