How well I remember attending Sweeney Todd, not long after Stephen Sondheim’s musical thriller opened in the spring of 1979. I was familiar with Sondheim’s previous musicals, but none of them prepared me for the out-and-out brilliance, wit, sophistication, and ingenuity I experienced that night in New York’s Uris Theater. Every aspect of the score seemed integrated with effortless logic and inevitability, with plenty of tenderness, lyricism, and humor in reserve. The lyrics scaled new heights of cleverness yet never drew attention to themselves. What’s more, you could understand each and every one of them the first time around, no matter how fast or rhythmically complex. And, my god, the music. This was Sondheim’s most harmonically adventurous, through-composed score to date, helped by Jonathan Tunick’s scorching orchestrations. They worked fine within the parameters of a small Broadway pit-orchestra. But they sound unbelievably great in the hands of the full New York Philharmonic, the pit band in this live concert version of Sondheim’s magnum opus.
Most cross casting of operatic and Broadway voice types don’t work. This one does, because each singer’s vocal quality suits the character’s inner and outer needs. For instance, rather than Patti LuPone’s vocal versatility and detailed word-pointing, you notice instead the agitated, love-starved Mrs. Lovett. Similarly, Paul Plishka’s deep-dish bass underscores Judge Turpin’s psychological brand of evil against the more impulsive, tortured motivations behind Sweeney Todd’s repulsive deeds. You don’t notice George Hearn portraying the title role, but rather Sweeney himself: complex, disagreeable, and sympathetic at times. Audra McDonald elevates the Beggar Woman from the caricature the role can often be to the pivotal character it is. Heidi Grant Murphy’s lovely Johanna, Davis Gaines’ strong Anthony, and Neil Patrick Harris’ definitive Tobias, along with John Aler’s colorful Beadle, add to this recording’s classic status. Add Andrew Litton’s faultless direction, the terrific New York Choral Artists, plus the composer/lyricist’s imprimatur, and you’ve got a music theater benchmark worthy to take its place alongside the Callas/DeSabata Tosca and the Solti Ring. Full texts and extensive annotations are included. [4/21/2002]
