Broadway fans were thrilled to see the the company of Sweeney Todd’s performe at the 76th Annual Tony Awards! Their rendition of ‘The Ballad of Sweeney Todd’ included exceptional talent such as Josh Groban and Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo. The 2023 adaption of the classic Broadway show re-opened in March of this year. The official soundtrack with Josh Groban set to release later this summer. The show is directed by Tony Award-winner Thomas Kail with music supervisor Alex Lacamoire.
With the increasing hype for the production and promising talent, the company decided to give us a taste of what is to come in the full show. What is the tale of Sweeney Todd? Does the Tony Award performance live up to the hype? Let’s find out!
What is ‘sweeney todd’?
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a 1979 Broadway musical based on the book by Hugh Wheeler. Sweeney Todd, a London barber on Fleet Street, murders his customers with a straight razor. He gives the corpses to his partner in crime, Mrs. Lovett, to have them baked into meat pies. Sweeney does this to one day get revenge on the man who assaulted his wife.
The show was a great success upon its release and won the Tony Award for Best Musical and an Oliver Award for Best New Musical. It is most famous for its 2007 film adaptation with Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd.
“The Ballad of Sweeney todd” Live performance
The Tony Awards performance opens with the opening number of musical, “Prologue: The Ballad of Sweeney Todd”. This song introduces the main character, Sweeney Todd, through the perspective of the townspeople. They describe how his skin was pale and one of his eyes looked strange. They tell the audience that he was a barber who often killed his male clients, which earned him the name “The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”.
The stage is mostly dark with only a backlight illuminating the performers’ silhouettes. A spotlight shines on each individual person who sings their piece. The choreography is very well done, as it effortlessly portrays the townspeople’s fear as they tell their cautionary tale. As the music swells, Sweeney Todd himself takes center stage to confirm the rumors. He breaks the fourth wall by saying he does not want to give too much away to avoid spoiling the rest of the show. In the end, the townspeople flee as Sweeney shows off his famous murder weapon, the straight razor.
Sweeney Todd is a gothic opera that continues to be loved by many Broadway fans. Four official 2023 Broadway cast recordings have been released on YouTube. It is unclear as to when the rest of the soundtrack will release.
Here at Mic Drop Music, we want to know your thoughts! What did you think of the 76th Annual Tony Awards? Are you excited for the new Sweeney Todd Broadway show? Let us know in the comments below!
