Revenge is Unusually Tasty in ‘Sweeney Todd’

By Sandi Masori 

SAN DIEGO — It’s that time of year when the days are shorter, pumpkin spice everything begins to appear, and the season focuses on death and dying.  So, of course. it’s the perfect time for theaters to produce shows with more horrifying subjects than they might be the rest of the year. San Diego Musical Theater’s added Sweeney Todd to the list of local theater offerings.

The original play hit Broadway in 1979 starring Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Lovett.  It’s an anti-hero story about a barber (Deandre Simmons) in 19th century London who was wrongly exiled and returns from exile to seek his revenge on the crooked judge (Tanner Vydos) who destroyed his family.  Things take a turn to the dark side though when in an act of desperation, he kills someone trying to blackmail him.  Frantically trying to figure out what to do with the body, he and his pie-making neighbor Mrs. Lovett (Meghan O’ Brien Lowery) cook up a scheme to cook up the blackmailer and serve him in the pies.  The pies turn out to be wildly popular and in order to keep the meat flowing, he embarks on a new career as a demon barber serial killer while still plotting his revenge.  Chaos ensues.

In spite of the grim synopsis, the show has many funny moments, and is, dare I say, mostly fun. You will find yourself rooting for Sweeney Todd in spite of yourself.  Scenic designer Mathys Herbert’s set is minimal, with industrial looking walls and an open stage.  A couple of steamer trunks and a ladder are moved around the stage to represent different props and locations — Mrs Lovett’s pie shop for example.

The violence is done tastefully- without any real gore, so while the subject may be macabre, it would be okay for mature kids. The costumes are anachronistic, so it takes a moment to reconcile the modern dress with the 19th century story. There’s also one costume choice that I found very distracting, and it took us out of the show a couple of times, having to struggle with our sense of willing suspension of disbelief. That is how they portray Johanna (Salima Gangani). There are several references in the show to her being a blonde, and even an entire song about her yellow hair.  Gangani is a brunette however, so though she wears yellow ribbons in her hair, every reference to her as a blonde is a bit awkward. Other cast members were wearing wigs, so I’m not sure why they made the choice to just put ribbons in her hair instead of giving her a blonde wig. It’s a shame because Gangani is very talented and shouldn’t have anything pulling attention away from her performance.

Otherwise, the show is well done. Meghan O’ Brien Lowery really shines as Mrs. Lovett. Her performance is captivating and even when she isn’t moving or doing anything you know exactly what her character is thinking. This is her second show with SDMT.  There are several stand-out performers in this show, some of whom are making their SDMT debut. Sam Castillo stands out as Anthony. He has an incredible voice and energy, perfect for a leading man, and I really hope we get to see more of him in upcoming local productions. Matthew Javier’s street urchin Tobias is sweet and endearing. The conductor/ keyboard player Richard Duenez Morrison also has some lines in the show and becomes a welcome extra cast member. Ryan Burtanog is a perfect Beadle Bamford, and Kimberly Moller’s Beggar Woman is charmingly annoying and provides some comic relief.

Sweeney Todd plays at San Diego Musical Theater through Sunday, October 20.

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Sandi Masori is a theater and food reviewer for San Deigo Jewish World