A Fresh Cut Of Sweeney Todd

WHEN THE MUSICAL SWEENEY TODD, THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET OPENED ON BROADWAY IN 1979 REACTION WAS MIXED. THE GORY SPECTACLE CAPTIVATED SOME THEATER GOERS. WELL, REPELLING OTHERS WHO FOUND THE GRISLY SCENES A BIT OF A TURN OFF AT FLORIDA REP EDUCATION, THE PRODUCTION IS GETTING A YOUTHFUL REBOOT WHILE STILL HONORING THE ORIGINAL AWARD WINNING MASTERPIECE. WGCU ARTS REPORTER TOM HALL HAD THE PERFECT SEAT TO TAKE IT ALL IN ATTEND THE TALE OF SWEENEY TODD. HIS SKIN WAS PALE. AND HIS EYE WAS ODD, HE SHAVED THE FACES OF GENTLEMAN WHO NEVER THEREAFTER OR HEARD OF AGAIN, THIS IS THE CHILLING INTRO TO STEPHEN SONDHEIM'S GOT THE CAR MORALITY TALE ONCE CONSIDERED HIS BIGGEST FLOP. SWEENEY TODD, THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET IS NOW HE'S BEST KNOWN SHOW ITS SUCCESS TRANSCENDS THE MACABRE PLOT AND CHARACTERIZATIONS MUCH OF THE SHOW'S ALLURE IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO SONDHEIM'S TONY AWARD WINNING SCORE. SO I PERSONALLY KAI JUNIOR, GABRIEL CREWS PLACE SWEENEY TODD. IT'S HIS FIRST TIME PERFORMING SONDHEIM BASED ON THIS EXPERIENCE. HE NOW UTTERS HIS NAME AND HUSHED REVERENT TONES. SONDHEIM’S THE GREATEST COMPOSER OF ALL TIME. GOING INTO THIS SHOW. I DID NOT THINK LIKE I WOULD LIKE SONDHEIM AS MUCH AS THEY DID NOT REALIZE EVERY SINGLE THING AS A TENSION BEHIND EVERY SINGLE KNOW EVERY SINGLE LYRIC IS JUST SO. >> IT'S JUST SO PROFOUND. SWEENEY TODD IS A STUDY IN CONTRASTS. NELLY LOVE. IT IS THE EFFERVESCENT MANIC OPPOSITE OF THE BROODING BARBER MARCHING HYPNOTICALLY INTO AN INESCAPABLE OF THIS. SHE'S PLAYED TO PERFECTION BY FGCU FRESHMAN DELILAH MENDEZ. >> SOMETIME MAKES A VERY INTENTIONAL THAT YOU HAVE TO KNOW YOUR STUFF. SO LUCKILY, WE KNOW OUR STAFF. >> FLORIDA REP EDUCATION DIRECTORS, MONIQUE CALDWELL IN CAMDEN HAVE MAKE SURE THAT FROM YOUNGEST TO OLDEST. THEY'RE CASTING A SPOT ON. >> IT IS REALLY A VERY COMPELLING SHOW. AND I SAY IT'S MORE COMPELLING KNOWING THAT EVERYBODY IS UNDER THE AGE OF 18 AND IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO TO HANDLE SUCH LIKE HEAVY TOPICS OF DEATH. AND IT'S DIFFICULT MUSIC AND WE HAVE LITERAL 16, 17 YEAR-OLD SEEN ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT COMPOSERS OF OUR TIME AND EXECUTING IT BEAUTIFULLY. SO THAT WOULD BE ENOUGH REASON FOR ME AS A VIEWER BE LIKE, WOW, I WANT TO SEE SOME 15 YEAR-OLDS CRUSHED ON TIME. >> PART OF WHAT MAKES ON-TIME VOCALLY CHALLENGING HIS HIS INFAMOUS LYRICAL, WORDPLAY IT COMES FAST AND FURIOUS AS AND PIRELLI’S MIRACLE ELIXIR >> SONDHEIM JUXTAPOSES THE DISSONANT BROKEN HARMONIES AND SONGS LIKE THE BALLAD OF SWEENEY TODD AND ACT ONE CLOSER, A LITTLE PRIEST WITH SWEET SAW LOANS AND THIS DUET SON BY TAYLOR SPRING JACKSON, HALLIBURTON HAS TIMES DAUGHTER JOHANNA AND HER SAILORS SOUTER. ANTHONY, WHO SAVE SWEENEY FROM DROWNING AT SEA. IT BEGINNING OF THE TALE. >> I USED TO BE OBSESSED WITH THE MOVIE WAS A LITTLE GIRL. IT WAS BEFORE I EVEN STARTED THEATERS. I THINK IT'S REALLY FULL CIRCLE THAT NOW THAT I'M DOING AND I'M ACTUALLY PURSUING ITS LIKE, OH, MY GOSH, I LOVE THE SHOW SO MUCH. AND I LOVE THE MUSIC. THE MUSIC IS MY FAVORITE PART. THE BIG SONDHEIM BAMBA WHO ISN'T. >> HEADING TO THE MUSICAL'S YIN YANG QUALITY. THE FLEDGLING ROMANCE BETWEEN JOHANNA AND ANTHONY STANDS IN STARK CONTRAST TO SWING IN LOVE. IT'S BONNIE AND CLYDE AFFAIR. BUT THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF