Based on Christopher Bond's retelling of the Victorian pennydreadful The String of Pearls, (which was itself a retelling of a British myth, possibly rooted in truth) this musical (with a book by Hugh Wheeler) tells the tale of Sweeney Todd, a murderous barber, and his partner in crime, Nellie Lovett, a baker who disposes of the bodies by baking them into her pies. Meanwhile, Anthony Hope, a sailor who saved Todd's life, falls in love with Todd's estranged daughter, Johanna, who is being brought up as the ward of the twisted Judge Turpin. Includes the songs "Not While I'm Around," "Pretty Women," and "A Little Priest."
Show Data
- Original Broadway Production Info
- Cast
- Musical Numbers
- Cut Songs
- TV National Tour Production Info
- Cast
- Cut Songs
- New York Revival Info
- Cast
- Added Songs
- Cut Songs
- Original London Production Info
- Cast
- Added Songs
- Cut Songs
- London Revival Production Info
- Cast
- Recordings
- Awards
- Production Rights
- Articles
Original Broadway Production Info: Opened ................... March 1, 1979 Closed ................... June 29, 1980 Ran ................... 558 Performances Theatre .................... Uri Theatre Music ................. Stephen Sondheim Lyrics ................ Stephen Sondheim Book ..................... Hugh Wheeler .... Based on a book by Christopher Bond Producer .................. Richard Barr ....................... Charles Woodward ........................... Robert Fryer ....................... Mary Lea Johnson ........................ Martin Richards Director ................. Harold Prince Choreography .............. Larry Fuller Set Designer ................ Eugene Lee Costumes Designer ........... Franne Lee Lighting Designer ....... Ken Billington Musical Direction ....... Paul Gemignani Orchestrations ......... Jonathan Tunick Original Broadway Cast: Anthony Hope ............. Victor Garber Sweeney Todd ................ Len Cariou Beggar Woman .............. Merle Louise Mrs. Lovett ............ Angela Lansbury Judge Turpin ............ Edmund Lyndeck Beadle Bamford ...... Jack Eric Williams Johanna ..................... Sarah Rice Tobias Ragg ............... Ken Jennings Pirelli .............. Joaquin Romaguera Jonas Fogg ............... Robert Ousley The Company ................ Duane Bodin ......................... Walter Charles ......................... Carole Doscher ............................ Nancy Eaton ......................... Mary-Pat Green ....................... Cris Groenendaal ............................ Skip Harris ............................ Marthe Ihde ........................... Betsy Joslyn .......................... Nancy Killmer ............................ Frank Kopyc ............................ Spain Logue ............................ Craig Lucas ........................ Pamela McLernon ........................... Duane Morris .................... Richard Warren Pugh ............................ Maggie Task Swings .............. Heather B. Withers ....................... Robert Hendersen Musical Numbers: 1. The Ballad of Sweeney Todd 2. No Place Like London 3. The Barber and His Wife 4. The Worst Pies in London 5. Poor Thing 6. My Friends 7. Green Finch and Linnet Bird 8. Ah, Miss 9. Johanna 10. Pirelli's Miracle Elixir 11. The Contest 12. Wait 13. Kiss Me 14. Ladies in Their Sensitivities 15. Kiss Me/Ladies in Their Sensitivities 16. Pretty Women 17. Epiphany 18. A Little Priest 19. God, That's Good 20. Johanna 21. By the Sea 22. Wigmaker Sequence 23. The Letter 24. Not While I'm Around 25. Parlor Songs 26. City on Fire! 27. Searching 28. Final Sequence 29. The Ballad of Sweeney Todd Cut Songs: 1. Johanna (Judge's Song) TV National Tour Production Info: Theatre ...... Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Televised ........... September 12, 1982 Station ...... The Entertainment Channel Presented by ........... RKO/Nederlander .............. The Entertainment Channel Executive Producers ..... Ellen M. Krass ............................ Archer King Produced .................. Bonnie Burns Executive in Charge .... James Rich, Jr. Directed for TV ........... Terry Hughes Lighting Designed for TV ... Bill Klages Musical Conductor .......... Jim Coleman Cast: Anthony Hope .......... Cris Groenendaal Sweeney Todd .............. George Hearn Beggar Woman ................ Sara Woods Mrs. Lovett ............ Angela Lansbury Judge Turpin ............ Edmund Lyndeck The Beadle ............. Calvin Remsberg Johanna ................... Betsy Joslyn Tobias Ragg ............... Ken Jennings Pirelli .................. Sal Mistretta The Birdseller ............. Spain Logue The Passerby ............ Walter Charles Jonas Fogg ............ Michael Kalinyen The Company ............. Walter Charles ........................... Roy Gioconda ............................ Skip Harris ....................... Michael Kalinyen ............................ Spain Logue ........................... Duane Morris ........................ Patricia Parker ....................... Meredith Rawlins ........................ Stuart Redfield ......................... Candace Rogers .......................... Dee Etta Rowe ......................... Carrie Solomon ........................ Melanie Vaughan .......................... Joseph Warner Swings .............. Cheryl Mae Stewart ................... James Edward Justiss ........................... William Kirk Cut Songs: 1. Parlor Songs 2. The Contest (Tooth pulling sequence) New York Revival Production Info: Opened .............. September 14, 1989 Closed ............... February 25, 1990 Ran ................... 189 Performances Theatre ... Circle in the Square Theatre Music ................. Stephen Sondheim Lyrics ................ Stephen Sondheim Book ..................... Hugh Wheeler .... Based on a book by Christopher Bond Producer .......... Circle in the Square Artistic Director ........ Theodore Mann Producing Director .......... Paul Libin Directed ............. Susan H. Schulman Choreographed ....... Michael Lichtefeld Musical Director .... David Krane Scenic Design/Graphics ........... James Morgan Costume Design ............ Beba Shamash Lighting Design ...... May Jo Dondlinger Originally presented Off-Off Broadway .. ............ by the York Theatre Company Producing Director .. Janet Hayes Walker Manag. Director .. Molly Pickering Grose New York Revival Cast: Anthony Hope ................ Jim Walton Sweeney Todd ................ Bob Gunton Beggar Woman ........... Sue Ellen Estey Mrs. Lovett ................ Beth Fowler Judge Turpin .............. David Barron The Beadle ............. Michael McCarty Johanna ........ Gretchen Kingsley-Weihe Tobias Ragg .............. Eddie Korbich Pirelli ..................... Bill Nable Jonas Fogg ................ Tony Gilbert Policeman ............. David E. Mallard Birdseller .................. Ted Keegan Dora ...................... Sylvia Rhyne Mrs. Mooney ........ Mary Ellen Phillips New York Revival Added Songs: 1. Johanna (Judge's Song) New York Revival Cut Songs: 1. The Barber and His Wife 2. Kiss Me/Ladies in Their... Original London Production Info: ....................................... Opened ................... July 2, 1980 Ran ................... 157 Performances Theatre ............. Theatre Drury Lane Music ................. Stephen Sondheim Lyrics ................ Stephen Sondheim Book ..................... Hugh Wheeler Produced ............... Robert Stigwood In association with ......... David Land By arrangement with ....... Richard Barr ....................... Charles Woodward ........................... Robert Fryer ....................... Mary Lea Johnson ........................ Martin Richards Directed ................. Harold Prince Choreography .............. Larry Fuller Production Designed ......... Eugene Lee Costumes Designed ........... Franne Lee Lighting Designed ....... Ken Billington Orchestrations ......... Jonathan Tunick Musical Director .............. Ray Cook Cast: Sweeney Todd ........... Denis Quilley Mrs. Lovett ........... Sheila Hancock Beggar Woman ........... Dilys Watling Tobias ............ Michael Staniforth Anthony .......... Andrew C. Wadsworth Johanna ................... Mandy More Judge Turpin ............. Austin Kent Beadle ........ David Wheldon-Williams Pirelli .................... John Aron Jonas Fogg ................. Oz Clarke The Company ........... Sylvia Beamish ....................... Michael Bulman ...................... Simon Butteriss ............................ Oz Clarke ......................... Linda D'Arcy ...................... Victoria Duncan ...................... Katherine Dyson ....................... Mercia Glossop ........................ Andrew Golder ....................... Stuart Haycock ......................... Stephen Hill ........................ Marie Jackson ...................... Diane Mansfield ......................... Neil Michael ....................... William Relton ........................... Myra Sands ........................ Suzanne Sloan .......................... Grant Smith ..................... Rex Taylor Craig .......................... David Urwin Original London Added Songs: 1. Beggar Woman's Lullaby Original London Cut Songs: 1. Parlor Songs London Revival Production Info: Opened ..................... May 1, 1985 Theatre .............. Half Moon Theatre Ran .................... 33 Performances Music ................. Stephen Sondheim Lyrics ................ Stephen Sondheim Book ..................... Hugh Wheeler .... Based on a book by Christopher Bond Presented by ......... Half Moon Theatre Directed .................... Chris Bond Production Designer ........ Elen Cairns Costume Supervisor ....... Jayne Lambert Lighting Designer ........ Jimmy Simmons Musical Director ........... Graham Pike Sound Designer .............. Tim Foster Musical Arrangements ....... Rick Juckes Cast: Anthony Hope ........ Christopher Snell Sweeney Todd .............. Leon Greene Beggar Woman ................ Ruth Mayo Mrs. Lovett ............. Gillian Hanna Judge Turpin ........... Bernard Martin Beadle Bamford ......... Edward Clayton Johanna ............... Eithne Hannigan Tobias Ragg .......... Andrew Schofield Pirelli ..................... John Aron Bird Seller ............. Judith Street Recordings: 1. Original Cast Recording (2 LP), 1979 (RCA, CBL2-3379 2. Original Cast Record. (2 Tape), 1979 (RCA, CBK2-3379) 3. Original Cast (Highlights), 1984 (RCA, RCD1-5033) 4. Original Cast Record. (2 CD), 1987 (RCA, 3379-2-RC) 5. Sweeney Todd... In Jazz, 1995 (Varese Sarabande, VSD-5603) 6. Sweeney Todd (Barcelona), 1995 (Horus, Polydor Spain 25002) Awards: 1979 Tony Awards - 9 nominations, 8 wins: 1. Best Musical 2. Best Book (Hugh Wheeler) 3. Best Score (Stephen Sondheim) 4. Best Actor... Musical (Len Cariou) 5. Best Actress (Angela Lansbury) 6. Best Director (Harold Prince) 7. Best Scenic Design (Eugene Lee) 8. Best Costume Design (Franne Lee) 1979 Grammy Awards 1. Best Original Cast Show Album 2. Best Engineered Classical Recording 1979 New York Drama Critics Circle Award 1. Best Score (Stephen Sondheim) 2. Best Lyrics (Stephen Sondheim) 3. Best Book (Hugh Wheeler) 4. Best Actress (Angela Lansbury ) 5. Best Actor in a Musical (Len Cariou) 6. Best Featured Actor (Ken Jennings) 7. Best Costume Design (Franne Lee) 8. Best Scenic Design (Eugene Lee) 1979 Outer Critics Circle Award 1. 1980 London Standard Drama Award Best Musical 2. Society of West End Theatre Award Best Musical 3. Society of West End Theatre Award Best Actor (Dennis Quilley) Secondary performance rights handled by Music Theatre International Articles: 1.
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“Assassins is about how society interprets the American Dream, marginalizes outsiders and rewrites and sanitizes its collective history. "Something Just Broke" is a major distraction and plays like an afterthought, shoe horned simply to appease. The song breaks the dramatic fluidity and obstructs the overall pacing and climactic arc which derails the very intent and momentum that makes this work so compelling...”
- Mark Bakalor
“I found [the Sondheim Celebration's Company] to be completely delightful. Almost all of the numbers excited and energized me, and most of the scenes were about as pitch-perfect as you can get. I just sat there with a big smile on my face the whole show.
Which is not to say that it is perfect...”
- popcornonmyknees
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