Opened: October 24, 1980

Book by: Hugh Wheeler

Music & Lyrics by: Stephen Sondheim

National Tour Cast: George Hearn, Angela Lansbury, Cris Groenendaal, Betsy Joslyn, Edmund Lyndeck, Ken Jennings, Calvin Remsberg, Sara Woods & Sal Mistretta

One of the darkest shows Broadway has ever seen, Sweeney Todd has been terrorizing audiences for almost 40 years.

Sweeney Todd (George Hearn) returns to London after being transported out by Judge Turpin (Edmund Lyndeck). With the help of Mrs. Lovett (Angela Lansbury), Sweeney plots revenge against Judge Turpin, who has driven Todd’s wife to suicide and stolen his daughter. Todd uses the room above Mrs. Lovett’s pie shop as a barbershop where he slits clients’ throats.

Absolutely wild is the first thing that comes to my head to describe this show. Sweeney kills people right on stage while Mrs. Lovett bakes them into pies consumed by other people? And this is a hit Broadway show? Crazy!

Sondheim wrote an incredible score for this show, but it sometimes feels too operatic.

Final say: So weird, but it feels so right. ★★★☆☆