SWEENEY TODD CYPRUS, LAKE HIGHS, JACKSON, HALLIBURTON, WHO PLAYS ANTHONY. >> IT'S JUST SO DIFFERENT FROM OTHER MUSICAL THEATER, LIKE EVERYTHING'S EVERYTHING ELSE. HE SEEMS LIKE VERY LIKE COLORFUL, UNLIKE POPPY. AND THIS IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM FINES LIKE FRIEND AND DARK. BUT IT'S BUT IT'S EXCITING. STILL, IT'S VERY COOL. >> FOR ALL THE MUSIC AND SET DESIGN AND LIGHTING THE SHOW. ALSO PLACES A PREMIUM ON EXCEPTIONAL ACTOR. NOWHERE IS THAT MORE IN EVIDENCE THAN WITH THE LEAD GAME. CRUISE SHIPS. HE'S THE EPITOME OF THE MENACING SINGLE-MINDED DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET. THAT COMES WITH ITS REAL-LIFE CHALLENGES SUCH AS EMBRACING THE ALL CONSUME, CALLS HIS RIGHTFUL INDIGNATION AND VENGEANCE. >> IT'S HARD TO GET INTO THAT KIND OF MINDSET. IT REALLY IS BECAUSE YOU CAN TAKE A TOLL ON YOU. I HAVE TO BALANCE IT ALL. YOU KNOW, I CAN'T I CAN'T GET TOO INTO THE CHARACTER. A KITTEN THAT AFFECT MY DAILY LIFE, YOU KNOW, BUT I WOULD SAY IT'S IT IS FUN PLAYING THE TYPE OF CHARACTER THOUGH. FOR WGCU NEWS, I’M TOM HALL. >> THE VOCALS AND ACTING IN SWEENEY TODD REALLY LOOK INCREDIBLE. TOM, WAS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT IMPRESSED YOU ABOUT THIS? WELL? >> THE FLORIDA REP EDUCATION DIRECTOR AND THE CALDWELL HAS DONE A MAGNIFICENT JOB WITH EVERY ASPECT OF THIS PRODUCTION. IT'S A COMPLEX BROADWAY CALIBER SHOW, EVEN THOUGH IT'S STAGED BY YOUTHFUL PER ACTORS. THE SET AND LIGHTING RECREATE VICTORIAN LONDON. SWEENEY TODD SECOND-FLOOR BARBERSHOP AND CHAIR LEND AN AIR OF AUTHENTICITY AND THE OPPOSING SETS OF LIGHTED ORGAN PIPES ON EITHER SIDE OF THE STAGE. THEY DON'T TRUST DRAW THE EYE INTO THE ACTION CENTER STAGE. THEY ALL MEANT IT BUT ISSUING A STEADY STREAM OF SMOKE THAT HEIGHTENS THE ANXIETY AND TENSION. THAT'S WOVEN INTO EVERY LYRIC. EVERY SONG AND EVERY SCENE. AND AS YOU CAN SEE. THE COSTUMES AND THE PROPS ARE IMPECCABLY REALISTIC. >> THEY LOOK SO OFTEN TO US. >> IS THERE ANYONE HERE THAT WOULD LIKE A TRIM? I GUARANTEE TO GIVE YOU WITHOUT A PENNY IS CHARGED. THE CLOSE TO SHAVE YOU'LL EVER NOW. >> WELL, I DON'T NEED FROM, BUT I KNOW QUITE A FEW PEOPLE WHO COULD USE ONE. >> I AM CURIOUS, WHERE DID YOU GET THESE FACING? >> COPS. MY WIFE COUNTIES, BUT AN ANTIQUE DEALER SINCE SHE WAS 16 AND SHE HAS A WHOLE BATHROOM FULL OF BARBER SHOP. >> ACCOUTERMENTS WELL, THEY'RE PERFECT FOR THIS PARTICULAR SEGMENT TODAY. ARE WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE EVERYONE TO KNOW ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR PRODUCTION THANKS FOR ASKING >> THIS SHOW IS BEING PERFORMED. AN HISTORIC ARCADE THEATER THAT HARVEY HEITMANN BUILT IN 1915, FOR VAUDEVILLE AND LOCAL TALENT SHOWS THAT BECAME A THEATER 2 YEARS LATER BUT FELL INTO SUCH DISREPAIR OVER THE YEARS THAT BY THE LATE 1980'S THERE WAS TALK OF ACTUALLY TEARING IT DOWN AND CONVERTING THE THEATER AND OFFICES. NOW, AT THAT POINT, RENOWNED BALLET STAR AND CARRIE BRADSHAW LOVE INTEREST IN AND THE CITY MCKELL BARYSHNIKOV. HE ENTERED INTO THE PICTURE AND HOSTED A JOINT BENEFIT WITH THE CITY OF FORT MYERS TO SAVE THE HISTORIC BUILDING. THE FUNDRAISER RAISED ENOUGH MONEY TO COMPLETELY RESTORE THE ARCADE, WHICH IS NOW HOME TO FLORIDA REPERTORY THEATRE. SO IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THERE, SWEENEY TODD WOULD BE A GREAT WAY TO FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THIS HISTORIC LANDMARK AND SUPPORT THESE HARDWORKING THESPIANS.