''Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' (often referred to simply as ''Sweeney Todd'') is a 1979

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

with music and lyrics by

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...

and book by

Hugh Wheeler Hugh Callingham Wheeler (19 March 1912 – 26 July 1987) was a British-American novelist, screenwriter, librettist, poet and translator. Born in London, he moved to the United States as a young man, and became a naturalized citizen in 1942. He h ...

. It is based on the 1970 play ''Sweeney Todd'' by

Christopher Bond Christopher Godfrey Bond (1945) is a British actor, playwright and theatre director whose 1970 retelling of the Victorian tale ''Sweeney Todd'' formed the basis of Stephen Sondheim's musical of the same name, with book by Hugh Wheeler. He wrot ...

. The character of

Sweeney Todd Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as the villain of the penny dreadful serial '' The String of Pearls'' (1846–1847). The original tale became a feature of 19th-century melodrama and London legend. A barber from Fleet St ...

first appeared in a Victorian

penny dreadful Penny dreadfuls were cheap popular Serial (literature), serial literature produced during the 19th century in the United Kingdom. The pejorative term is roughly interchangeable with penny horrible, penny awful, and penny blood. The term typical ...

titled '' The String of Pearls''. ''Sweeney Todd'' opened on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

in 1979 and in the West End in 1980. It won the

Tony Award for Best Musical The Tony Award for Best Musical is given annually to the best new Broadway musical, as determined by Tony Award voters. The award is one of the ceremony's longest-standing awards, having been presented each year since 1949. The award goes to the ...

and Olivier Award for Best New Musical. It has been revived in many productions and inspired a

film adaptation A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...

. The original logo for the musical is a modified version of an advertising image from the 19th century, with the sign replaced by a straight razor. There is also a woman wearing a blood-stained dress and holding a rolling pin next to the man.

Background

The character

originated in serialized

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...

popular fiction, known as

s. A story called '' The String of Pearls'' was published in a weekly magazine during the winter of 1846–47. Set in 1785, the story featured as its principal villain a certain Sweeney Todd and included all the plot elements used in later versions. The murderous barber's story was turned into a play before the ending had even been revealed in print. An expanded edition appeared in 1850, an American version in 1852, a new play in 1865. By the 1870s, Sweeney Todd was a familiar character to most Victorians. The musical was based on

's 1970 play ''Sweeney Todd'', which introduced a psychological backstory and motivation to Todd's crimes. In Bond's reincarnation of the character, Todd was the victim of a ruthless judge, who exiled him to Australia and raped his young wife, driving her mad.

first conceived of a musical version of the story in 1973, after he saw Bond's take on the story at

Theatre Royal Stratford East Stratford East (formerly known as Theatre Royal Stratford East) is a 460 seat Victorian producing theatre in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. Since 1953, it has been the home of the Theatre Workshop company, famously associated with di ...

."A Close Shave"
. ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

''; retrieved September 13, 2016. Bond's sophisticated plot and language significantly elevated the lurid nature of the tale. Sondheim once observed, "It had a weight to it ... because ondwrote certain characters in blank verse. He also infused into it plot elements from Jacobean tragedy and ''

The Count of Monte Cristo ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' () is an adventure novel by the French writer Alexandre Dumas. It was serialised from 1844 to 1846, and published in book form in 1846. It is one of his most popular works, along with ''The Three Musketeers'' (184 ...

''. He was able to take all these disparate elements that had been in existence rather dully for a hundred and some-odd years and make them into a first-rate play.""'Sondheim Notes: Sweeney Todd "
''Larry A. Brown''; retrieved September 13, 2016. Sondheim felt that the addition of music would greatly increase the size of the drama, transforming it into a different theatrical experience, saying later:

What I did to Chris' play is more than enhance it. I had a feeling it would be a new animal. The effect it had at Stratford East in London and the effect it had at the Uris Theater in New York are two entirely different effects, even though it's the same play. It was essentially charming over there because they don't take Sweeney Todd seriously. Our production was larger in scope. Hal Prince gave it an epic sense, a sense that this was a man of some size instead of just a nut case. The music helps to give it that dimension.

Music proved to be a key element behind the impact of ''Sweeney Todd'' on audiences. Over eighty percent of the production is set to music, either sung or underscoring dialogue. The score is one vast structure, each individual part meshing with others for the good of the entire musical machine. Never before or later in his work did Sondheim utilize music in such an exhaustive capacity to further the purposes of the drama. Sondheim decided to pair one of the most nightmarish songs (Sweeney Todd's "Epiphany") with the comic-relief of "A Little Priest". This pair of songs at the end of Act I was the most significant musical addition which Sondheim made to Bond's version of the story. In the play, Sweeney Todd's mental collapse and the subsequent plan for Lovett's meat pies take place in less than half a page of dialogue, much too quickly to convey the full psychological impact, in the view of scholar Larry A. Brown. Sondheim's version more carefully reveals the developing ideas in Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett's demented minds. Sondheim has often said that his ''Sweeney Todd'' was about obsession – and close friends seemed to instinctually agree. When Sondheim first played songs from an early version of the show for Judy Prince (wife of the show's director), she told him: "Oh God – I didn't know this was what 'Sweeney Todd''was about. It's nothing to do with

Grand Guignol The Théâtre du Grand-Guignol () was a theater in the Pigalle district of Paris (7, cité Chaptal). From its opening in 1897 until its closing in 1962, it specialized in horror shows. Its name is often used as a general term for graphic, amor ...

. It's the story of your wnlife." When Sondheim first brought the idea for the show to director

Harold Prince Harold Smith Prince (born Harold Smith; January 30, 1928 – July 31, 2019), commonly known as Hal Prince, was an American theatre director and producer known for his work in musical theatre. One of the foremost figures in 20th-century theat ...

, his frequent collaborator, Prince was uninterested, feeling it was a simple melodrama that was not very experimental structurally. However, Prince soon discovered a metaphor in which to set the show, making what Sondheim had originally envisioned as "a small horror piece" into a colossal portrait of the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...

, and an examination of the general human condition of the time as it related to men like Sweeney Todd. Said Sondheim, "Hal's metaphor is that the factory turns out Sweeney Todd's. It turns out soulless, defeated, hopeless people. That's what the play's about to him; Sweeney Todd is a product of that age. I think it's not. Sweeney Todd is a man bent on personal revenge, the way we all are in one way or another, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with the time he lived in, as far as I'm concerned." However, Sondheim accepted Prince's vision as a different way to do the show, and as an opportunity to do the show on a large scale, knowing that small-scale productions could be done at any time. On the stage of the Uris Theater in New York, this tale of horrors was transformed into a mountain of steel in motion. Prince's scenic metaphor for ''Sweeney Todd'' was a 19th-century

iron foundry A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...

moved from Rhode Island and reassembled on the stage, which critic

Jack Kroll John Kroll (''ca.'' 1926 – June 8, 2000) was an American drama and film critic. His career at ''Newsweek'' spanned 37 years—more than half the publication's existence. Biography Kroll was born in Manhattan. His mother was an Earl Carroll sho ...

aptly described as "part cathedral, part factory, part prison, that dwarfed and degraded the swarming denizens of the lower orders". When it came to casting, Sondheim thought stage veteran

Angela Lansbury Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury (October 16, 1925 – October 11, 2022) was an Irish-British and American actress, producer, and singer. In a career spanning 80 years, she played various roles on stage and screen. Among her numerous accolades wer ...

would add some needed comedy to the grim tale as the lunatic Cockney shopkeeper, but Lansbury needed to be convinced. She was a star and, as she pointed out to Sondheim, "Your show is not called ''Nellie Lovett'', it's called ''Sweeney Todd''. And I'm the second banana." To convince her, Sondheim "auditioned", writing a couple of songs for her, including the macabre patter song, "A Little Priest". And he gave her the key to the character, saying, "I want Mrs. Lovett to have a music hall character." Lansbury, who had grown up in British music halls, immediately got it. "Not just music hall ... but dotty music hall", as she put it."Angela Lansbury: Sweeney Todd Demon Barber of Fleet Street"
. ''Turner Classic Movies''; retrieved September 13, 2016. After she was formally confirmed in the role, she relished the opportunity, saying that she loved "the extraordinary wit and intelligence of ondheim'slyrics." Canadian actor and singer

Len Cariou Leonard Joseph Cariou (; born September 30, 1939) is a Canadian stage actor, singer and stage director. He gained prominence for his portrayal of Sweeney Todd in the original cast of Stephen Sondheim's musical '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barbe ...

was Sondheim's personal choice to play the tortured barber. In preparation for the role, Cariou (who was studying with a voice teacher at the time) asked Sondheim what kind of range he needed to have in the role. Cariou told him he was prepared to give Sondheim a couple of octaves to deal with, and Sondheim immediately replied, "That would be more than sufficient." With Prince absorbed in staging the mammoth production, Lansbury and Cariou were left largely to their own when it came to developing their characters. They worked together on all their scenes, both of them creative actors who were experienced in giving intense performances. "That cuckoo style of playing Mrs. Lovett, that was pretty much Angela ... She invented that character", Cariou said. She recalled, "I just ran with it. The wide-openness of my portrayal had to do with my sink or swim attitude toward it. I just figured hell, I've done everything else on Broadway, I might as well go with Mrs. Lovett." It is said that on opening night

Harold Clurman Harold Edgar Clurman (September 18, 1901 – September 9, 1980) was an American theatre director and drama critic. In 2003, he was named one of the most influential figures in U.S. theater by PBS.

, the doyen of American theatre critics, rushed up to Schuyler Chapin, former general manager of the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...

, demanding to know why he had not put it on at the Met. To which Chapin replied: "I would have put it on like a shot if I'd had the opportunity. There would have been screams and yells but I wouldn't have given a damn. Because it is an opera. A modern American opera."

Synopsis

The citizens of London, who act as a

Greek chorus A Greek chorus () in the context of ancient Greek tragedy, comedy, satyr plays, is a homogeneous group of performers, who comment with a collective voice on the action of the scene they appear in, or provide necessary insight into action which ...

throughout the play, drop a

body bag A body bag, also known as a cadaver pouch or human remains pouch (HRP), is a non-porous bag designed to contain a human body, used for the storage and transportation of shrouded corpses. History In the United States, the apparent first docu ...

and pour ashes into a shallow grave.

rises forth ("The Ballad of Sweeney Todd"), and introduces the drama.

Act I

In 1846, young sailor Anthony Hope and the mysterious Sweeney Todd, whom Anthony has recently rescued at sea and befriended, dock in London. A beggar woman sexually solicits them, appearing to recognize Todd for a moment ("No Place Like London"), and Todd shoos her away. Todd obliquely relates some of his troubled past to Anthony: he was a naïve barber, "removed...from his plate" by a corrupt judge who

lust Lust is an intense desire for something. Lust can take any form such as the lust for sexuality (see libido), money, or power. It can take such mundane forms as the lust for food (see gluttony) as distinct from the need for food or lust for red ...

ed after Todd's wife ("The Barber and His Wife"). Leaving Anthony, Todd enters a meat pie shop on

Fleet Street Fleet Street is a street in Central London, England. It runs west to east from Temple Bar, London, Temple Bar at the boundary of the City of London, Cities of London and City of Westminster, Westminster to Ludgate Circus at the site of the Lo ...

, where the owner, the slatternly widow Mrs. Lovett, laments the scarcity of meat and customers ("Worst Pies in London"). When Todd asks after the empty upstairs apartment, she reveals that its former tenant, Benjamin Barker, was

transported for life Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...

based on false charges by Judge Turpin, who, along with his servant,

Beadle A beadle, sometimes spelled bedel, is an official who may usher, keep order, make reports, and assist in religious functions; or a minor official who carries out various civil, educational or ceremonial duties on the manor. The term has pre- ...

