Then other people, searching for missing friends, become interested in his shop. The stage musical has one of the boldest broadway scores ever heard, using a mix of genres and styles to create an unforgettable sound. Sweeney todd, the demon barber of fleet street 1973, a play by the british playwright christopher bond. The demon barber of fleet street is a 1979 musical thriller with music and lyrics by stephen sondheim and book by hugh wheeler. With his somber baritone, len cariou is chilling as the murderous, griefstricken barber. Sweeneys melody reaches the resolution the ear craves, and all seems well. Sweeney todd is a fictional character who first appeared as the villain of the victorian penny dreadful serial the string of pearls 184647.
The house in which the child first breathed the fetid air of the east london slums is not known, but it was probably near spitalfields. Both gleeful and ghoulish, the original tale of sweeney todd, first published under the title the string of pearls, combines the story of todds grisly method of robbing and dispatching his victimsby way of mrs. Sunday in the park with george received the pulitzer prize. Sweeney todd the demon barber of fleet street sondheim. The original tale of sweeney todd, the demon barber. It is based on the 1973 play of the same name by christopher bond sweeney todd opened on broadway in 1979 and in the west end in 1980. The story of todd s murderous partnership with piemaker. She told him that lucy died poisoning herself and his daughter was taken by judge turpin. Mack, and also annotated endnotes written in proseform by the same writer. Today mack questions who the author of sweeney todd was. It is based on the 1973 book by english author christopher bond. The company gathers together to end the tale of sweeney todd. Paul gemignani, who conducted the original sweeney todd and just about every sondheim show on broadway before and since, was perfectly content to let the bornagain tyro orchestra fight it out for. Todd im so happy i could eat you up i really could you know what id like to do, mr.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Sweeney todd walks up fleet street until he reaches a shop. When stephen sondheim, the celebrated producer of hit broadway musicals, saw a version of the play in london in the mid 1970s, he asked hugh wheeler to collaborate with him on a musical adaptation. If sweeney todd isnt stephen sondheims best musical scoreand i would argue it is, even if sunday in the park with george is my favorite of his showsits certainly his most traditionally tuneful, even with all the steam whistles and atonal stings floating around the edges of the thing. The johanna reprise from sweeney todd is the musical in. Sweeneys voice and anthonys voice finally come perfectly together, now in tune with the strings. Haining states that the murder of todds first victim was reported in the daily. The demon barber of fleet street the motion pictu licensed to youtube by wmg on behalf of nonesuch. A sensational story of murder and piemaking, sweeney todd is a classic of british horror writing, widely adapted in print and on stage, most famously by. Wrote the book for a funny thing happened on the way to the forum. Was there really a man called sweeney todd with a barber shop on londons. He shaved the faces of gentlemen who never thereafter were heard of again.
Urban legend in dickens pickwork papers, developed into martin chezzelwit which came out 2 years before sweeny todd how did sondheim get idea for musical. Yesterday, robert mack, the editor of sweeney todd. Sweeney todd opened on broadway in 1979 and in the west end in 1980. The original tale became a staple of victorian melodrama and london urban legend. Lovetts meat pieswith a romantic subplot involving deception, disguise, and detective work, set against the backdrop of londons. The real story of the demon barber of fleet street. The notorious career of sweeney todd, the demon barber of fleet street, has been endlessly retold. This dark 1979 tony awardwinner for best musical features music and lyrics by stephen sondheim and is based on the 1973 play sweeney todd, the demon barber of fleet street by christopher bond story. His clients through the floor would slope but he had no fear of the hangmans rope dead men cant talk with their mouths. But that tunefulness disguises the true intent of the shows prettier melodies. Based on a 1970 play by christopher bond, this retelling of the story of the demon barber of fleet street first appeared in 1979 and boasts a the more he. The demon barber of fleet street summary, chapterbychapter analysis, book notes, essays, quotes, character descriptions, lesson plans, and more everything you need for studying or teaching sweeney todd. While barker is still characterized as a demon from hell in this interpretation, sondheim provides sweeney todd a more in depth background story to gain. His feet are walking at a steady pace as he walks down fleet street.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading sweeney todd. The real story of the demon barber of fleet street, the cutthroat barber was a very real person who has simply been ignored by historians. It won the tony award for best musical and olivier award. This tale was originally titled as a romance, which is definitely evident in the narrative as it reads as more of a romance than a horror or thriller, which i was a little disappointed by. The camera closes out to a full shot of sweeney todd and the pie shop. Pbs sweeney todd, the demon barber of fleet street. Sweeney todd, the notorious demon barber, has been called the greatest. The myth of sweeny todd has long been speculated to come from a true story and this novel, written at the height of the. A wondrous production of sweeney todd the new yorker. Angela lansbury, the cannibalpiemaker, sounds like an insane cockney.
