NCC’s production of “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” brings what is normally a large-scale show to a smaller stage. “Sweeney Todd” is the student-chosen, senior musical. As such, it is also a student directed, crewed and cast show. This show is famous among musical theater followers because the music and lyrics were written by Stephen Sondheim.
“Sweeney Todd” centers around two converging storylines. One is a love story between a beautiful young woman and a sailor fresh home from the sea. The other is the dark revenge story of Mr. Sweeney Todd. His wife and child were brutally taken from him by an envious and powerful judge so Mr. Todd returns home to London after a long absence to get them back. He teams up with the morally questionable Mrs. Lovett to get rid of the bodies of those he kills throughout the show. In the end, all the characters seem to get what they deserve and young love escapes intact.
The show consisted of fourth wall breaks which are when the cast members interact with the audience during the show. During intermission, the cast visited with the audience in the lobby. That was not the only attraction during intermission because DeEtta’s Bakery joined forces with the production team to bring sweet pies for a small cash purchase.
Another change-up from the traditional versions of this show was the use of minimal sets and props. Only the bare necessities were used to bring the story to life. A table and chairs set the scene for Mrs. Lovett’s pie shop. A barber’s chair for “Sweeney Todd’s” re-opened barbershop. The only other consistent set pieces were the pale rags that hung throughout the theater.
Bringing such a big and well-known showdown to a minimalistic and abstract concept was a concern during the play-selection and production processes. Assistant stage manager, Josh Dennison, ‘19, said, “The process was a lot for a student show, but everyone is really pleased with the results.” The show’s director, Bridget Adams-King, ‘19, said, “We were really ambitious and asked a lot from the cast, but they have only exceeded our expectations.”
A few warnings for the audience: there is the use of a cap gun onstage that creates a loud shot sound. There are fog and haze machines used near the aisles and onstage. Bright lights from the stage floor can be bothersome to those with light sensitivities in the left and right audience sections.
This show runs from Feb. 21 to Mar. 2.