Bamford, then lured Barker's wife

Lucy Lucy is an English language, English feminine given name derived from the Latin masculine given name Lucius with the meaning ''as of light'' (''born at dawn or daylight'', maybe also ''shiny'', or ''of light complexion''). Alternative spellings ar ...

to a masked ball at the Judge's home and raped her ("Poor Thing"). Todd's reaction reveals that he is himself Benjamin Barker. Promising to keep his secret, Mrs. Lovett explains that Lucy poisoned herself with

arsenic Arsenic is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol As and atomic number 33. It is a metalloid and one of the pnictogens, and therefore shares many properties with its group 15 neighbors phosphorus and antimony. Arsenic is not ...

and that their then-infant daughter,

Johanna Johanna is a feminine name, a variant form of Joanna that originated in Latin in the Middle Ages, including an -h- by analogy with the Latin masculine name Johannes. The original Greek form ''Iōanna'' lacks a medial /h/ because in Greek Spiritus ...

, became the Judge's

ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

. Todd swears revenge on the Judge and the Beadle, and Mrs. Lovett presents Todd with his old collection of

sterling silver Sterling silver is an alloy composed mass fraction (chemistry), by weight of 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper. The sterling silver silver standards, standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925. ''Fineness, Fine silver'' ...

straight razor A straight razor is a razor with a blade that can fold into its handle. They are also called open razors and cut-throat razors. The predecessors of the modern straight razors include bronze razors, with cutting edges and fixed handles, produced ...

s, which persuades Todd to take up his old profession ("My Friends" and "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" – reprise). Elsewhere, Anthony spies a beautiful girl singing at her window ("Green Finch and Linnet Bird"), and the beggar woman tells him that her name is Johanna. Unaware that Johanna is his friend Todd's daughter, Anthony is immediately enamored ("Ah, Miss"), and he pledges to return for her, even after the judge and the Beadle threaten him and chase him away ("Johanna"). In the crowded London marketplace, flamboyant Italian barber Adolfo Pirelli and his simple-minded young assistant

Tobias Ragg Tobias Ragg (also spelled as Tobias Wragg and sometimes referred to as Toby) is a fictional character who appears in various adaptations of the story ''Sweeney Todd''. The character is an apprentice to the abusive barber Adolfo Pirelli, Pirelli u ...

pitch a dramatic cure-all for hair loss ("Pirelli's Miracle Elixir"). Todd and Lovett soon arrive; as part of his plan to establish his new identity, Todd exposes the elixir as a sham, challenges Pirelli to a shaving competition and easily wins ("The Contest"), inviting the impressed Beadle for a free shave ("The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" – reprise 2). Several days later, Judge Turpin

flagellates A flagellate is a cell or organism with one or more whip-like appendages called flagellum, flagella. The word ''flagellate'' also describes a particular construction (or level of organization) characteristic of many prokaryotes and eukaryote ...

himself in a frenzy over a growing

for Johanna, but instead resolves to marry her himself ("Johanna – Mea Culpa"). Todd awaits the Beadle's arrival with mounting impatience, but Mrs. Lovett tries to soothe him ("Wait"). When Anthony tells Todd of his plan to ask Johanna to elope with him, Todd, eager to reunite with his daughter, agrees to let them use his barbershop as a safehouse. As Anthony leaves, Pirelli and Tobias enter, and Mrs. Lovett takes Tobias downstairs for a pie. Alone with Todd, Pirelli drops his Italian accent and reveals that he is really Daniel O'Higgins, Benjamin Barker's former assistant. He knows Todd's true identity (having recognized Barker's illustrious shaving tools during their earlier competition) and demands half his income for life. (In the film, the name is not Daniel O'Higgins but "Davy Collins".) Todd kills O'Higgins by slitting his throat ("Pirelli's Death" and "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" – reprise 3) and temporarily hides his body. Meanwhile, Johanna and Anthony plan their elopement ("Kiss Me"), while the Beadle recommends Todd's grooming services to the Judge so that the judge may better win Johanna's affections ("Ladies in Their Sensitivities"). Panicked at first on learning of Pirelli's murder, Mrs. Lovett swipes his leftover coin purse and then asks Todd how he plans to dispose of the body. Suddenly, the judge enters; Todd quickly seats him and lulls him with a relaxing conversation ("Pretty Women"). Before Todd can kill the judge, however, Anthony re-enters and blurts out his elopement plan. The angry judge storms out, vowing never to return and to send Johanna away. Todd drives Anthony out in a fit of fury and, reminded of the evil he sees in London, resolves to depopulate the city by murdering his future customers since all people deserve to die: the wicked to be punished for their deeds, and the "rest of us" to be relieved of their misery ("Epiphany"). While discussing how to dispose of Pirelli's body, Mrs. Lovett is struck by a sudden idea and suggests that they use the bodies of Todd's victims in her meat pies, and Todd happily agrees ("A Little Priest").

Act II

Several weeks later, Mrs. Lovett's pie shop has become a successful business, and Tobias works there as a waiter. The pies are very popular ("God, That's Good!"). Todd has acquired a special mechanical barber's chair that allows him to kill clients and then send their bodies directly through a chute into the pie shop's basement bakehouse. Casually slitting his customers' necks, Todd despairs of ever seeing Johanna, while Anthony searches London for her ("Johanna – Quartet"). Anthony finds Johanna locked away in a private

lunatic asylum The lunatic asylum, insane asylum or mental asylum was an institution where people with mental illness were confined. It was an early precursor of the modern psychiatric hospital. Modern psychiatric hospitals evolved from and eventually replace ...

, but barely escapes being placed under arrest by the Beadle. After a day of hard work, while Todd remains fixated on his revenge, Mrs. Lovett envisions eloping with Todd and retiring to the seaside ("By the Sea"). Anthony arrives to beg Todd for help to free Johanna, and Todd, revitalised, instructs Anthony to rescue her by posing as a wigmaker intent on purchasing inmates' hair ("Wigmaker Sequence" and "The Ballad..." – reprise 4). However, once Anthony has departed, Todd sends a letter informing the Judge that Anthony will bring Johanna to his shop just after dark, and that he will hand her over ("The Letter") in order to lure him back to the shop. In the pie shop, Tobias tells Mrs. Lovett of his skepticism about Todd and his own desire to protect her (" Not While I'm Around"). When he recognizes Pirelli's coin purse in Mrs. Lovett's hands, she distracts him by showing him the bakehouse, instructing him how to work the meat grinder and the oven before locking him in. Upstairs, she encounters the Beadle at her

harmonium The pump organ or reed organ is a type of organ that uses free reeds to generate sound, with air passing over vibrating thin metal strips mounted in a frame. Types include the pressure-based harmonium, the suction reed organ (which employs a va ...

; he has been asked by Lovett's neighbors to investigate the strange smoke and stench from the pie shop's chimney. Mrs. Lovett stalls the Beadle with "Parlor Songs" until Todd returns to offer the Beadle his promised "free shave"; Mrs. Lovett loudly plays her harmonium to cover the Beadle's screams above as Todd dispatches him. In the basement, Tobias discovers hair and fingernails in a pie he has been eating, just as the Beadle's fresh corpse comes tumbling through the chute. Terrified, he flees into the sewers below the bakehouse. Mrs. Lovett then informs Todd that Tobias has found out about their secret and they plot to kill him. Anthony arrives at the asylum to rescue Johanna, but is exposed when Johanna recognizes him. Anthony draws a pistol given to him by Todd, but cannot bring himself to shoot Jonas Fogg, the corrupt asylum owner; Johanna grabs the pistol and kills Fogg. As Anthony and Johanna flee, the asylum's freed inmates prophesy the end of the world, while Todd and Mrs. Lovett hunt through the sewers for Tobias, and the beggar woman fears what has become of the Beadle ("City on Fire/Searching"). Anthony and Johanna (now disguised as a sailor) arrive at Todd's empty shop. Anthony leaves to seek a coach after he and Johanna reaffirm their love ("Ah Miss" – reprise). Johanna hears the beggar woman entering and hides in a trunk in the barbershop. The beggar woman seems to recognize the room ("Beggar Woman's Lullaby"). Todd enters and tries to force her to leave as she again seems to recognize him. Hearing the Judge outside, a frantic Todd kills the beggar woman, sending her body down the chute barely a moment before the Judge bursts in. Todd assures the Judge that Johanna is repentant, and the judge asks for a quick splash of cologne. Once he has the Judge in his chair, Todd soothes him with another conversation on women, but this time he alludes to their "fellow tastes, in women at least". The Judge recognizes him as "Benjamin Barker!" just before Todd slashes his throat and sends him hurtling down the chute ("The Judge's Return"). Remembering Tobias, Todd starts to leave, but, realizing he has left his razor behind, returns just as the disguised Johanna rises, horrified, from the trunk. Not recognizing her, Todd attempts to kill her, just as Mrs. Lovett shrieks from the bakehouse below, providing a distraction for Johanna to escape. Downstairs, Mrs. Lovett is struggling with the dying Judge, who clutches at her dress. She then attempts to drag the beggar woman's body into the oven, but Todd arrives and, through a shaft of light, sees the lifeless face clearly for the first time: the beggar woman was his wife Lucy. Horrified, Todd accuses Mrs. Lovett of lying to him. Mrs. Lovett frantically denies it, explaining that Lucy did indeed poison herself, but lived, although the attempt left her insane. Mrs. Lovett then tells Todd she loves him and would be a better wife than Lucy ever could have been. Todd feigns forgiveness, dancing manically with Mrs. Lovett until he hurls her into the oven, burning her alive. Full of despair and in shock, Todd embraces the dead Lucy. Tobias, now insane and his hair turned white, crawls up from the sewer babbling nursery rhymes to himself. He picks up Todd's fallen razor and slits Todd's throat. As Todd falls dead and Tobias drops the razor, Anthony, Johanna and some constables break into the bakehouse. Tobias, heedless of them, begins turning the meat grinder, crooning Mrs. Lovett's previous instructions to him ("Final Scene").

Epilogue

The ensemble cast, soon joined by the risen Todd and Mrs. Lovett, sing a final reprise of "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" warning against revenge (though admitting that "everyone does it"). Tearing off their costumes, the company exits. Todd sneers at the audience for a moment and vanishes.

Musical numbers

; Prologue: * "Prelude: The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: 'Attend The Tale of Sweeney Todd...'" – Full Cast ; Act I: * "No Place Like London" – Anthony, Todd, 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: '...Lift Your Razor High, Sweeney!' (Reprise 1)" – Company, Judge, Beadle * "Green Finch and Linnet Bird" – Johanna * "Ah, Miss" – Anthony, Johanna, Beggar Woman * "Johanna" – Anthony * "Pirelli's Miracle Elixir" – Tobias, Todd, Mrs. Lovett, Crowd * "The Contest (Part 1): Shaving Scene" – Pirelli * "The Contest (Part 2): Tooth-Pulling Scene" ^†& – Pirelli, Tobias * "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: '...Sweeney Pondered and Sweeney Planned...' (Reprise 2)" – Company, Beggar Woman * "Wait" – Lovett * "Pirelli's Death" – Pirelli * "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: '...His Hands Were Quick, His Fingers Strong...' (Reprise 3)" – Tenor Trio * "Johanna (Mea Culpa)" ^†‡& – Judge Turpin * "Kiss Me" – Johanna, Anthony * "Ladies In Their Sensitivities"/"Kiss Me (Quartet)" – Beadle, Johanna, Anthony, Judge Turpin * "Pretty Women" – Judge, Todd, Anthony * "Epiphany" – Todd, Lovett * "A Little Priest" – Todd, Lovett ; Act II: * "God, That's Good!" – Tobias, Mrs. Lovett, Todd, Customers * "Johanna (Quartet)" – Anthony, Todd, Beggar Woman, Johanna * "I Am a Lass" ^€& – Mrs. Lovett * "By the Sea" – Mrs. Lovett and Todd * "Wigmaker Sequence"/"The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: '...Sweeney'd Waited Too Long Before...' (Reprise 4)"/"The Letter" – Todd, Anthony, Quintet * " Not While I'm Around" – Tobias, Mrs. Lovett * "Parlour Songs (Part 1): Sweet Polly Plunkett" – Beadle * "Parlour Songs (Part 2): The 12 Bells In Tower of Bray" – Beadle, Lovett, Tobias ^† * "Parlour Songs (Part 3): Sweet Polly Plunkett (Reprise)" – Lovett * "Final Sequence": ** "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: '...The Engine Roared, The Motor Hissed...' (Reprise 5)"/"Fogg's Asylum"/"City on Fire"/"Searching"/"Ah, Miss (Reprise)"/"Beggar Woman's Lullaby" ^§ / "The Judge's Return" / "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: '...Lift Your Razor High, Sweeney...' (Reprise 6)"/"Final Scene" – Lunatics, Johanna, Beggar Woman, Lovett, Todd, Anthony, Judge Turpin, Chorus, Tobias ; Epilogue: * "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: '...Attend The Tale of Sweeney Todd...' (Reprise 7)" – Company, Todd, Lovett (Full Cast) Notes on the songs: * † Despite being cut in previews for reasons of length, these numbers were included on the Original Cast Recording. They have been restored in subsequent productions. * ‡ This song was moved to after "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Reprise 3)" in the 2000 and 2014