Sweeney todd is a throatslasher of a motion picture. The song opens the same way that the ballad of sweeney todd opened, but by the fourth verse the lyrics change to begin to reveal the. Ballad of sweeney todd prologue lyrics sweeney todd. The resolution only comes at the very end, as sweeney accepts his new situation and sings out to his now gonetohim daughter, we learn, johanna, to say goodbye. A barber from fleet street, todd murders his customers and turns their bodies over to mrs. Johnny depp and tim burton join forces again in a bigscreen adaptation of stephen sondheims awardwinning musical thriller sweeney todd. His clients through the floor would slope but he had no fear of the hangmans rope dead men cant talk with their mouths full of soap, said sweeney todd the barber.
Depp stars as the demon barber of fleet street, joined by helena bonham carter as mrs. A ghost of barber appears and the story is transferred in the middle of the xix century. Lovett, sweeneys amorous accomplice, who creates diabolical meat pies. Sweeney todd, whose real name is benjamin barker, uses his. Sweeney todd 1962, a fouract melodrama adapted from the string of pearls by brian j burton who also composed new songs and lyrics. Stephen sondheim finale the ballad of sweeney todd lyrics. Sweeney todd historical figures history yesterday channel.
And the london dungeon wasnt the first to provide a sweeney todd experience. While barker is still characterized as a demon from hell in this interpretation, sondheim provides sweeney todd a more. Ballad of sweeney todd prologue attend the tale of sweeny todd. The demon barber of fleet street synopsis broadway musical simple londoners are burying bag with the corpse, saying about the deceased sweeney todd, as of a demonic barber from fleet street. It is based on the 1973 play of the same name by christopher bond. Sweeney todd, whose real name is benjamin barker, uses his new alias to resume work in his barber shop above mrs. Sweeney todds first known appearance in print was in an 1846 penny dreadful, a type of horror tale of the era published in serial form, the peoples periodical. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. When stephen sondheim, the celebrated producer of hit broadway musicals, saw a version of the play in london in the mid 1970s, he asked hugh wheeler to collaborate with him. The demon barber of fleet street applause libretto library. Sweeney todd s first known appearance in print was in an 1846 penny dreadful, a type of horror tale of the era published in serial form, the peoples periodical.
Sweeney todd made his first literary appearance in 1846, in a story by. The demon barber of fleet street critics consensus full of pith and grand guignol grossness, this macabre musical is perfectly helmed and highly entertaining. The myth of sweeny todd has long been speculated to come from a true story and this novel, written at the height of the legend, is perhaps as close to the truth as it is possible to get. The song opens the same way that the ballad of sweeney todd opened, but by the. The book contains the complete collected serial as well as an introduction written. The demon barber of fleet street often referred to simply as sweeney todd is a 1979 musical with music and lyrics by stephen sondheim and a book by hugh wheeler. He won tony awards for best score for a musical for passion, into the woods, sweeney todd, a little night music, follies, and company. Within a year or two of its publication, other writers began adapting the. Sweeney todd was born on october 26, 1756, in brick lane. Todd despatched with 160 people in this manner during a seventeen year.
In stephen sondheims 1979 midcareer masterpiece, sweeney todd a tooting arts club production, at the barrow street, under the. Dec 11, 2007 sweeney todd the demon barber of fleet street deluxe complete edition i had to buy the soundtrack, i couldnt get the wonderful music from this movie out of my head. Sweeney todd, the demon barber of fleet street hugh. Victorian artist who sondheims sunday in the park with george is about. From full choruss to semioperatic arias this show really does have everything you could wish for in a musical. Unfortunately, there is no record of any such trial or execution, or of the childhood. Stephen sondheims murderous musical classic sweeney todd, about bloodthirsty revenge and crafty corpse disposal, is staged in a recreated british pie shop in this clever revival that comes to. The demon barber of fleet street 1979 is a musical and thriller set in victorian england about a murderous barber who extracts revenge on unsuspecting people in london for the cruel abuse of his wife.
