Even a tale as grim as “Sweeney Todd” can leave an audience with a bit of a smile, something the MSU theatre department proved with their opening performance of the grisly musical.
Students as well as faculty from the music department collaborated with director John Dement and his cast and crew to create a truly enjoyable experience for viewers.
Andrew Jamison starred as the demon barber himself, offering a downcast performance to bring the despondent hairdresser to life. Only when revenge is mentioned do we see Sweeney light up, showing us that vengeance is all that he lives for.
Before the mood could became too somber however, Mrs. Lovett, played by Whitney Lebow, brightened up the stage with some humor, singlehandedly inducing most of the laughter for the rest of the play.
Dement and his cast understand that individual moments between characters are the most effective way to tell a story on stage and everything from the light design to the sound effects showed this. From the blood-red lighting to the acting itself, moments such as Judge Turpin’s first shave were carefully crafted to carry the most weight.
From cast to crew, it became clear as the show progressed that the students and faculty involved have put a tremendous amount of effort into making the show the best that it could be for audiences.
It was often hard to determine which cast members were musicians and which were actors as everyone did a fantastic job vocally, whether in harmony or solo.
The only negative aspect of the audio was that the levels for the instruments were far too loud, drowning out much of the hard work that the cast put into singing for the first act. Fortunately, the crew responded and the sound levels were significantly better balanced for the second act.
While the performance may have seemed oddly warm at times, the theatre department made sure to remind the audience of just how grim the subject matter truly is. The piercing tone that sounded each time additional meat was supplied for Mrs. Lovett’s pies was a perfect method for showing that Sweeney Todd really does serve a dark and vengeful god as the opening and closing ballad suggests.
Whether or not you are a fan of plays or musicals, MSU’s production of “Sweeney Todd” is a thrilling affair that will leave you on the edge of your chair.
Just be thankful that it’s not Sweeney’s chair.