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic is an American symphony orchestra based in New York City. Known officially as the ''Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc.'', and globally known as the ''New York Philharmonic Orchestra'' (NYPO) or the ''New Yo ...

concert performances, and on the Original Broadway Cast Album. * § This number was written for the original London production and first recorded for the 2000 New York Philharmonic concert performance. * € This song is an optional verse of "Sweet Polly Plunkett". * & These songs were cut from the 2023 Broadway revival. * The song "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" and its multiple reprises are titled in some productions by their first lyrics to differentiate them from one another: * "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: Attend the Tale of Sweeney Todd" * "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Reprise): Lift Your Razor High, Sweeney" * "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Reprise 2): Sweeney Pondered and Sweeney Planned" * "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Reprise 3): His Hands Were Quick, His Fingers Strong" * "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Reprise 4): Sweeney'd Waited Too Long Before" * "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Reprise 5): The Engine Roared, The Motor Hissed" * "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Reprise 6): Lift Your Razor High, Sweeney" * "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Reprise 7): Attend the Tale of Sweeney Todd" * Sources: SondheimGuide.com & InternetBroadwayDatabase

Principal roles

Casts

Original casts

Notable replacements

Broadway (1979–80) *Sweeney Todd:

George Hearn George Hearn (born June 18, 1934) is an American actor and bass-baritone singer, primarily in Broadway musical theatre. Some of his Broadway credits include Albin in '' La Cage aux Folles'', the title role in '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barb ...

*Mrs. Lovett:

Dorothy Loudon Dorothy Loudon (September 17, 1925 – November 15, 2003) was an American actress and singer. She won the Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical in 1977 for her performance as Miss Hannigan in '' Annie''. Loudon was also nominated for T ...

*Anthony Hope: Cris Groenendaal *Johanna Barker:

Betsy Joslyn Betsy Joslyn (born April 19, 1954 in Staten Island, New York) is a Broadway musical and dramatic actress and soprano. Joslyn is best known for her Broadway work, including the original 1979 production of ''Sweeney Todd''. She appeared in the ens ...

Broadway (2005–06) *Mrs. Lovett:

Judy Kaye Judy Kaye (born October 11, 1948) is an American singer and actress. She has appeared in stage musicals, plays, and operas. Kaye has been in long runs on Broadway in the musicals '' The Phantom of the Opera'', ''Ragtime'', '' Mamma Mia!'', an ...

West End (2012) *Adolfo Pirelli:

Jason Manford Jason John Manford (born 26 May 1981) is an English comedian, presenter, actor and singer. Manford was a team captain on the Channel 4 panel show ''8 Out of 10 Cats'' from 2007 until 2010 and has presented numerous television shows for the BBC an ...

Broadway (2023–2024) *Sweeney Todd:

Nicholas Christopher Nicholas Christopher may refer to: * Nicholas Christopher (writer) * Nicholas Christopher (actor) {{hndis, Christopher, Nicholas ...

Aaron Tveit Aaron Kyle Tveit (; born October 21, 1983) is an American actor and singer. Tveit originated the lead role of Christian in the stage adaptation of ''Moulin Rouge! (musical), Moulin Rouge!'' on Broadway theatre, Broadway, a performance for which ...

*Mrs. Lovett:

Jeanna de Waal Jeanna de Waal is a British stage actress and singer. She is known for playing the title role of Princess Diana in the 2021 Broadway show '' Diana: The Musical'', which was also released on Netflix. The musical received mostly negative reviews fr ...

Sutton Foster Sutton Lenore Foster (born March 18, 1975) is an American actress. She is known for her work on the Broadway stage, for which she has been nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical seven times, winning in 2002 for her role as ...

*Tobias Ragg:

Joe Locke Joe William Locke (born 24 September 2003) is a Manx actor. He is known for his lead role as high school student Charlie Spring in the Netflix teen series '' Heartstopper'' (2022–present), for which he received a nomination for the inaugural ...

Productions

Original Broadway production

The original production premiered on

at the

Uris Theatre The Gershwin Theatre (originally the Uris Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 222 West 51st Street, on the second floor of the Paramount Plaza office building, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 19 ...

on March 1, 1979, and closed on June 29, 1980, after 557 performances and 19 previews. Directed by

Hal Prince Harold Smith Prince (born Harold Smith; January 30, 1928 – July 31, 2019), commonly known as Hal Prince, was an American theatre director and producer known for his work in musical theatre. One of the foremost figures in 20th-century theatr ...

and

choreographed Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer creates choreographies thr ...

by Larry Fuller, the scenic design was by Eugene Lee, costumes by

Franne Lee Frances Elaine Newman (December 30, 1941 – August 27, 2023), known professionally as Franne Lee, was an American costume and production designer for stage, television, and film. She won multiple Tony Awards and Drama Desk Awards. Lee dated se ...

and lighting by

Ken Billington Ken Billington (born October 29, 1946) is an American lighting designer. He began his career in New York City working as an assistant to Tharon Musser. He was born in White Plains, New York, the son of Kenneth Arthur (an automobile dealer) and ...

. The cast included

as Mrs. Lovett,

as Todd,

Victor Garber Victor Garber, (born March 16, 1949) is a Canadian stage and film actor and singer. Known for his work on stage and screen, he has been nominated for three Gemini Awards, four Tony Awards, and six Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2022, he was made an ...

as Anthony, Sarah Rice as Johanna,

Merle Louise Merle Louise (born Merle Louise Letowt, April 15, 1934 – January 11, 2025) was an American actress, best known for appearing in four Stephen Sondheim musicals, most famously as " The Beggar Woman" in ''Sweeney Todd'', for which she won the ...

as the Beggar Woman,

Ken Jennings Kenneth Wayne Jennings III (born May 23, 1974) is an American game show host, former contestant, and author. He is best known for his work on the syndicated quiz show ''Jeopardy!'' as a contestant and later its host. Jennings was born in Edm ...

as Tobias,

Edmund Lyndeck Edmund Lyndeck (October 4, 1925 – December 14, 2015) was an American actor and musical theatre performer. He is best known for originating the roles of Judge Turpin in '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' and Cinderella’s Fa ...

as Judge Turpin, Joaquin Romaguera as Pirelli, and Jack Eric Williams as Beadle Bamford. The production was nominated for nine

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

s, winning eight including Best Musical.

and

replaced Lansbury and Cariou on March 4, 1980. Other replacements include Cris Groenendaal as Anthony and

as Johanna.

Early tours and filming

The first national U.S. tour started on October 24, 1980, in Washington, D.C. and ended in August 1981 in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. Lansbury was joined by Hearn and this version was taped during the Los Angeles engagement and broadcast on The Entertainment Channel (one of the predecessors of today's A&E) on September 12, 1982. This performance would later be repeated on

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

and

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

(the latter as part of its ''

Great Performances ''Great Performances'' is a television anthology series dedicated to the performing arts; the banner has been used to televise plays, musicals, opera, ballet, concerts, as well as occasional documentaries. It is produced by the PBS member statio ...

'' series);"''Sweeney Todd'' on TV"
. ''Sondheim Guide''. Retrieved on January 16, 2008. It was later released on home video through

Turner Home Entertainment Turner Entertainment Co. is an American multimedia company founded by Ted Turner on August 2, 1986. Purchased by Time Warner Entertainment on October 10, 1996, as part of its acquisition of Turner Broadcasting System (TBS), the company was lar ...

, and on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...

from

Warner Home Video Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment, Inc. (doing business as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment; formerly known as Warner Home Video and WCI Home Video and sometimes credited as Warner Home Entertainment) is the American home video distribution ...

. The taped production was nominated for five

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...

s in 1985, winning three including Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program (for

). A North American tour started on February 23, 1982, in

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...

, and ended on July 17, 1982, in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

June Havoc June Havoc (born Ellen Evangeline Hovick;Ancestry Library Edition November 8, 1912 – March 28, 2010) was a Canadian-born American actress, dancer, stage director and memoirist. Havoc was a child vaudeville performer under the tutelage of her ...

and

Ross Petty Ross Petty (born August 29, 1946) is a Canadians, Canadian actor and theatre producer. He is best known for his eponymous production company, which staged what were promoted as "family musical" theatre productions in the British pantomime traditi ...

starred.

Original West End production

The first London production opened on July 2, 1980, at the West End's

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and listed building, Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) an ...

, starring

Denis Quilley Denis Clifford Quilley (26 December 1927 – 5 October 2003) was an English actor and singer. From a family with no theatrical connections, Quilley was determined from an early age to become an actor. He was taken on by the Birmingham Repertor ...

and

Sheila Hancock Dame Sheila Cameron Hancock (born 22 February 1933) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has performed on stage in both plays and musicals in London theatres, and is also known for her roles in films and on television. Her Broadway ...

along with Andrew C. Wadsworth as Anthony, Mandy More as Johanna,

Michael Staniforth Michael Peter Staniforth (15 December 1942 – 31 July 1987), born in Selly Oak, Birmingham, was a British stage actor. Life Staniforth's father was a sergeant major in the Army and so Michael's childhood was spent with his family in Germany, ...

as Tobias, Austin Kent as Judge Turpin,

Dilys Watling Dilys Rhys Watling (''née'' Jones, 5 May 1942 – 10 August 2021) was an English actress, best known for appearing on British television (''Coronation Street'', ''The Benny Hill Show'' and ''The Two Ronnies''). Early life and education Watlin ...

as the Beggar Woman, David Wheldon-Williams as Beadle Bamford,

Oz Clarke Robert Owen Clarke (born 1949), known as Oz Clarke, is a British wine writer, actor, television presenter and broadcaster. Early life Clarke's parents were a chest physician and a nursing sister. He is of Irish descent and was brought up Roma ...

as Jonas Fogg, and John Aron as Pirelli. The show ran for 157 performances. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the production won the

Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply The Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognize excellence in professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of West End Theatre Aw ...

for Best New Musical in 1980. The production closed on November 14, 1980.

1989 Broadway

The first Broadway revival opened on September 14, 1989, at the

Circle in the Square Theatre The Circle in the Square Theatre is a Broadway theater at 235 West 50th Street, within the basement of Paramount Plaza, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York, U.S. The current Broadway theater, completed in 1972, i ...

, and closed on February 25, 1990, after 189 performances and 46 previews. It was produced by

Theodore Mann Theodore Mann, birth name Goldman, (May 13, 1924 – February 24, 2012) was an American theatre producer and director and the Artistic Director of the Circle in the Square Theatre School. Mann co-founded Circle in the Square Theatre, widely r ...

, directed by

Susan H. Schulman Susan H. Schulman (born July 6, 1947) is an American theatre director. Biography Intent on a career as an actress, Schulman studied drama at Hofstra University in Hempstead, Long Island, New York in the 1960s. She attended Yale University on a p ...

, with choreography by Michael Lichtefeld. The cast featured

Bob Gunton Robert Patrick Gunton Jr. (born November 15, 1945) is an American character actor of stage and screen. He is known for playing strict authoritarian characters, including Warden Samuel Norton in the 1994 prison drama ''The Shawshank Redemption'', ...