The music was written to show how the world was perceived by todd, almost in the manner of a horror film knapp and baltimore 1. Attend the tale of sweeney todd lyrics sweeney todd feat. This edition offers the original story with all its atmospheric victorian trimmings. The authorship of the original story is still in question, but the strongest candidates for full or coauthorship are james malcolm rymer and thomas. Also, unlike in the musical, the original sweeney todd and mrs. The rest of the story, culminating in sweeney todds execution for his murders in 1802, is well known. The demon barber of fleet street 1979, sondheim offers benjamin barker further characterization than the string pearls 1846 provided when originally written. Sweeney todd, the demon barber of fleet street hugh wheeler. Sweeney todd, the demon barber of fleet streetnook book. This dark 1979 tony awardwinner for best musical features music and lyrics by stephen sondheim and is based on the 1973 play sweeney todd, the demon barber of fleet street by christopher bond. Wellwritten and entertaining as is most of hainings work, makes a pretty. Sweeney todd original, musical, thriller, broadway opened in new york city mar 1, 1979 and played through jun 29, 1980. Get a closer look at the origins of sweeney todd, including its history and. According to peter haining, who outlined his theories in his book sweeney todd.
Paul gemignani, who conducted the original sweeney todd and just about every sondheim show on broadway before and since, was perfectly content to let the bornagain tyro orchestra fight it. Book by hugh wheeler introduction by christopher bond mr. Top 50 things to do in london london guide duration. Jan 31, 1974 sweeney todd is perhaps the most atmospheric musical ever written and to this day remains the masterwork of stephen sondheim and hugh wheeler.
A naked sweeney todd stands revealed as a musical of naked rage, chewing up everyone in its path as it spits out blood and tears. Look beyond the musical to the real tale of the demon barber of fleet street. Sweeney todd ist ein fiktiver serienmorder, dessen geschichte im 19. The darkness of sweeney todd, ironically, prompts stephen sondheim music and lyrics and hugh wheeler book to write a richer, more coherent piece than the usual broadway fluff. Both gleeful and ghoulish, the original tale of sweeney todd, first published under the title the string of pearls, combines the story of todd s grisly method of robbing and dispatching his victimsby way of mrs. But this is the first time the original tale has been reprinted since it was serialized in the peoples periodical in 18467. This book is very wellwritten and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Sweeney todd is perhaps the most atmospheric musical ever written and to this day remains the masterwork of stephen sondheim and hugh wheeler. The demon barber of fleet street, so i have been eager to read the original inspiration for a while now. Lovett, his partner in crime, who bakes their flesh into meat pies. His gruesome story caught the public imagination yet again in 2008 when johnny depp played him in tim burtons film sweeney todd. Sweeney todd and many of the other sondheim shows are similar to operas. A sensational story of murder and piemaking, sweeney todd is a classic of british horror writing, widely adapted in print and on stage, most famously by stephen sondheim, whose unlikely musical thriller won eight tony awards.
Lovett, his partner in crime, who bakes their flesh into meat. The demon barber of fleet street applause libretto library kindle edition by. Stephen sondheims murderous musical classic sweeney todd, about bloodthirsty revenge and crafty corpse disposal, is staged in a recreated british pie shop in. Mar 12, 2008 the book contains the complete collected serial as well as an introduction written by sweeney todd expert, robert l. It won the tony award for best musical and olivier award for best new musical. As they part, a deranged beggar woman pathetically offers herself to them. This post first appeared on powells if you ask that question today, the answer youre most likely to receive is stephen sondheim. What was the 19th century british origin behind sweeney todd. It was first performed at the crescent theatre, birmingham.
Inscribed by stephen sondheim on the halftitle page. Sweeney todd movie vs musical cheap theatre tickets. Fine in a very good dust jacket with light wear to the crown. His plays could all have this attribute since sondheim worked closely and grew under hammerstein, who also wrote operas. Sweeney todd the barber, by god he were better than the play, sweeney todd the barber, ill polish em off he used to say. The story of todds murderous partnership with piemaker. The demon barber of fleet street first appeared in the 1830s in england and was soon adapted for the london stage.
The demon barber of fleet street, wrote about cannibalism. Sondheim fearlessly explores psychic caverns where civilized people are not dying to go. Lovetts meat pieswith a romantic subplot involving deception, disguise, and detective work, set against the backdrop of london. Frank rich, the new york times a work of such scope and such daring that it dwarfs every other broadway musical that even attempts to invite comparison. After 15 years benjamin returns to london and had his name changed to sweeney todd. London is a hell hole, a black pit in which all the vermin of the earth are gathered. Both gleeful and ghoulish, the original tale of sweeney todd, first published. Sweeney todd echoes that sentiment but for different reasons.
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