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Description
                           Sweeney Todd critique

                                By Tonya Bell

                                4 April, 2011

   Sweeney Todd the musical version was seen in a high school theatre experience classroom by video which was produced by Christopher Bond and directed by Harold Prince, 1979. Sweeney Todd is about a once naïve barber by the name of Benjamin Barker and Judge Turnip, whom issued false charges against Barker in order to transport him to prison for nearly fifteen years because of his jealously for Barker's lovely wife, Lucy Barker. In doing so, Judge Turnip rapped Lucy and claimed Barker's infant daughter as his own property. It was this reason mainly that Mr. Barker returned to London after his sentence to have revenge.  During his voyage, Todd meets a young sailor by the name of Anthony Hope. Whence they reach London they sing "No Place Like London", right before a beggar woman that's half mad intrudes on their privacy. Afterwards, Todd tells Anthony of a foolish barber and his beautiful wife by singing "The Barber and His Wife" for him. The use of the stairs was excellent, truly capturing the viewers' attention and forcing them to pay attention.  Todd and Hope then part ways, with Sweeney heading towards Fleet Street where a woman by the name of Mrs. Lovett runs a semi-run down meat pie shop. She complains of the buildings' condition and the flavor of her pies by singing "Worst Pies in London", as she had Mr. Todd try a bite to prove it. Her voice was rough and had a little ring to it, hardly pleasant to the viewer; though she did get the point across quite well.   Once she quieted, Todd asked about the apartment upstairs, and instantly Mrs. Lovett told of a barber and his beautiful wife. "Poor Thing" was about Lucy Barker and how she poisoned herself because of grief. Her daughter, Johanna Barker, was then claimed by Judge Turnip. As the scene ended, Anthony was walking down a street when he came upon a beautiful young woman singing to birds outside her home. They fall in love, but Judge Turnip and his accomplice Beadle Bamford arrived to stop them. Both men threaten Anthony's life should either see him again around Johanna, and usher the girl back into the house. There after, the young sailor sings "Johanna" as he promises to save her from the greedy Judge Turnip.  Meanwhile, Todd and Mrs. Lovett go to an "Italian" barber named Adolf Pirelli for "The Contest" where Pirelli and Todd have a face shaving-off. Adolf brutally craves away at his clients face, while Todd takes his old fashion time and finished much neater. With Sweeney's winnings, he gains respect and clients of his own. The acting was breath taking. The viewer would have thought that the actors getting their faces shaved may have been hurt, however their acting was so great that they appeared to not have been. Beadle witnessed Todd's skills and is impressed. Sweeney thus invited Bamford to come to his shop for a trim. Todd waited for days for Beadle Bamford to arrive and during that time Adolf Pirelli came to visit him; bearing a secret: he had once been Todd's assistant and he recognized him as Benjamin Barker. When Adolf tried to bribe Todd, he strangles Pirelli before Toby returns and finishes killing Adolf once Tobias leaves again. "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: His Hands Were Quick, His Fingers Strong..." concluded what Todd had done. This scene was surprising and quick, if not a bit humorous with Tobias nearly walking in on it. Their performances were very nice by how well they used their expressions. When Mrs. Lovett learned what fate Pirelli had meet, she was shocked, but it was then that she suggested that Sweeney kill his customers and she'd bake them in her giant oven to be then formed into meat pies. Wanting revenge on humanity, Todd agreed and they set off to do so right away. It was shocking to hear of this plot, but nonetheless curious.  