(Sweeney Todd),

Beth Fowler Beth Fowler is an American actress and singer, best known for her performances on Broadway and for her role as Sister Ingalls, on ''Orange Is the New Black''. She is a two-time Tony Award nominee. Life and career Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, ...

(Mrs. Lovett),

Eddie Korbich Eddie Korbich (born November 6, 1960) is an American actor, singer and dancer. He was born in Washington, D.C., but grew up in Shamokin, Pennsylvania. Career 1980s He graduated from the Boston Conservatory with a B.F.A. in acting in 1983. In ...

(Tobias Ragg),

Jim Walton James Carr Walton (born June 7, 1948) is an American businessman, currently an heir to the fortune of Walmart, the world's largest retailer. As of May 2025, Walton is the 12th-richest person in the world, with a net worth of US$114.1 billion acc ...

(Anthony Hope) and David Barron (Judge Turpin). In contrast to the original Broadway version, the production was designed on a relatively intimate scale and was affectionately referred to as "Teeny Todd." It was originally produced Off-Broadway by the

York Theatre Company The York Theatre Company is an Off-Broadway theatre company based on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. Established in 1969, The York is the only theater in New York City, and one of the few in the world, whose two-fold mission ...

at the Church of the Heavenly Rest from March 31, 1989, to April 29, 1989. This production received four

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.

2005 Broadway

A version of the John Doyle West End production transferred to Broadway, opening on November 3, 2005, at the

Eugene O'Neill Theatre The Eugene O'Neill Theatre, previously the Forrest Theatre and the Coronet Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 230 West 49th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. The theater was designed by Her ...

with a new cast, all of whom played their own instruments, as had been done in London. The cast consisted of:

Patti LuPone Patti Ann LuPone (born April 21, 1949) is an American actress and singer. After starting her professional career with The Acting Company in 1972, she soon gained acclaim for her leading performances on the Broadway and West End stage. Known f ...

(Mrs. Lovett/Tuba/Percussion),

Michael Cerveris Michael Cerveris Jr. (born November 6, 1960) is an American actor, singer, and guitarist. He has performed in many stage musicals and plays, including several Stephen Sondheim musicals: ''Assassins (musical), Assassins'', ''Sweeney Todd: The ...

(Todd/Guitar),

Manoel Felciano Manoel Felciano (born November 12, 1970) is an American actor, singer, and songwriter. Career He received a humanities degree from Yale University. Felciano attended the Graduate Acting Program at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, g ...

(Tobias/Violin/Clarinet/Piano),

Alexander Gemignani Alexander Cesare Gemignani (born July 3, 1979) is an American actor, tenor, musician, and conductor, known for his work on Broadway. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in '' Carousel'' and a Drama Desk Award for his performa ...

(Beadle/Piano/Trumpet), Lauren Molina (Johanna/Cello), Benjamin Magnuson (Anthony/Cello/Piano),

Mark Jacoby Mark Jacoby (born May 21, 1947) is an American musical theatre performer who has had leading roles on Broadway in ''Show Boat'', ''The Phantom of the Opera'', ''Sweet Charity'' and ''Ragtime'', among others. He has also performed widely in nat ...

(Turpin/Trumpet/Percussion),

Donna Lynne Champlin Donna Lynne Champlin (born January 21, 1971) is an American actress, dancer and singer from New York City. She is best known for playing Paula Proctor on The CW comedy-drama series '' Crazy Ex-Girlfriend''. Early life Champlin was born in Roche ...

(Pirelli/Accordion/Flute/Piano), Diana DiMarzio (Beggar Woman/Clarinet) and John Arbo (Fogg/Double bass). The production ran for 349 performances and 35 previews, and was nominated for six Tony Awards, winning two: Best Direction of a Musical for Doyle and Best Orchestrations for

Sarah Travis Sarah Travis is a British orchestrator and musical supervisor for theatre and film. She received the Tony Award for Best Orchestrations and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations for the 2005 revival of Stephen Sondheim's ''Sweeney T ...

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. A national tour based on Doyle's Broadway production began on August 30, 2007, with

(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 West End

Michael Ball Michael Ashley Ball (born 27 June 1962) is an English singer, presenter and actor. In 1985, he made his West End debut as Marius Pontmercy in the original production of ''Les Misérables''. In 1989, he reached number two in the UK Singles C ...

and

Imelda Staunton Dame Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton (born 9 January 1956) is an English actress and singer. After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Staunton began her career in repertory theatre in 1976 and appeared in various theatre pr ...

starred in a new production of the show that played at The Chichester Festival Theatre, running from September 24 to November 5, 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 Lucy May Barker (born 4 April 1992) is a British actress. Life and career She was born and brought up in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. Most notably, Barker played Ilse in the original London cast of the four-time Olivier Award-winning '' Spring Awaken ...

as Johanna and

Peter Polycarpou Peter Polycarpou (born 31 March 1957) is an English-Cypriot actor, playwright and singer, known for playing the roles of Chris Theodopolopodous in the television comedy series '' Birds of a Feather'' from 1990 to 1994 and Louis Charalambos in t ...

as Beadle Bamford. It was notably set 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 The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...

in the West End in 2012 for a limited run from March 10 to September 22, 2012. Comedian

made his musical debut as Pirelli from July 2 to 28 and August 15, 18 and 24, 2012 while Robert Burt appeared at

Glyndebourne Festival Opera Glyndebourne Festival Opera is an annual opera festival held at Glyndebourne, an English country house near Lewes, in East Sussex, England. History Under the supervision of the Christie family, the festival has been held annually since 1934, e ...

. 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.

2023 Broadway

The musical began previews on February 26 and opened on March 26, 2023, at the

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, originally the Globe Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 205 West 46th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1910, the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre was designed by C ...

, starring

Josh Groban Joshua Winslow Groban (born February 27, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. His first four solo albums have been certified multi-platinum, and he was charted in 2007 as the number-one best selling artist in the United States, ...

as Sweeney Todd,

Annaleigh Ashford Annaleigh Ashford (née Swanson; born June 25, 1985) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Her early roles on Broadway include in the musicals '' Wicked'' (2007), '' Legally Blonde'' (2007), and ''Hair'' (2010). She received the Tony Award ...

as Mrs. Lovett,

Jordan Fisher Jordan William Fisher (born April 24, 1994) is an American actor, singer, and dancer. He began his career with recurring roles on several television series, including '' The Secret Life of the American Teenager'' in 2012 and '' Liv and Maddie'' ...

as Anthony,

Gaten Matarazzo Gaetano John "Gaten" Matarazzo III ( , ; born September 8, 2002) is an American actor. He began his career on the Broadway stage as Benjamin in '' Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'' (2011–12) and as Gavroche in ''Les Misérables'' (2014–15) ...

as Tobias, Maria Bilbao as Johanna, Jamie Jackson reprising the role of Judge Turpin,

Ruthie Ann Miles Ruthie Ann Miles (born April 21, 1983) is an American actress and singer, best known for her roles in musical theatre, especially in ''The King and I'' and '' Here Lies Love'', and on television. Early in her career, Miles played Christmas Eve ...

as the Beggar Woman, John Rapson reprising the role of Beadle Bamford, and Nicholas Christopher as Pirelli. The production was directed by

Thomas Kail Thomas Kail (born January 20, 1977) is an American theatre director, television director and producer, known for directing the Off-Broadway and Broadway productions of Lin-Manuel Miranda's musicals '' In the Heights'' and ''Hamilton'', garneri ...

, with restored original orchestrations by

Jonathan Tunick Jonathan Tunick is an American orchestrator, musical director, and composer. He is best known for orchestrating the works of Stephen Sondheim, their collaboration starting in 1970 with ''Company'' and continuing until Sondheim's death in 2021. ...

, musical supervision by

Alex Lacamoire Alex Lacamoire (born May 24, 1975) is a Cuban-American composer, arranger, conductor, musical director, music copyist, and orchestrator who has worked on many shows both on and off-Broadway. He is the recipient of multiple Tony and Grammy A ...

and choreography by

Steven Hoggett Steven Hoggett (born 30 November 1971) is a British choreographer and movement director. He has won an Olivier Award as well as an Obie Award, has been nominated four times for a Drama Desk Award and three times for a Tony Award. Early life ...

. Matarazzo departed on November 5. Groban and Ashford were replaced by

and

for a 12-week limited run starting February 9 until the closing.

replaced Tobias on January 31, 2024. The production closed on May 5, 2024. The production began a workshop three days after Sondheim's death in November 2021; he had planned to attend the workshop's final day. The production had a budget of $14 million.

Other notable productions

1987–1997

The

State Opera of South Australia State Opera South Australia (SOSA) is a professional opera company in Adelaide, South Australia, established in 1976. History State Opera South Australia was established in 1976 as a statutory corporation under the ''State Opera of South Au ...

presented Australia's first professional production in Adelaide in September 1987. Directed by

Gale Edwards Annette Gale Edwards (born 14 November 1954) is an Australian theatre director, who has worked extensively throughout Australia and internationally. She has also directed for television and film. Professional career Edwards began her career at ...

, it featured

Lyndon Terracini Lyndon William Terracini (born 1950), is an Australian operatic baritone and from 2009 to October 2022 artistic director of Opera Australia. Early life Terracini was born in 1949, the oldest of four children born to Shirley and Vita Terracini, ...

as Todd,

Nancye Hayes Nancye Lee Bertles AM ( Hayes; born January 1943), billed under her maiden name as Nancye Hayes, is an Australian actress, dancer, singer and choreographer/director and narrator. She has been a leading figure in Australian musical theatre sin ...

as Mrs. Lovett and

Peter Cousens Peter Cousens (born 2 November 1955) is an Australian actor and singer born in Tamworth, New South Wales. He is the artistic director of the Talent Development Project. He attended The Armidale School in Armidale from 1969 to 1973 Cousens wa ...

as Anthony. The following month,

Melbourne Theatre Company The Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1953 as the Union Theatre Repertory Company at the Union Theatre at the University of Melbourne, it is the oldest professional theatre com ...

's version opened at the

Playhouse Playhouse () is a common term for a theatre. Playhouse, The Playhouse, Playhouse Theatre, or Playhouse Theater may also refer to: Venues and theatre companies Australia * Dunstan Playhouse, at the Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide, South Au ...

in Melbourne, directed by

Roger Hodgman Roger Hodgman (born 1 December 1943) is an Australian stage and television director. He was educated at the Hutchins School and the University of Tasmania, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Political Science in 1966, ...

with Peter Carroll as Sweeney Todd,

Geraldine Turner Geraldine Gail Turner (born 23 June 1950 in Brisbane, Australia) is an Australian actress and singer. She has been a leading performer in Australian musical theatre since the 1970s, and has also been active in plays, recordings, film and telev ...

as Mrs. Lovett and Jon Ewing as Judge Turpin. The Melbourne production toured to Sydney and Brisbane in 1988. The musical oopened in June 1992, at the Erkel Theater in

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

, Hungary. The play was translated into Hungarian by Tibor Miklós and György Dénes. The cast starred Lajos Miller as Sweeney Todd and Zsuzsa Lehoczky as Mrs. Lovett. In 1993, the show received its first London revival at the

Royal National Theatre The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...

