The UGA theatre department opened their production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street on Thursday, Apr. 22. The story tells the tale of a murderous barber who slits the throats of his foes and bakes them into pies. If you haven’t bought your tickets, what are you waiting for? Go online now and purchase them before they are sold out! If my brief synopsis isn’t enough to persuade you see the show, here are a few enticing reasons.
1. The Thrill
If you like a good scary movie, then Sweeney Todd is right up your alley. This production is specifically directed by George Contini to cater to people’s “love of horror and thriller movies and gory stuff like the Walking Dead.” Your heart will pound and your teeth will clench in anticipation of Sweeney’s next victim. It is recommended that you bring a friend along so that you have a hand to squeeze tightly during this thrilling ride.
2. The Puns
As scary and thrilling as the musical is promised to be, there is also a handful of humor. Puns and dramatic irony is sprinkled throughout the show’s plot which provides a nice reprieve from the frequent throat slashing. The audience laughter can be heard ringing in the theatre as puns are made about the human meat pies made in Mrs. Lovett’s bake shop. Mrs. Lovett, played by graduate actor, Katie Butcher, keeps the audience chuckling with her strong Cockney accent and her forward manner. You may even find yourself cracking a smile at “Toby,” a misguided youth played by undergraduate, Jake Berne, as he tries his best to sell a miracle hair growth serum made from urine.
3. The Movie
Sweeney Todd may sound familiar to those who saw the 2007 movie version starring Johnny Depp as Sweeney himself. If you’ve seen the movie, then you must see the show as it has so much more to offer. More to offer than Johnny Depp’s chiseled features? Indeed, the show showcases many a chiseled feature, but also has the advantage of being a live performance. There are living, breathing humans on a stage acting and singing. As nice as it would be, Johnny isn’t offering that anytime soon.
4. The Cast
Take a peek inside the show’s program and you will see that the cast is made up of both theatre and vocal majors. The lead performers, Katy Butcher as Mrs. Lovett and Isaiah Fenken as Sweeney Todd represent the two types of performers in the show. Accustomed to performing in operas, Fenken, a graduate vocal major, says that the most difficult part of performing is “getting into the character.” However, there can be no doubts that Fenken does just that when he takes the stage as a terrifying Sweeney.
5. The Pies
The musical has paired with POUCH, a local meat pie shop in downtown Athens, to promote the show. POUCH has created six new pies that will be sold exclusively during the run of the show. The Sweeney themed pies include the Piety pie, Mrs. Lovett’s Signature Steak pie, the General pie, The One that Got Away and the Kate and Sydney Pie. Not only do you get to enjoy the deliciousness of these limited edition pies, but you could also enjoy discounts. “When you buy a Sweeney Todd pie, you get a voucher for a discount on your tickets to see Sweeney Todd [and] if you take your ticket from the show to POUCH you can get a discount on your pies,” said Ali Olhausen, the assistant director and dramaturg of Sweeney Todd.