The next day, the judge came to the barber shop, and Mrs. Lovett then decided to distract Tobias by letting him put the "mystery" meat in the oven and spin it 'til tender. At the same time Anthony rushes into Todd's shop before he could slit the judge's throat. The young sailor accidently told him of his plan to go away with Johanna, angering Judge Turnip enough that he stormed away, vowing to never return to the barber shop. However, Todd sent a letter to the judge, telling him that Anthony planned on breaking her out and won back his trust.  Sweeney Todd went on to kill the judge, fulfilling his long awaited revenge. However, to his surprise, Johanna revealed herself from the hiding place. Todd tried to sweet talk her into getting a hair cut, not recognizing her as his daughter, but she'd seen what he had done and escaped the barber shop with Todd in tow. Down stairs and in the back of both shops where the oven was stationed; Toby found human nails, hairs and finally a finger in the meat. He ran away, leaving dead bodies outside the chute.  Todd met Mrs. Lovett at the chute and when he bent to drag the beggar's lifeless body to the oven, he discovered that it was his once dear wife, Lucy Barker. Filled with grief and rage, Sweeney tricked Lovett into one last dance before he rid of her in the oven. He knelt by his dead wife, holding her close, just as Toby stepped back into view with Todd's shaving knife; which he used to slit the throat of most of London's murders. Thus, ending the life infamously known as Sweeney Todd.
Some opinions of mine—that may at some point be repeated by another—would have to include a major "like". The plot; how one man had enough ambition to return to the scene of the crime and seek bitter revenge that ended in his own death. How splendid and honorable would it be if nearly every nation, down to the last boy and girl, fought with such courage? It would definitely be a wake up call. However, there were a few "dislikes". This Sweeney Todd was a musical version, with people singing all the time. True, that's what a musical is, but personally it's nerve wrecking. Another dislike would have to be meat pies. Though my particular taste buds are untainted by their greasy flavors; just hearing about them was nasty enough. I'd like to say that the childish whining is over, but then again, we're not quite finished. An annoying "distraction" was the dancing during the scene "The Contest", where Todd and Pirelli were battling it out to see who the better barber was. The distracting parts were when the other actors proceeded to prance around and sing. It's rather interesting to watch the expressions and movement of the actors; their body language important to see, but when too much goes on at once—it kills it for you.  All in all, if there's one thing to take away from this, it's this:
"Real life's nasty. It's cruel. It doesn't care about heroes and happy endings and the way things should be. In real life, bad things happen. People die. Fights are lost. Evil often wins."
-Darren Shan