. 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 Declan Michael Martin Donnellan (born 4 August 1953) is an English film/stage director and author. He co-founded the Cheek by Jowl theatre company with Nick Ormerod in 1981. In addition to his Cheek by Jowl productions, Donnellan has made the ...

and the Cottesloe Theatre production starred

Alun Armstrong Alan Armstrong (born 17 July 1946), known professionally as Alun Armstrong, is an English character actor. He grew up in County Durham in North East England, and first became interested in acting through Shakespeare productions at his grammar ...

as Todd and

Julia McKenzie Julia Kathleen Nancy McKenzie (born 17 February 1941) is an English actress, singer, presenter, and theatre director. She has premièred leading roles written by both Alan Ayckbourn and Stephen Sondheim. On television, she is known for her BAFT ...

as Mrs. Lovett, with

Adrian Lester Adrian Anthony Lester (born Anthony Harvey on 14 August 1968) is a British actor. He is the recipient of a Laurence Olivier Award, an Evening Standard Theatre Award and a Critics' Circle Theatre Award for his work on the London stage, an ...

as Anthony, Barry James as Beadle Bamford and

(who had originated the title role in the original London production in 1980) as Judge Turpin. When the show transferred to the Lyttleton, Quilley and

Christopher Benjamin Christopher Benjamin may refer to: * Christopher Benjamin (actor) Christopher John Benjamin (27 December 1934 – 10 January 2025) was an English actor with many stage and television credits from 1958 to 2016. He played Henry Gordon Jago in ...

took over the roles of Todd and Turpin respectively. Sondheim praised Donnellan for his small "chamber" approach to the show. The production received Olivier Awards for Best Musical Revival, Best Actor in a Musical (Armstrong) and Best Actress in a Musical (McKenzie), and Best Director Of A Musical for Donnellan. Adrian Lester and Barry James received nominations in the category of Best Supporting Performance In a Musical for their portrayals of Anthony and Beadle Bamford respectively. In 1994,

East West Players East West Players is an Asian American theatre organization in Los Angeles, founded in 1965. As the nation's first professional Asian American theatre organization, East West Players continues to produce works and educational programs that give ...

in Los Angeles staged the show directed by Tim Dang, featuring a largely Asian Pacific American cast. It was also the first time the show had been presented in an intimate house (Equity 99-seat).

, the original 2023 Sweeney Todd, saw that production. The production received 5 Ovation Awards including the Franklin Levy Award for Best Musical (Smaller Theatre) and Best Director (Musical) for Dang. On April 5, 1995, it premiered in Catalan at the theater Poliorama of Barcelona (later moving to the Apollo), in a production of the Drama Centre of the Government of Catalonia. The libretto was adapted by Roser Batalla Roger Pena, and was directed by Mario Gas. The cast consisted of

Constantino Romero Constantino Romero García (29 May 1947 – 12 May 2013) was a Spanish actor and presenter. Due to his deep voice, he was most known for dubbing into Spanish and Catalan other actors like Clint Eastwood, James Earl Jones and Arnold Schwarzenegge ...

as Sweeney Todd,

Vicky Peña Maria Victòria Peña Carulla (born 11 January 1954) better known as Vicky Peña is a Spanish actress. She is one of the most important voice actors in Catalan and Spanish. Family and early life She is the daughter of the actors Felip Peña ...

as Mrs. Lovett, Maria Josep Peris as Johanna, Muntsa Rius as Tobias, Pep Molina as Anthony, Xavier Ribera-Vall as Judge Turpin & Teresa Vallicrosa as The Beggar Woman. It later moved to Madrid. The show received over fifteen awards. The 1997

Finnish National Opera The Finnish National Opera and Ballet (; ) is a Finnish opera company and ballet company based in Helsinki. It is headquartered in the Opera House on the coast of the Töölönlahti bay in Töölö, which opened in 1993, and is state-owned throu ...

production premiered on September 19, 1997. Directed by Staffan Aspegren and starting Sauli Tiilikainen (Sweeney Todd) and Ritva Auvinen (Mrs. Lovett). Translated by

Juice Leskinen Juhani Juice Leskinen (born Pauli Matti Juhani Leskinen; 19 February 1950 – 24 November 2006), better known as Juice Leskinen ( as if the word ''juice'' were Finnish) was one of the most important and successful Finnish singer-songwriters of ...

2002–2010

As part of the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, is the national cultural center of the United States, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Opened on September 8, ...

Sondheim Celebration, ''Sweeney Todd'' ran in May and June 2002 at the Eisenhower Theatre, starring

Brian Stokes Mitchell Brian Stokes Mitchell (born October 31, 1957) is an American actor and singer. A powerful baritone, he has been one of the central leading men of the Broadway theater since the 1990s. He has received numerous accolades including a Tony Award, a ...

as Sweeney Todd and

Christine Baranski Christine Jane Baranski (born May 2, 1952) is an American actress. She received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Maryann Thorpe in the sitcom ''Cybill'' (1995–1998). Baranski is als ...

as Mrs. Lovett, with

Hugh Panaro Hugh Panaro (born February 19, 1964) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his work in Broadway stage musicals, most well known for his role in ''The Phantom of the Opera'' being in over 2,000 performances in the Broadway producti ...

as Anthony,

Walter Charles Walter Charles (born Walter Charles Jacobsen; April 4, 1945 – August 3, 2023) was an American actor and singer. Charles made his Broadway debut in '' Grease'' in 1972. Additional Broadway credits include '' 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue'' (1976), '' ...

(anoriginal cast member), as Judge Turpin,

Celia Keenan-Bolger Celia Keenan-Bolger (born January 26, 1978) is an American actress and singer. She won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for portraying Scout Finch in the play ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' (2018). She has also been Tony-nominated f ...

as Johanna and

Mary Beth Peil Mary Beth Peil (; born June 25, 1940) is an American actress and soprano. She began her career as an opera singer in 1962 with the Goldovsky Opera Theater. In 1964 she won two major singing competitions, the Young Concert Artists Internation ...

as The Beggar Woman. It was directed by

Christopher Ashley Christopher Ashley (born July 6, 1964) is an American stage director. Since 2007, he has been the artistic director of La Jolla Playhouse. Career Ashley graduated from Yale University in 1986, with a Bachelor of Art in Theatre.John Doyle directed the musical at the

Watermill Theatre The Watermill Theatre is a producing theatre in Bagnor, Berkshire. It opened in 1967 in Bagnor Mill, a converted watermill on the River Lambourn. As a producing house, the theatre has staged works that have subsequently moved on to the West E ...

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. 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. In early 2006, the production toured the UK with

Jason Donovan Jason Sean Donovan (born 1 June 1968) is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap ''Neighbours'', playing Scott Robinson, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 millio ...

as Todd and

Harriet Thorpe Harriet Amelia Thorpe (born 8 June 1957) is an English actress. Thorpe trained at London's Central School of Speech and Drama. She is known for her roles in the British sitcoms '' The Brittas Empire'' (1991–1997) and ''Absolutely Fabulous'' ( ...

as Mrs. Lovett. David Shannon starred as Todd in production of the show at the

Gate Theatre The Gate Theatre is a theatre on Cavendish Row in Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1928. History Beginnings The Gate Theatre was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammóir with Daisy Bannard Cogley and Gearóid Ó Lochla ...

in Dublin, Ireland, which ran from April through June 2007. The production employed a minimalistic approach: the cast consisted of a small ensemble of 14 performers, and the orchestra was a seven-piece band. The look of the production was abstract. ''The Sunday Times'' wrote that "The black backdrop of David Farley's rough hewn set and the stark minimalism of Rick Fisher's lighting suggest a self-conscious edginess, with Shannon's stylised make-up, long leather coat and brooding countenance only adding to the feeling." When a character died, flour was poured over them. The 2008 Gothenburg production played in May and June at

The Göteborg Opera The Gothenburg opera house () is an opera house at Lilla Bommen in Gothenburg, Sweden. The Artistic Director for opera is Henning Ruhe since 2019, while Katrín Hall leads the ballet and dance company. History The Gothenburg opera house is re ...

. The show was a collaboration with West End International Ltd. The cast featured Michael McCarthy as Sweeney Todd and

Rosemary Ashe Rosemary Elizabeth Ashe (born 28 March 1953) is an English stage actress and singer. Early life and training She was born to Philip Stephen Ashe and Dorothy May (née Watts). She attended Lowestoft Grammar School before studying at the Royal A ...

as Mrs Lovett and David Shannon this time as Anthony. An equity tour of the UK and Ireland began in. To disassociate itself from West End backlash at the time regarding stunt casting, the tour was cast through an open call audition process. It ran for 8 months, starring Barry Howell as Sweeney Todd and Isabell Wyer as Mrs. Lovett. In 2010, fifty members of the

National Youth Music Theatre The National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) is an arts organisation in the United Kingdom providing pre-professional education and musical theatre stage experience for young people. Based in London, it is constituted as a private limited company (or ...

staged a production at the Village Underground as part of Stephen Sondheim's 80th birthday celebrations in London. Directed by Martin Constantine, NYMT staged the show in a converted Victorian warehouse in the city's East End. The company revived the show in 2011 for the International Youth Arts Festival at the

Rose Theatre The Rose was an Elizabethan playhouse, built by theatre entrepreneur Philip Henslowe in 1587. It was the fifth public playhouse to be built in London, after the Red Lion in Whitechapel (1567), The Theatre (1576) and the Curtain (1577), both i ...

Kingston upon Thames Kingston upon Thames, colloquially known as Kingston, is a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, south-west London, England. It is situated on the River Thames, south-west of Charing Cross. It is an ancient market town, notable as ...

2011–2015

A production opened in April 2011 at the

Théâtre du Châtelet The Théâtre du Châtelet () is a theatre and opera house, located in the place du Châtelet in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. One of two theatres (the other being the Théâtre de la Ville) built on the site of a ''châtelet'', a ...

(Paris), which had produced the first Sondheim show in France (''A Little Night Music''). The director was Lee Blakeley with choreography by Lorena Randi and designs by Tanya McAllin. The cast featured

Rod Gilfry Rodney Gilfry is a leading American operatic baritone. After launching his career at Frankfurt Opera in 1987, Gilfry quickly established a reputation for stylish singing and acting. A renowned Mozart specialist, he has given acclaimed performan ...

and Franco Pomponi (Sweeney Todd) and Caroline O'Connor (Mrs Lovett). The Lyric Stage Company of Boston produced a run in September and October 2014 with the company's Artistic Director Spiro Veloudos directing the show. The cast starred Christopher Chew as Sweeney Todd and Amelia Broome as Mrs. Lovett. Quebec City-based Théâtre Décibel produced the first French-language production of the show. Translated by Joëlle Bond and directed by Louis Morin, the show played from October 28 to November 8, 2014, at the Capitole de Québec. The cast includes Renaud Paradis as Sweeney Todd and Katee Julien as Mrs. Lovett. Washington D.C.'s Landless Theatre Company orchestrates a prog metal version of ''Sweeney Todd''. The production played at DC's Warehouse Theatre in August 2014, directed by Melissa Baughman with music direction by Charles W. Johnson and prog metal orchestration by The Fleet Street Collective (Andrew Lloyd Baughman, Spencer Blevins, Charles Johnson, Lance LaRue, Ray Shaw, Alex Vallejo, Andrew Siddle). The cast featured metal band front singers

Nina Osegueda A Sound of Thunder is an American heavy metal band from the Washington D.C. metro area, United States. This four piece band is known for its varying styles of musical composition, powerful female vocals, and energetic live shows. History Ba ...

(

A Sound of Thunder "A Sound of Thunder" is a science fiction short story by American writer Ray Bradbury, first published in ''Collier's'' magazine on June 28, 1952, and later in Bradbury's 1953 collection '' The Golden Apples of the Sun''. Plot summary In the y ...

) as Mrs. Lovett, Andrew Lloyd Baughman ( Diamond Dead) as Sweeney Todd, Rob Bradley (Aries and Thrillkiller) as Pirelli, and Irene Jericho ( Cassandra Syndrome) as Beggar Woman. The show received three 2015

Helen Hayes Awards The Helen Hayes Awards are theater awards recognizing excellence in professional theater in the Washington, D.C. area since 1983. The awards are named in tribute of Helen Hayes, who is also known as the "First Lady of American Theatre." They ar ...

nominations for Best Musical, Outstanding Director of a Musical (Melissa Baughman), and Outstanding Music Director (Charles W. Johnson). The adaptation was revived by Landless Theatre in 2023 with Osegueda, Baughman, and Bradley reprising their roles. In 2015 the

Welsh National Opera Welsh National Opera (WNO) () is an opera company based in Cardiff, Wales. WNO gave its first performances in 1946. The company began as a mainly amateur body and transformed into an all-professional ensemble by 1973. In its early days, the ...

and

Wales Millennium Centre Wales Millennium Centre () is Wales' national arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on ...

produced a co-production with

West Yorkshire Playhouse Leeds Playhouse is a theatre in the city centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It opened in 1990 in the Quarry Hill area of the city as the West Yorkshire Playhouse, successor to the original Leeds Playhouse, and was rebranded in June 2018 ...

and the Royal Exchange Manchester as part of the WNO's "Madness" season. Directed by James Brining and designed by Colin Richmond, the production was set in the 1970/80s, and was performed in Cardiff before touring to Southampton, Bristol, Llandudno, Oxford, Liverpool, Birmingham before returning to Cardiff. It was based on Brining's previous smaller productions from Dundee Rep in 2010, West Yorkshire Playhouse and Royal Exchange Manchester in 2013. The cast included David Arnsperger as Sweeney Todd, Janis Kelly as Mrs. Lovett, and

Jamie Muscato Jamie Muscato (born 12 April 1990) is an English actor and singer. Muscato is best known for his portrayal of Jason Dean (J.D.) in the original London run of '' Heathers: The Musical'' in 2018. He has starred in several other West End productio ...

as Anthony.

