Sweeney Todd in Concert

Buy This Item Sweeney Todd in Concert by Image Entertainment  Available from Amazon  $20.99  on 11-27-2008     This delicious production of Stephen Sondheim's "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," a musical thriller of revenge and romance set in Victorian England, features Broadway diva Patti LuPone as Mrs. Lovett and veteran stage actor George Hearn in the title role. Premiering in 1979, the legendary "Sweeney Todd"--winner of nine New York Drama Critics Circle Awards and eight Tony Awards--is recorded with the San Francisco Symphony as conducted by Rob Fisher. <P> Now a major motion picture directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp! Opens in theaters December 21, 2007 Reader Reviews I have always loved Sondheim's "Sweeney Todd" especially after designing the lighting for a community theatre production and running it for 15 plus performances hearing the music over and over and never getting tired of it. My other connection to "Sweeney Todd" is that the role of Joanna was played in the original production by a young lady from my college's drama department who donated a copy of the first video tape with Angela Lansbury which has now become a great DVD (also in my library). BUT this San Francisco Symphonic version is musically the greatest recordig of them all. The leads are excellent as are alll the supporting roles and noteworthy is the appearance of Neil Patrick Harris in a major supporting role, He is unexpectedly magnificent in the part with more than adequate voice but definitely the acting complementing his performance. The staging is excellent utilizing the liimited space available in and around the full (and it is a full sounding as well as physical) orchestra whose conductor brings out the best in the musicians and the singers. Patti LuPone has never been better--better I think then her earlier concert "Candide". George Hearnas the Barber is also outstanding. The lighitng (my strong suite) was possibly the best I've seen for a non-theatre presentation. All in all this is a most marvelous piece of theatre in concert form of all the DVD's in my collection which numbers over 700. Bravo!!!

Sweeney Todd in Concert Available from Amazon Price: $20.99 Updated on 11-27-2008.

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