In the beginning of the tale, it’s easy to feel sorry for Sweeney Todd, a young man wrongly convicted and exiled from his wife and young child by a malevolent judge. But the macabre personality that emerges from Todd’s insurmountable sorrow is a different character altogether, and leaves audiences both enthralled and appalled as he slashes his way through gloomy 19th century London.

Thanks to an award-winning motion picture released in 2007, the story of Sweeney Todd has become well known to American audiences. The story follows the life of Sweeney, a man consumed by revenge after his wife is kidnapped and raped, and he is wrongly convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. Judge Turpin, the magistrate doling out the sentence is an immoral louse, and with Sweeney gone, he quickly moves in on Sweeney’s wife and young daughter.

After Sweeney has endured 15 years in an Australian penal colony, he escapes and returns to London to find his wife and seek revenge for his wrongful imprisonment. Soon he joins forces with Mrs. Lovett, the baker of inedible meat pies. Lovett tells Sweeney that after he was sent away his poor wife took poison rather than remain with the judge. Her sad tale serves to help fuel Sweeney Todd’s lust for revenge. With his razors sharpened and ready for duty, Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett begin to cook up ways of getting even with the wicked Judge Turpin. Sweeney Todd becomes completely obsessed with the idea of making the judge pay for what he did to his wife and for continuing to hold his angelic, teenage daughter against her will in his home.

As familiar as the tale may be to those who have seen the movie, Sweeney Todd on stage is a completely different experience. The characters of Todd, Judge Turpin, Mrs. Lovettt and the other cast shimmer with irresistible raw emotion and passion. Sweeney Todd will pull you in.

2007 TONY AWARDS
Best Musical
Best Book of a Musical
Best Original Score
Best Featured Actor (John Gallagher Jr)
Best Director
Best Choreography
Best Orchestrations
Best Lighting Design
2007 Drama Desk Awards
Outstanding Musical

2007 New York Drama Critics' Circle Award
Best Musical

2007 Lucielle Lortel Award
Outstanding Musical

Sweeney Todd Trivia

The Sweeney Todd story first appeared in a story entitled ‘The String of Pearls: A Romance’.

The 2007 Sweeney Todd is a revival of the 1979 original Broadway production starring Angela Lansbury

The address on Mrs. Lovett's shop -- Number 186 -- is a reference to the London legend of Sweeney Todd, which placed his barber shop at this very address

(musical, R, adult subject matter, reviewed here)

Tickets for Sweeney Todd are available at The Capitol Theatre box office: 509-853-ARTS or 800-325-SEAT.