Pieter Toerien Pieter Toerien (born 1942) is a South African producer and theatre manager, responsible for bringing many large scale musicals to South African stages, including ''Cats'', Disney's ''Beauty and the Beast'', ''The Lion King'' and '' Phantom o ...

and KickstArt produced the show at the Pieter Toerien Monte Casino Theatre in Johannesburg from October to December 2015, before transferring to the Theatre on the Bay in Cape Town from February to April 2016. Directed by Steven Stead and designed by Greg King, the production starred

Jonathan Roxmouth Jonathan Roxmouth (born 25 February 1987) is a South African Musical theatre, musical theater actor and singer, best known for his role as the Phantom in several productions of ''The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical), The Phantom of the Opera'' ...

(Sweeney Todd) and Charon Williams-Ros (Mrs Lovett).

2015–2017 Australasia, London and off-Broadway

In 2015,

Victorian Opera Victorian Opera is an opera company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The company was founded in 2005 by the Victorian Government as a replacement for the Victoria State Opera. It commenced operations in January 2006 with Richard Gill a ...

's production was performed at the Melbourne Arts Centre. The production was revived for New Zealand Opera in 2016, visiting

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

and

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

. The production starred

Teddy Tahu Rhodes Teddy Tahu Rhodes (born 30 August 1966) is a New Zealand-born operatic baritone based in Australia. He has performed at opera houses in New Zealand, Australia, San Francisco, Houston, Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington, New York City and throughou ...

as Sweeney Todd and

Antoinette Halloran Antoinette Halloran is an Australian operatic soprano. Education Antoinette Halloran grew up in the Melbourne suburbs of Rosanna and Deer Park.Kanen Breen as Beadle Bamford.

Cameron Mackintosh Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh (born 17 October 1946) is a British theatrical producer and theatre owner notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "t ...

produced a London transfer of the Tooting Arts Club production that had a tryout at Harrington's Pie Shop in

Tooting Tooting is a district in South London, forming part of the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is located south south-west of Charing Cross. History Tooting has been settled since pre-Anglo-Saxons, Saxon times. The name is of Anglo-Saxon ori ...

, London in October and November 2014. This production was set at a pie shop recreated in

Shaftesbury Avenue Shaftesbury Avenue is a major road in the West End of London, named after The 7th Earl of Shaftesbury. It runs north-easterly from Piccadilly Circus to New Oxford Street, crossing Charing Cross Road at Cambridge Circus. From Piccadill ...

and ran from March 19 to May 16, 2015. The cast included

Jeremy Secomb Jeremy Secomb (born in 1972) is an Australian actor and tenor singer. He is most well known for his various West End credits and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for starring in the Off-Broadway revival of '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barbe ...

as Sweeney Todd, Siobhán McCarthy as Mrs. Lovett,

Nadim Naaman Nadim Naaman (born 12 August 1985) is a British actor, singer, playwright, and composer. He is known for his work in musical theatre. Early life Naaman was born in London to a Lebanese father and a British mother who had met in Dubai. Naaman att ...

as Anthony, Ian Mowat as the Beadle, Duncan Smith as the Judge, Kiara Jay as Pirelli and the Beggar Woman, Joseph Taylor as Tobias and Zoe Doano as Johanna. The Tooting Arts Club production transferred

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

, transforming the

Barrow Street Theatre Barrow Street Theatre is the name of both a 199-seat Off-Broadway theatre located in New York City's historic Greenwich house, Greenwich House at 27 Barrow Street and a production company of the same name. From 2003 to 2018, the venue was leased ...

into a re-creation of Harrington's pie shop. Previews began February 14, 2017, before an opening on March 1. It was also directed by Bill Buckhurst, designed by Simon Kenny and produced by Rachel Edwards, Jenny Gersten, Seaview Productions and Nate Koch in association with Barrow Street Theatre. The cast featured four members of the London cast: Secomb as Todd, McCarthy as Mrs. Lovett, Duncan Smith as the Judge and Taylor as Tobias, alongside

Brad Oscar Brad Oscar (born September 22, 1964) is an American musical theatre actor, known for his Broadway theatre, Broadway performances in musicals such as ''The Producers (musical), The Producers'', ''Something Rotten!'', ''Big Fish (musical), Big Fis ...

as the Beadle, Betsy Morgan as Pirelli and the Beggar Woman, Matt Doyle as Anthony and Alex Finke as Johanna. From April, replacements included

Norm Lewis Norm Lewis (born June 2, 1963) is an American actor and baritone singer. He has appeared on Broadway and in London's West End, film, television, recordings and regional theatre. He is also noted for his wide vocal range. Lewis was the second ...

as Todd,

Carolee Carmello Carolee Carmello is an American actress best known for her performances in Broadway musicals and for playing the role of Maple LaMarsh on the television series '' Remember WENN'' (1996–1998). She is a three-time Tony Award nominee and a five ...

as Mrs. Lovett and Jamie Jackson as Turpin. Later replacements included

as Todd,

Sally Ann Triplett Sally Ann Triplett (born 15 April 1962, London, England) is a British singer and actress. She participated in two editions of the Eurovision Song Contest and West End productions. Career Triplett first represented the United Kingdom in the Eu ...

as Johanna and

Matt Leisy Matthew Rhys "Matt" Leisy is a British-American theatre, television, and film actor. Biography and training Matt Leisy was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He grew up in Surrey, England. He attended the American Boychoir School and high school at ...

as Beadle Bamford. The production closed on August 26, 2018.

2018–present

Valtru produced the first Mexican production of ''Sweeney Todd''. Opened on July 7, 2018, at the Foro Cultural Coyoacanense's starring Lupita Sandoval and Beto Torres. In June 2019, a limited run of the production was presented by ''Life Like Company'' at

Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne Her Majesty's Theatre is a 1,700-seat theatre in Melbourne's East End Theatre District, Australia. Built in 1886, it is located at 219 Exhibition Street, Melbourne. It is classified by the National Trust of Australia and is listed on the Vict ...

and Darling Harbour Theatre, ICC Sydney. It starred

Anthony Warlow Anthony Warlow (born 18 November 1961) is an Australian musical theatre performer, noted for his character acting and considerable vocal range. He is a classically trained lyric baritone and made his debut with the Australian Opera in 1980. ...

as Sweeney Todd,

Gina Riley Gina Riley (born 6 May 1961) is a retired Australian actress, writer, singer and comedian, known for portraying Kim Craig in the television series '' Kath & Kim'', and for her work in musical theatre. Career Television and film Riley became a ...

as Mrs. Lovett,

Debra Byrne Debra Anne Byrne (born 30 March 1957), formerly billed as Debbie Byrne, is an Australian pop singer, variety entertainer, theatre and TV actress and writer, director and choreographer of cabaret. From April 1971 to March 1975 she was a founding ...

as the Beggar Woman and Michael Falzon as Pirelli. Produced by Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group and directed by Bobby Garcia with musical direction by

Gerard Salonga Gerard Imutan Salonga (born October 11, 1973) is a Filipino musical conductor, composer, and arranger. From 2012 to 2020, he was the music director of the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra, assistant conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orches ...

, it starred

Jett Pangan Reginald Jose Pangan (born June 21, 1968), better known as Jett Pangan, is a Filipino actor and musician best known for fronting the Filipino rock bands the Dawn, and the now defunct, the Jett Pangan Group. He is also an actor, appearing in s ...

as Sweeney Todd,

Lea Salonga Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga, ( ; born February 22, 1971) is a Filipino singer and actress. Known primarily for her work in theatre, she has starred in musicals on Broadway and in the West End. Her accolades include a Tony Award and a L ...

as Mrs. Lovett, with Gerald Santos as Anthony and

Nyoy Volante Niño del Mar Coching Volante (born January 25, 1978), better known as Nyoy Volante (), is a Filipino acoustic pop singer-songwriter and actor. Early life and education Nyoy Volante was born as Niño del Mar Coching Volante on January 25, 1978 ...

as Pirelli. The production debuted in October 2019 at The Theater at Solaire.

Opera house productions

The first opera company to mount ''Sweeney Todd'' was the

Houston Grand Opera Houston Grand Opera (HGO) is an American opera company located in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1955 by German-born impresario Walter Herbert and three local Houstonians,Giesberg, Robert I., Carl Cunningham, and Alan Rich. ''Houston Grand Opera at ...

in a production directed by Hal Prince, which ran from June 14, 1984, through June 24, 1984, for a total of 10 performances. Conducted by

John DeMain John DeMain is an American conductor who serves as music director of the Madison Symphony Orchestra in Madison, Wisconsin, Wisconsin, as well as serving as artistic director of Madison Opera. He was music director and principal conductor of Houst ...

, the production used scenic designs by Eugene Lee, costume designs by

, and lighting designs by

. The cast included

Timothy Nolen Timothy Nolen (July 9, 1941 – August 31, 2023) was an American actor and baritone who had an active career in operas, musicals, concerts, plays, and on television for over four decades. He was the second actor to play the title role in Andre ...

in the title role,

Joyce Castle Joyce Castle (born Lillian Joyce Malicky, on January 17, 1939, in Beaumont, Texas) is an American mezzo-soprano who has had an active opera career for the last four decades. She earned degrees in music from The University of Kansas and the Eastman ...

as Mrs. Lovett, Cris Groenendaal as Anthony, Lee Merrill as Johanna, Will Roy as Judge Turpin, and Barry Busse as The Beadle. In 1984 the show was presented by the

New York City Opera The New York City Opera (NYCO) is an American opera company located in Manhattan in New York City. The company has been active from 1943 through its 2013 bankruptcy, and again since 2016 when it was revived. The opera company, dubbed "the peopl ...

. Hal Prince recreated the staging using the simplified set of the 2nd national tour. It was well received and most performances sold out. It was brought back for limited runs in 1986 and 2004. Notably the 2004 production starred

Mark Delavan Mark Delavan is an American operatic bass-baritone. He was a national finalist of the Metropolitan Opera auditions and an Adler Fellow with the San Francisco Opera. Early life His mother was a soprano and his father was an Opera singer, cond ...

and

Elaine Paige Dame Elaine Jill Paige (born Elaine Jill Bickerstaff, 5 March 1948) is an English singer and actress, best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Chipping Barnet, Barnet, Hertfordshire, Paige attended the Aida Foster Theatre School, m ...

. The show was also performed by

Opera North Opera North is an English opera company based in Leeds. The company's home theatre is the Leeds Grand Theatre, but it also presents regular seasons in several other cities, at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, the Lowry Centre, Salford Quays a ...

in 1998 in the UK starring Steven Page and Beverley Klein, directed by

David McVicar Sir David McVicar (born 1966) is a Scottish opera and theatre director. Biography McVicar was born in Glasgow in 1966. He studied as an actor at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, graduating in 1989. In 2007, ''The Independent'' ra ...

and conducted by James Holmes. In the early 2000s, ''Sweeney Todd'' gained acceptance with opera companies throughout the United States, Canada, Japan, Germany,

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

, Spain, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Australia.

