Main Street Productions opens the 2023-24 season with a challenging offering, Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, presented at their Basile Westfield Playhouse venue.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Sweeney Todd tale – it is an old one. The character of the deadly barber who murders his clients first appeared in a story titled The String of Pearls: A Romance in the late 1840s. It has been continuously adapted and reworked as plays, a melodrama and a 1936 film, finally evolving into the dynamic groundbreaking work by Sondheim in 1979.
Andrea Odle deftly directs the fine cast, with musical direction by Laura Hicks and choreography by assistant-director Amber Shatto. The action is staged on a wide set designed by Jay Ganz, lit by Clay Howard, and costumes are by Karen Webster-Cones. Tessa Gibbons does the makeup design.
The cast is filled with stunning vocal talent. Mike Lipphardt soars as Sweeney Todd, bringing a masterful interpretation to the vengeful man, mixing his sullen and dangerous personae with a strong righteousness. Claire Slaven’s Mrs. Lovett is well-crafted and endearing, even as she concocts her meaty pies. Ms. Slaven’s voice, solo or meshed with Lipphardt’s, is a pleasant experience.
Mike Lipphardt as Sweeney Todd with Claire Slaven as Mrs. Lovett. (Photo by Rob Slaven / IndyGhostLight.com)
Nate Moore and Lizzie Schultz combine talents as the romantic couple – Anthony Hope and Johanna Barker. Their songs together are tender and sweet. Moore’s Anthony is a heroic protector while Ms. Schultz’ Johanna has all the vulnerability and beauty that is needed.
In supporting roles – Alex Bast as Tobias, John Parks Whitaker as Judge Turpin, Bailey Hunt as The Beadle, and Tessa Gibbons as the Beggar Woman all do amazingly dynamic work. There is no weak link in any of the casting, and the dedication top-to-bottom for characterization and for storytelling as a whole is very much flawless.
I cannot say enough about the quality of voices here. The cast of Sweeney Todd is at very near a professional tier in their singing talents, especially considering that they are rendering a highly intricate and elaborate Sondheim score. One can easily forget that these stage practitioners are college students or office workers or bankers who do theatre as an artistic pastime.
Nate Moore as Anthony Hope and Lizzie Schultz as Johanna Barker. (Photo by Rob Slaven / IndyGhostLight.com)
Bottom line: As ambitious a project as this is for a community theatre company, it is not a surprise to me that every aspect of the show is top-notch and brilliant. Ms. Odle and her various cohorts have issued more than a few note-worthy productions over the past few years, and audiences have come to expect this high level of endeavor. This is a completely thrilling production and all involved are to be congratulated. Highly recommended!
Main Street Productions’ Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street runs through Oct. 1 at the Basile Westfield Playhouse, 220 N. Union St. Curtain times are Thursday/Friday/Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at WestfieldPlayhouse.org.
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