Description
                           Sweeney Todd critique

                                By Tonya Bell

                                4 April, 2011

   Sweeney Todd the musical version was seen in a high school theatre experience classroom by video which was produced by Christopher Bond and directed by Harold Prince, 1979. Sweeney Todd is about a once naïve barber by the name of Benjamin Barker and Judge Turnip, whom issued false charges against Barker in order to transport him to prison for nearly fifteen years because of his jealously for Barker's lovely wife, Lucy Barker. In doing so, Judge Turnip rapped Lucy and claimed Barker's infant daughter as his own property. It was this reason mainly that Mr. Barker returned to London after his sentence to have revenge.  During his voyage, Todd meets a young sailor by the name of Anthony Hope. Whence they reach London they sing "No Place Like London", right before a beggar woman that's half mad intrudes on their privacy. Afterwards, Todd tells Anthony of a foolish barber and his beautiful wife by singing "The Barber and His Wife" for him. The use of the stairs was excellent, truly capturing the viewers' attention and forcing them to pay attention.  Todd and Hope then part ways, with Sweeney heading towards Fleet Street where a woman by the name of Mrs. Lovett runs a semi-run down meat pie shop. She complains of the buildings' condition and the flavor of her pies by singing "Worst Pies in London", as she had Mr. Todd try a bite to prove it. Her voice was rough and had a little ring to it, hardly pleasant to the viewer; though she did get the point across quite well.   Once she quieted, Todd asked about the apartment upstairs, and instantly Mrs. Lovett told of a barber and his beautiful wife. "Poor Thing" was about Lucy Barker and how she poisoned herself because of grief. Her daughter, Johanna Barker, was then claimed by Judge Turnip. As the scene ended, Anthony was walking down a street when he came upon a beautiful young woman singing to birds outside her home. They fall in love, but Judge Turnip and his accomplice Beadle Bamford arrived to stop them. Both men threaten Anthony's life should either see him again around Johanna, and usher the girl back into the house. There after, the young sailor sings "Johanna" as he promises to save her from the greedy Judge Turnip.  Meanwhile, Todd and Mrs. Lovett go to an "Italian" barber named Adolf Pirelli for "The Contest" where Pirelli and Todd have a face shaving-off. Adolf brutally craves away at his clients face, while Todd takes his old fashion time and finished much neater. With Sweeney's winnings, he gains respect and clients of his own. The acting was breath taking. The viewer would have thought that the actors getting their faces shaved may have been hurt, however their acting was so great that they appeared to not have been. Beadle witnessed Todd's skills and is impressed. Sweeney thus invited Bamford to come to his shop for a trim. Todd waited for days for Beadle Bamford to arrive and during that time Adolf Pirelli came to visit him; bearing a secret: he had once been Todd's assistant and he recognized him as Benjamin Barker. When Adolf tried to bribe Todd, he strangles Pirelli before Toby returns and finishes killing Adolf once Tobias leaves again. "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: His Hands Were Quick, His Fingers Strong..." concluded what Todd had done. This scene was surprising and quick, if not a bit humorous with Tobias nearly walking in on it. Their performances were very nice by how well they used their expressions. When Mrs. Lovett learned what fate Pirelli had meet, she was shocked, but it was then that she suggested that Sweeney kill his customers and she'd bake them in her giant oven to be then formed into meat pies. Wanting revenge on humanity, Todd agreed and they set off to do so right away. It was shocking to hear of this plot, but nonetheless curious.  The next day, the judge came to the barber shop, and Mrs. Lovett then decided to distract Tobias by letting him put the "mystery" meat in the oven and spin it 'til tender. At the same time Anthony rushes into Todd's shop before he could slit the judge's throat. The young sailor accidently told him of his plan to go away with Johanna, angering Judge Turnip enough that he stormed away, vowing to never return to the barber shop. However, Todd sent a letter to the judge, telling him that Anthony planned on breaking her out and won back his trust.  Sweeney Todd went on to kill the judge, fulfilling his long awaited revenge. However, to his surprise, Johanna revealed herself from the hiding place. Todd tried to sweet talk her into getting a hair cut, not recognizing her as his daughter, but she'd seen what he had done and escaped the barber shop with Todd in tow. Down stairs and in the back of both shops where the oven was stationed; Toby found human nails, hairs and finally a finger in the meat. He ran away, leaving dead bodies outside the chute.  Todd met Mrs. Lovett at the chute and when he bent to drag the beggar's lifeless body to the oven, he discovered that it was his once dear wife, Lucy Barker. Filled with grief and rage, Sweeney tricked Lovett into one last dance before he rid of her in the oven. He knelt by his dead wife, holding her close, just as Toby stepped back into view with Todd's shaving knife; which he used to slit the throat of most of London's murders. Thus, ending the life infamously known as Sweeney Todd.
Some opinions of mine—that may at some point be repeated by another—would have to include a major "like". The plot; how one man had enough ambition to return to the scene of the crime and seek bitter revenge that ended in his own death. How splendid and honorable would it be if nearly every nation, down to the last boy and girl, fought with such courage? It would definitely be a wake up call. However, there were a few "dislikes". This Sweeney Todd was a musical version, with people singing all the time. True, that's what a musical is, but personally it's nerve wrecking. Another dislike would have to be meat pies. Though my particular taste buds are untainted by their greasy flavors; just hearing about them was nasty enough. I'd like to say that the childish whining is over, but then again, we're not quite finished. An annoying "distraction" was the dancing during the scene "The Contest", where Todd and Pirelli were battling it out to see who the better barber was. The distracting parts were when the other actors proceeded to prance around and sing. It's rather interesting to watch the expressions and movement of the actors; their body language important to see, but when too much goes on at once—it kills it for you.  All in all, if there's one thing to take away from this, it's this:
"Real life's nasty. It's cruel. It doesn't care about heroes and happy endings and the way things should be. In real life, bad things happen. People die. Fights are lost. Evil often wins."
-Darren Shan