Bryn Terfel Bryn Terfel Jones (; born 9 November 1965), is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially primarily associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly '' Figaro'', '' Leporello'' and ''Don Giovanni,'' but he has subsequ ...

, the popular Welsh

bass-baritone A bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing three ...

, performed the title role at

Lyric Opera of Chicago Lyric Opera of Chicago is an American opera company based in Chicago, Illinois. The company was founded in Chicago in 1954, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox (Chicago opera), Carol Fox, Nicola Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, w ...

in 2002, with Judith Christian, David Cangelosi,

, Bonaventura Bottone, Celena Shaffer and

Nathan Gunn Nathan T. Gunn (born November 26, 1970, in South Bend, Indiana) is an American operatic baritone who performs regularly around the world. He is an alumnus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where he is currently a professor of voice ...

. It was performed at the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...

in London as part of the Royal Opera season (December 2003 – January 2004) starring Sir

Thomas Allen Thomas Allen may refer to: Clergy *Thomas Allen (nonconformist) (1608–1673), Anglican/nonconformist priest in England and New England *Thomas Allen (dean of Chester) (died 1732) *Thomas Allen (scholar) (1681–1755), Anglican priest in England * ...

as Todd,

Felicity Palmer Dame Felicity Joan Palmer, (born 6 April 1944), is an English mezzo-soprano and music professor. She sang soprano roles until 1983. Palmer was born in Cheltenham and educated at Erith Grammar School, now named Erith School. She studied at the ...

as Mrs. Lovett and a supporting cast that included

Rosalind Plowright Rosalind Anne Plowright (born 21 May 1949) is an English opera singer who spent much of her career as a soprano but in 1999 changed to the mezzo-soprano range. Life and career Rosalind Plowright was born in Worksop and studied at the Royal ...

Robert Tear Robert Tear, CBE (8 March 1939 – 29 March 2011) was a Welsh tenor singer, teacher and conductor. He first became known singing in the operas of Benjamin Britten in the mid-1960s. From the 1970s until his retirement in 1999 his main operati ...

and Jonathan Veira as Judge Turpin. The Finnish National Opera performed Sweeney Todd in 1997–98. The Israeli National Opera has performed ''Sweeney Todd'' twice. The Icelandic Opera performed Sweeney Todd in the fall of 2004, the first time in

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

. On September 12, 2015, ''Sweeney Todd'' opened at the

San Francisco Opera The San Francisco Opera (SFO) is an American opera company founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola (1881–1953) based in San Francisco, California. History Gaetano Merola (1923–1953) Merola's road to prominence in the Bay Area began in 1906 wh ...

with

Brian Mulligan Brian Mulligan is an American operatic baritone who has performed in major opera houses and concert halls all over the world. Mulligan's diverse repertoire currently includes over 60 roles in seven languages. He regularly performs the standard wor ...

as Todd,

Stephanie Blythe Stephanie Blythe (born 1970) is an American mezzo-soprano who has had an active international career in operas and concerts since the early 1990s. She is particularly associated with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, with whom she has perfo ...

as Mrs. Lovett, Matthew Grills as Tobias, Heidi Stober as Johanna, Elliot Madore as Anthony and

Elizabeth Futral Susan Elizabeth Futral (born September 27, 1963 in Johnston County, North Carolina Johnston County, officially the County of Johnston, is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 215,99 ...

as the Beggar Woman/Lucy. In 2019, ''Sweeney Todd'' opened at the

Copenhagen Opera House The Copenhagen Opera House (in Danish usually called Operaen, literally ''The opera'') is the national opera house of Denmark, and among the most modern opera houses in the world. It is also one of the most expensive opera houses ever built at a ...

Concert productions

A "Reprise!" Concert version was performed at Los Angeles'

Ahmanson Theatre The Ahmanson Theatre is one of the four main venues that compose the Los Angeles Music Center. Shows at this theater are produced by Center Theatre Group. History The theatre was built as a result of a donation from Howard F. Ahmanson Sr, the ...

on March 12–14, 1999 with

Kelsey Grammer Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is an American actor and producer. He gained fame for his role as the psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1984–1993) and its spin-off ''Frasier'' (1993–2004, and again F ...

as Todd,

as Mrs. Lovett,

Davis Gaines Davis Gaines (born January 21, 1954, Orlando, Florida) is an American stage actor and baritone. He has performed as The Phantom in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical ''The Phantom of the Opera'' over 2,000 times, on Broadway, on tour, in Los Angele ...

as Anthony,

Neil Patrick Harris Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received List of awards and nominations ...

as Tobias,

Melissa Manchester Melissa Manchester (born February 15, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Since the 1970s, her songs have been played by adult contemporary radio stations. She has also appeared on television, in films, and on stage. Early li ...

as The Beggar Woman, Roland Rusinek as The Beadle, Dale Kristien as Johanna and

Ken Howard Kenneth Joseph Howard Jr. (March 28, 1944 – March 23, 2016) was an American actor. He was known for his roles as Thomas Jefferson in ''1776'' (1972) and as high school basketball coach and former Chicago Bulls player Ken Reeves in the televisi ...

as Judge Turpin. London's

Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London, England. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a G ...

hosted two performances on February 13, 2000, starring

as Todd,

as Mrs. Lovett, and

as Anthony. A 4-day concert took place in July 2007 at the same venue with

Maria Friedman Maria Friedman ( Freedman; born 19 March 1960) is a British actress and director, best known for her work in musical theatre. She is an eight-time Laurence Olivier Award nominee, winning three. Her first win was for her 1994 one-woman show, ' ...

Daniel Boys Daniel Boys (born 26 March 1979) is an English actor. He starred in the West End productions of the musicals ''Rent'' and ''Grease'' before being a 2007 contestant on the BBC talent series '' Any Dream Will Do''. Boys went on to star in many ...

and

Philip Quast Philip Mark Quast (born 30 July 1957) is an Australian actor and bass-baritone singer. He has won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical three times, making him the first actor to have three wins in that category. He is perhap ...

. Director

Lonny Price Lonny Price (born March 9, 1959) is an American director, actor, and writer, primarily in theatre. He is best known for his New York directing work, including ''Sunset Boulevard'', '' Sweeney Todd'', ''Company'', and ''Sondheim! The Birthday Co ...

directed a semi-staged concert production of "Sweeney Todd in Concert" on May 4–6, 2000 at

Avery Fisher Hall David Geffen Hall is a concert hall at Lincoln Center on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. The 2,200-seat auditorium opened in 1962, and is the home of the New York Philharmonic. The facility, designed by Max Abramovitz, was o ...

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...

, New York with the

. The cast included

(a last-minute substitute for

) in the title role, alongside

(Mrs. Lovett),

(Tobias), Davis Gaines (Anthony),

John Aler John Aler (October 4, 1949 – December 10, 2022) was an American lyric tenor who performed in concerts, recitals, and operas. He was particularly known for his interpretations of the works of Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini, and Handel. Bi ...

Paul Plishka Paul Plishka (August 28, 1941 – February 3, 2025) was an American operatic bass based at the Metropolitan Opera (Met) in New York City where he appeared first in 1967 and last in 2018, in 88 roles and 1672 performances. He also sang at leading ...

, Heidi Grant Murphy (Johanna),

Stanford Olsen Stanford Olsen (born 1960) is an American tenor who has had an active international career in operas and concerts since 1983. He has sung with several of the world's leading opera companies, including the Deutsche Oper Berlin, La Scala and the Roya ...

(Pirelli) and

Audra McDonald Audra Ann McDonald (born July 3, 1970) is an American singer and actress. Primarily known for her work on the Broadway stage, she has won six Tony Awards, more performance wins than any other actor, and is the only person to win in all four acti ...

(Beggar-Woman/Lucy). This concert also played in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

, from July 19–21, 2001, with the

San Francisco Symphony The San Francisco Symphony, founded in 1911, is an American orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980 the orchestra has been resident at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall in the city's Hayes Valley, San Francisco, Hayes Valley ne ...

. Hearn and LuPone were joined once again by Harris, Gaines, Aler and Olsen as well as new additions

Victoria Clark Victoria Clark (born October 10, 1959) is an American actress, musical theatre soprano, and director. Clark has performed in numerous Broadway musicals and in other theatre, film and television works. Her voice can also be heard on various cas ...

Lisa Vroman Lisa Vroman (born 1956) is an American lyric soprano and stage actress. Vroman's mother and stepfather teach music, and her father was a singer. She graduated from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam in 1979. She earned a master of fin ...

and Timothy Nolen. This production was taped for

and broadcast in 2001, and won the

for Outstanding Classical Music-Dance Program. The same production played at the

Ravinia Festival Ravinia Festival is a primarily outdoor music venue in Highland Park, Illinois. It hosts a series of outdoor concerts and performances every summer from June to September in a wide variety of musical genres from classical to pop. The first orche ...

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

on August 24, 2001, with most of the cast from the preceding concerts, except for Plishka and Clark, who were replaced by

Sherrill Milnes Sherrill Milnes (born January 10, 1935) is an American dramatic baritone most famous for his Verdi roles. From 1965 until 1997 he was associated with the Metropolitan Opera. His voice is a high dramatic baritone, combining good legato with an in ...

and Hollis Resnik. In 2014, Price directed a new concert production, returning to

with the

on March 5–8 with

as Todd,

Emma Thompson Dame Emma Thompson (born 15 April 1959) is a British actress and screenwriter. Emma Thompson on screen and stage, Her work spans over four decades of screen and stage, and List of awards and nominations received by Emma Thompson, her accola ...

as Mrs. Lovett,

as Judge Turpin,

Jeff Blumenkrantz Jeff Blumenkrantz (born June 3, 1965) is an American actor, composer and lyricist. Born in Long Branch, New Jersey, Blumenkrantz is a graduate of Northwestern University School of Communication. His stage credits include roles in the Broadway pr ...

as The Beadle,

Christian Borle Christian Dominique Borle (born October 1, 1973) is an American actor and singer. He is a two-time Tony Award winner for his roles as Black Stache in '' Peter and the Starcatcher'' and as William Shakespeare in '' Something Rotten!''. Borle als ...

as Pirelli, Kyle Brenn as Tobias, Jay Armstrong Johnson as Anthony,

Erin Mackey Erin Ashley Mackey (born June 19, 1986) is an American stage actress and singer, known for playing the role of Glinda in the Chicago, Los Angeles, Broadway, and Second National Tour productions of the musical ''Wicked''. She was also a double i ...

as Johanna and

and Bryonha Marie Parham sharing the role of The Beggar Woman. McDonald was not announced as the Beggar Woman: she was a surprise, her name only being revealed at the time of the first performance. On the Saturday performances, Bryonha Marie Parham played the role of the Beggar Woman, while McDonald played it at the other performances. The concert was again filmed for broadcast on

as part of their

Live from Lincoln Center ''Live from Lincoln Center'' was a seventeen-time Emmy Award-winning series that broadcast notable performances from the Lincoln Center in New York City on PBS starting 1976. The program aired between six and nine times per season. Episodes of '' ...

series and was first aired on September 26, 2014. The production was nominated for three

s, winning one for Outstanding Special Class Program. This production transferred to London

Coliseum Theatre The London Coliseum (also known as the Coliseum Theatre) is a theatre in St Martin's Lane, Westminster, built as one of London's largest and most luxurious "family" variety theatres. Opened on 24 December 1904 as the London Coliseum Theatre ...

for 13 performances from March 30 through April 12, 2015. The cast included original members like Terfel, Thompson and Quast, as well as new actors like

John Owen-Jones John Owen-Jones (born 5 May 1971) is a Welsh musical theatre actor and singer, best known for his portrayals of Jean Valjean in Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schönberg's ''Les Misérables'' and The Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's ''The Ph ...

and

Rosalie Craig Rosalie Mae Craig (born May 30, 1980) is an English actress, noted for her performances in musical theatre. In 2013, she received her first major award, a London Evening Standard Award for Best Performance in a Musical. Life and career Craig ...

