Chico Theater Company brings a macabre musical to students about a homicidal barber who disposes of bodies with the help of his neighbor and her popular meat pies
Josh Smith
Staff Writer
October 26, 2005

Johanna (Allison Rich) and Anthony (Paul Wrona) confess their love in "Sweeney Todd" at Chico Theater Company on Saturday.
'Sweeney Todd' serves up meaty plot

Josh Smith
Staff Writer

Murder, mayhem and meat pies are at the center of Chico Theater Company's adaptation of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."
Set in 19th century Victorian London, the morbid musical serves as a cautionary tale against the human urge to seek vengeance upon those who do us injustice.
The story mixes horror, drama and gallows humor to an unusual but engrossing effect. But this is truly a musical -- spoken dialogue is sparse and most of story is conveyed through song, so don't come expecting a play.
The tale begins in an asylum, where a young boy named Tobias (Blair Palmerlee) is in a straitjacket, twirling his head endlessly. It is through him, via flashback, that we are told the macabre legend of Sweeney Todd.


The Orion : EMILY WHEELER
Sweeney Todd (Allen Lunde) is helped by Mrs. Lovett (Sarah C. Foster) in his quest to get revenge. Lovett gets creative with her ideas to get rid of the bodies of Todd's victims. Her meat pies become an instant hit.

The story begins as we see Todd (Allen Lunde), a freshly released convict, returning to London after a 15-year incarceration in Australia. From the moment he is introduced, the audience sees a man on the brink, with all-consuming rage. His eyes are bloodshot and the red circles around them hint at an insomniatic insanity that knows no depths.
Lunde's virtuoso performance is both terrifying and comical -- his sporadic screaming sent a few audience members back in their chairs. But Todd's caustic attitude is also played for laughs, such as when he sings a verbal hate-letter to London, saying "there's no place like it" -- because it's such a hellhole.
Todd has come back for one reason -- to seek revenge upon the dastardly Judge Turpin (Martin Taylor), who framed him and took him away from his wife and daughter.
Todd is told by Mrs. Lovett (Sarah C. Foster) that his wife committed suicide with arsenic and the judge took his daughter as a ward after Todd's incarceration. This further enrages Todd, who Lovett recognizes by his real name, Benjamin Barker. He's now dead-set on getting his daughter Johanna (Allison Rich) back and bringing Judge Turpin's life to a bloody end.
Lovett and Todd become compatriots and an ambiguous couple, assisting each other in deeds that grow exponentially immoral as the show progresses. With Lovett's help, Todd reopens "Todd's Tonsorial Parlor" and starts using his beloved razor for more than just shaving as he warms up for offing Judge Turpin.
"You will receive, without charge, the closest shave you'll ever know," Todd likes to tell his customers.
Foster's performance is both startling and humorous, as she exudes the warmth and understanding of a mother while rationalizing the benefits of serial killing.
When Todd is fretting over how to dispose the body of his first victim, she says, "Think of it as thrift, a gift, if you get my drift," suggesting that since she's a meat proprietor and they now have a huge piece of meat on their hands -- well, why not put it to pragmatic use? It'll save a lot of grave space and spare relatives considerable expense, she reasons.

The Orion : EMILY WHEELER
Sweeney Todd (Allen Lunde), left, gets revenge on Judge Turpin (Martin Taylor).

A montage-like sequence ensues where Lovett and Todd make perverse taste-test comparisons of the meats based upon the profession of the victims, who now appear to be in the dozens.
"I like my tinker pinker and my tailor paler" Todd says at one point.
Though once hesitant about murder, they have now grown quite cavalier about it and seem to take immense joy in each killing. Of course, all their reprehensible behavior comes back to haunt them in ways they -- and the audience -- couldn't imagine.
It's hard to classify any of the performances as a standout since all the performers created a well-executed ensemble that flowed flawlessly throughout the show.
Palmerlee was particularly impressive as young Tobias, whose character had an overwhelming optimism that served as a counterpoint to Todd's pessimism. Palmerlee held his own in all his scenes and performed well in his soliloquies.
The production was also top-notch, with well-timed and powerful audio effects that added to the mood and ambience of the set. Other than a couple of lighting miscues, the show went seamlessly.
This is an ideal show for the Halloween season (made all the more interesting by the fact that it's based on historical characters) and worth a look for anyone who can stomach the subject matter.
"Sweeney Todd" plays at 7:30 p.m. Thursday to Saturday through Nov. 12, with 2 p.m. shows Oct. 30 and Nov. 6 at the Chico Theater Company. Tickets are $15 to $22, with a $2 discount for students and seniors.