Film adaptation

A feature film adaptation of ''Sweeney Todd'', directed by

Tim Burton Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and producer. Known for popularizing Goth subculture, Goth culture in the American film industry, Burton is famous for his Gothic film, gothic horror and dark fantasy films. ...

with a screenplay by John Logan, was released on December 21, 2007. It stars

Johnny Depp John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Johnny Depp, multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for ...

as Todd (Depp received an

Oscar nomination The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...

and a

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...

for his performance),

Helena Bonham Carter Helena Bonham Carter (born 26 May 1966) is an English actress. Known for her roles in Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters and independent films, particularly period dramas, List of awards and nominations received by Helena Bonham Carter ...

as Mrs. Lovett,

Alan Rickman Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor and director. Known for his distinctive deep, wikt:languid#Etymology 1, languid voice, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and b ...

as Judge Turpin,

Sacha Baron Cohen Sacha Noam Baron Cohen ( ; born 13 October 1971) is an English comedian, actor and performance artist. Known for his creation and portrayal of the fictional satirical characters Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard, and Admiral General Haf ...

as Signor Pirelli,

Jamie Campbell Bower James Metcalfe Campbell Bower (born 22 November 1988) is an English actor and singer. He made his feature film debut in 2007 with a supporting role in '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street''. He went on to feature in '' The Twilight ...

as Anthony Hope,

Laura Michelle Kelly Laura Michelle Kelly (born 4 March 1981) is an English actress and singer, best known for originating the roles of Mary Poppins in ''Mary Poppins'' in the West End, for which she received the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical, and ...

as The Beggar Woman,

Jayne Wisener Jayne Wisener (born 19 May 1987) is an actress and singer from Northern Ireland. She played Johanna Barker, Johanna in the British-American film ''Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007 film), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet ...

as Johanna,

Ed Sanders Edward Sanders (born August 17, 1939) is an American poet, singer, activist, author, publisher and longtime member of the rock band the Fugs. He has been called a bridge between the Beat and hippie generations. Sanders is considered to have bee ...

as Tobias, and

Timothy Spall Timothy Leonard Spall ( ; born 27 February 1957) is an English actor. He gained recognition for his character actor roles on stage and screen. In 2000, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II. S ...

as Beadle Bamford. The film was well received by critics and theatregoers and also won the

Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy The Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy is a Golden Globe Award that has been awarded annually since 1952 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). Eligibility Eligible films must be at least 70 minutes in ...

Themes

Stephen Sondheim believed that ''Sweeney Todd'' is a story of revenge and how it consumes a vengeful person. He asserted, "what the show is really about is obsession". Unlike most previous representations of the story, the musical avoids a simplistic view of devilish crimes. Instead, the characters' "emotional and psychological depths" are examined, so that Sweeney Todd is understood as a victim as well as a perpetrator in the "great black pit" of humanity.

Musical analysis

Sondheim's score is one of his most complex, with

orchestration Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra (or, more loosely, for any musical ensemble, such as a concert band) or of adapting music composed for another medium for an orchestra. Also called "instrumentation", orch ...

s by his long-time collaborator

. Relying heavily on

counterpoint In music theory, counterpoint is the relationship of two or more simultaneous musical lines (also called voices) that are harmonically dependent on each other, yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. The term originates from the Latin ...

and angular harmonies, its compositional style has been compared to

Maurice Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...

Sergei Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''. , group=n ( – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor who l ...

, and

Bernard Herrmann Bernard Herrmann (born Maximillian Herman; June 29, 1911December 24, 1975) was an American composer and conductor best known for his work in film scoring. As a conductor, he championed the music of lesser-known composers. He is widely regarde ...

. Sondheim also utilizes the ancient " Dies irae" in the ballad that runs throughout the score, later heard in a

melodic inversion In music theory, an inversion is a rearrangement of the top-to-bottom elements in an interval, a chord, a melody, or a group of contrapuntal lines of music. In each of these cases, "inversion" has a distinct but related meaning. The concept of i ...

, and in the accompaniment to "Epiphany". According to Raymond Knapp, "Most scene changes bring back 'The Ballad of Sweeney Todd', which includes both fast and slow versions of the 'Dies Irae'". He also relies heavily on

leitmotif A leitmotif or () is a "short, recurring musical phrase" associated with a particular person, place, or idea. It is closely related to the musical concepts of ''idée fixe'' or ''motto-theme''. The spelling ''leitmotif'' is a partial angliciz ...

– at least twenty distinct ones can be identified throughout the score. Depending on how and where the show is presented, it is sometimes considered an opera. Sondheim himself has described the piece as a "black operetta", and indeed, only about 20% of the show is spoken; the rest is sung-through. In his essay for the 2005 cast album,

Jeremy Sams Jeremy Sams (born 12 January 1957) is a British theatre director, composer, and lyricist. Early life and education Sams is the son of the Shakespearean scholar and musicologist Eric Sams. He read music, French, and German at Magdalene Colleg ...

finds it most relevant to compare Sondheim's work with operas that similarly explore the psyche of a mad murderer or social outcast, such as

Alban Berg Alban Maria Johannes Berg ( ; ; 9 February 1885 – 24 December 1935) was an Austrian composer of the Second Viennese School. His compositional style combined Romantic lyricism with the twelve-tone technique. Although he left a relatively sma ...

's ''

Wozzeck ''Wozzeck'' () is the first opera by the Austrian composer Alban Berg. Composed between 1914 and 1922, it premiered in 1925. It is based on the drama '' Woyzeck'', which German playwright Georg Büchner left incomplete at his death. Berg attende ...

'' (1925, based on the

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

Georg Büchner Karl Georg Büchner (17 October 1813 – 19 February 1837) was a German dramatist and writer of poetry and prose, considered part of the Young Germany movement. He was also a revolutionary and the brother of physician and philosopher Ludwig Büchn ...

) and

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten of Aldeburgh (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, o ...

's ''

Peter Grimes ''Peter Grimes'', Op. 33, is an opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten, with a libretto by Montagu Slater based on the section "Peter Grimes", in George Crabbe's long narrative poem '' The Borough''. The "borough" of the opera is a fictional ...

'' (1945). On the other hand, it can be seen as a precursor to the later trend of musicals based on horror themes, such as ''

Little Shop of Horrors Little Shop of Horrors may refer to: * '' The Little Shop of Horrors'', a 1960 American film * ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (musical), a 1982 musical based on the 1960 film * ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (1986 film), a 1986 American film based on th ...

'' (1982), ''

The Phantom of the Opera The Phantom of the Opera may refer to: Novel * The Phantom of the Opera (novel), ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (novel), 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux Characters * Erik (The Phantom of the Opera), Erik (''The Phantom of the Opera''), the title char ...

'' (1986), '' Jekyll & Hyde'' (1997) and ''

Dance of the Vampires ''The Fearless Vampire Killers, or Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are in My Neck'' (shortened to ''The Fearless Vampire Killers''; originally released in the United Kingdom as ''Dance of the Vampires'') is a 1967 comedy horror film directed by Roman ...

'' (1997), which used the description of the trend, "grusical", as its commercial label. Theatre critic and author

Martin Gottfried Martin Gottfried (October 9, 1933 – March 6, 2014) was an American critic, columnist and author. He was born in Brooklyn, New York. Biography Early career Gottfried was a 1959 graduate of Columbia College in New York City, and attended Columb ...

wrote on this subject: "Does so much singing make it an opera? Opera is not just a matter of everything being sung. There is an operatic kind of music, of singing, of staging. There are opera audiences, and there is an opera sensibility. There are opera ''houses''. ''Sweeney Todd'' has its occasional operatic moments, but its music overall has the chest notes, the harmonic language, the muscularity, and the edge of Broadway theater."

Donal Henahan Donal Henahan (February 28, 1921 – August 19, 2012) was an American music critic and journalist who had lengthy associations with the ''Chicago Daily News'' and ''The New York Times''. With the ''Times'' he won the annual Pulitzer Prize fo ...

wrote an essay in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' concerning the 1984 New York City Opera production: "The difficulty with ''Sweeney'' was not that the opera singers were weaklings incapable of filling the State Theater with sound – Miss Elias, who was making her City Opera debut, has sung for many years at the Metropolitan, a far larger house. The other voices in the cast also were known quantities. Rather, it seemed to me that the attempt to actually sing the Sondheim score, which relies heavily on a dramatic parlando or speaking style, mainly showed how far from the operatic vocal tradition the work lies. The score, effective enough in its own way, demanded things of the opera singers that opera singers as a class are reluctant to produce."

Awards and nominations

Original Broadway production

Original London production

1989 Broadway revival

1993 London revival

2005 London revival

2005 Broadway revival

2012 London revival

2023 Broadway revival

Recordings and broadcasts

An original

cast recording A cast recording is a recording of a stage Musical theatre, musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. An original cast recording or OCR, as the name implies, features the ...

was released by

RCA Red Seal RCA Red Seal is a classical music label whose origin dates to 1902 and is currently owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment. History The first "Gramophone Record Red Seal" discs were issued in 1901.National Recording Registry The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservation ...

for preservation in 2013. A performance of the 1980 touring company was taped before an audience in 1981 at the

Dorothy Chandler Pavilion The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is one of the halls in the Los Angeles Music Center, which is one of the largest performing arts centers in the United States. The Music Center's other halls include the Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre, and Walt ...

in Los Angeles during the first national tour, with additional taping done in an empty theatre for a television special. The resulting program was televised on September 12, 1982, on The Entertainment Channel. It was later released on both VHS and DVD. On 2 July 1994, the Royal National Theatre revival production starring

and

was broadcast by the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

. Opera North's production was also broadcast by the BBC on March 30, 1998, as was the Royal Opera House production in 2003. In 1995, the

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

cast recorded a cast album sung in Catalan. This production was also broadcast on Spanish television. The 2000 New York City Concert was recorded and released in a deluxe 2-CD set. This recording was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. In 2001, the same concert was held in San Francisco with the same leads and minor cast changes. It was also videotaped and broadcast on PBS, and then was released to VHS and DVD in 2001. The 2005 Broadway revival also was recorded. The producers originally planned only a single-disk "highlights" version; however, they soon realized that they had recorded more music than could fit on one disk and it was not financially feasible to bring the performers back in to re-record. The following songs were cut: "Wigmaker Sequence", "The Letter", "Parlor Songs", "City on Fire", and half of the final sequence (which includes "The Judge's Return"). This recording was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. The 2012 London revival was recorded and released on April 2, 2012, in the UK and April 10, 2012, in the United States. The 2023 Broadway revival cast recording was released on September 8, 2023. This followed the release of eight single tracks from the recording, beginning on May 8 of the same year with "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Opening)." The final single, "God, That's Good!" was released on September 7, just one day before the album's full release. The album's full track list, slightly modified from the original cast recording, was released on August 21. The only songs missing from the recording are "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Reprises 2-5)," Pirelli's Death," "Wigmaker Sequence," (save for "The Letter"), "Parlor Songs (Parts 2 and 3)", and "Fogg's Asylum." This recording was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.

References

External links

''Sweeney Todd''
on the

Internet Broadway Database The Internet Broadway Database (IBDB) is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It was conceived and created by Karen Hauser in 1996 and is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade asso ...

''Sweeney Todd''
on The Stephen Sondheim Reference Guide
''Sweeney Todd''
at Sondheim.com
''Sweeney Todd''
at the Music Theatre International website
''Sweeney Todd: School Edition''
at the Music Theatre International website
''Sweeney Todd''
Music Theatre Warwick's 2008 production
Stephen Sondheim "The Story So Far" podcast series produced by Sony BMG Masterworks
{{Authority control Sweeney Todd 1979 musicals Broadway musicals West End musicals Laurence Olivier Award–winning musicals Drama Desk Award–winning musicals Musicals based on European myths and legends Musicals based on plays Fiction set in 1846 Musicals set in the 1840s Musicals set in London Musicals set in factories Musicals by Hugh Wheeler Musicals by Stephen Sondheim Tony Award for Best Musical United States National Recording Registry recordings Fiction about wrongful convictions Tony Award–winning musicals Fiction about rape Sung-through musicals Works featuring villain protagonists