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Sweeney Todd

Based on Christopher Bond's retelling of the Victorian pennydreadful The String of Pearls, (which was itself a retelling of a British myth, possibly rooted in truth) this musical (with a book by Hugh Wheeler) tells the tale of Sweeney Todd, a murderous barber, and his partner in crime, Nellie Lovett, a baker who disposes of the bodies by baking them into her pies. Meanwhile, Anthony Hope, a sailor who saved Todd's life, falls in love with Todd's estranged daughter, Johanna, who is being brought up as the ward of the twisted Judge Turpin. Includes the songs "Not While I'm Around," "Pretty Women," and "A Little Priest."


Show Data




Original Broadway Production Info:

Opened ................... March 1, 1979
Closed ................... June 29, 1980
Ran ................... 558 Performances 
Theatre .................... Uri Theatre
Music ................. Stephen Sondheim
Lyrics ................ Stephen Sondheim
Book .....................  Hugh Wheeler 
.... Based on a book by Christopher Bond
Producer .................. Richard Barr
....................... Charles Woodward
........................... Robert Fryer
....................... Mary Lea Johnson
........................ Martin Richards
Director ................. Harold Prince
Choreography .............. Larry Fuller
Set Designer ................ Eugene Lee
Costumes Designer ........... Franne Lee
Lighting Designer ....... Ken Billington
Musical Direction ....... Paul Gemignani
Orchestrations ......... Jonathan Tunick



Original Broadway Cast:

Anthony Hope ............. Victor Garber
Sweeney Todd ................ Len Cariou
Beggar Woman .............. Merle Louise
Mrs. Lovett ............ Angela Lansbury
Judge Turpin ............ Edmund Lyndeck
Beadle Bamford ...... Jack Eric Williams
Johanna ..................... Sarah Rice
Tobias Ragg ............... Ken Jennings
Pirelli .............. Joaquin Romaguera
Jonas Fogg ............... Robert Ousley
The Company ................ Duane Bodin
......................... Walter Charles
......................... Carole Doscher
............................ Nancy Eaton
......................... Mary-Pat Green
....................... Cris Groenendaal
............................ Skip Harris
............................ Marthe Ihde
........................... Betsy Joslyn
.......................... Nancy Killmer
............................ Frank Kopyc
............................ Spain Logue
............................ Craig Lucas
........................ Pamela McLernon
........................... Duane Morris
.................... Richard Warren Pugh
............................ Maggie Task 
Swings .............. Heather B. Withers
....................... Robert Hendersen 



Musical Numbers:

 1. The Ballad of Sweeney Todd
 2. No Place Like London
 3. The Barber and His Wife
 4. The Worst Pies in London
 5. Poor Thing
 6. My Friends
 7. Green Finch and Linnet Bird
 8. Ah, Miss
 9. Johanna
10. Pirelli's Miracle Elixir
11. The Contest
12. Wait
13. Kiss Me
14. Ladies in Their Sensitivities
15. Kiss Me/Ladies in Their Sensitivities 
16. Pretty Women
17. Epiphany
18. A Little Priest
19. God, That's Good
20. Johanna
21. By the Sea
22. Wigmaker Sequence
23. The Letter
24. Not While I'm Around
25. Parlor Songs
26. City on Fire!
27. Searching
28. Final Sequence 
29. The Ballad of Sweeney Todd


Cut Songs:
 
 1.  Johanna (Judge's Song)



TV National Tour Production Info:

Theatre ...... Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Televised ........... September 12, 1982 
Station ...... The Entertainment Channel 
Presented by ........... RKO/Nederlander
.............. The Entertainment Channel 
Executive Producers ..... Ellen M. Krass
............................ Archer King 
Produced .................. Bonnie Burns 
Executive in Charge .... James Rich, Jr. 
Directed for TV ........... Terry Hughes
Lighting Designed for TV ... Bill Klages 
Musical Conductor .......... Jim Coleman 



Cast:

Anthony Hope .......... Cris Groenendaal 
Sweeney Todd .............. George Hearn 
Beggar Woman ................ Sara Woods 
Mrs. Lovett ............ Angela Lansbury 
Judge Turpin ............ Edmund Lyndeck 
The Beadle ............. Calvin Remsberg 
Johanna ................... Betsy Joslyn 
Tobias Ragg ............... Ken Jennings 
Pirelli .................. Sal Mistretta 
The Birdseller ............. Spain Logue 
The Passerby ............ Walter Charles 
Jonas Fogg ............ Michael Kalinyen 
The Company ............. Walter Charles
........................... Roy Gioconda
............................ Skip Harris
....................... Michael Kalinyen
............................ Spain Logue
........................... Duane Morris
........................ Patricia Parker
....................... Meredith Rawlins
........................ Stuart Redfield
......................... Candace Rogers
.......................... Dee Etta Rowe
......................... Carrie Solomon
........................ Melanie Vaughan
.......................... Joseph Warner 
Swings .............. Cheryl Mae Stewart
................... James Edward Justiss
........................... William Kirk 



Cut Songs:       

 1. Parlor Songs

 2. The Contest (Tooth pulling sequence)



New York Revival Production Info:

Opened .............. September 14, 1989 
Closed ............... February 25, 1990
Ran ................... 189 Performances
Theatre ... Circle in the Square Theatre 
Music ................. Stephen Sondheim
Lyrics ................ Stephen Sondheim
Book .....................  Hugh Wheeler
.... Based on a book by Christopher Bond
Producer .......... Circle in the Square 
Artistic Director ........ Theodore Mann
Producing Director .......... Paul Libin
Directed ............. Susan H. Schulman 
Choreographed ....... Michael Lichtefeld 
Musical Director .... David Krane Scenic 
Design/Graphics ........... James Morgan 
Costume Design ............ Beba Shamash 
Lighting Design ...... May Jo Dondlinger
Originally presented Off-Off Broadway ..
............ by the York Theatre Company
Producing Director .. Janet Hayes Walker
Manag. Director .. Molly Pickering Grose



New York Revival Cast:

Anthony Hope ................ Jim Walton 
Sweeney Todd ................ Bob Gunton 
Beggar Woman ........... Sue Ellen Estey 
Mrs. Lovett ................ Beth Fowler 
Judge Turpin .............. David Barron 
The Beadle ............. Michael McCarty 
Johanna ........ Gretchen Kingsley-Weihe 
Tobias Ragg .............. Eddie Korbich 
Pirelli ..................... Bill Nable 
Jonas Fogg ................ Tony Gilbert 
Policeman ............. David E. Mallard 
Birdseller .................. Ted Keegan 
Dora ...................... Sylvia Rhyne 
Mrs. Mooney ........ Mary Ellen Phillips 



New York Revival Added Songs:

 1. Johanna (Judge's Song)



New York Revival Cut Songs:

 1. The Barber and His Wife
 2. Kiss Me/Ladies in Their...



Original London Production Info:

.......................................
Opened ................... July 2, 1980
Ran ................... 157 Performances 
Theatre ............. Theatre Drury Lane
Music ................. Stephen Sondheim
Lyrics ................ Stephen Sondheim
Book .....................  Hugh Wheeler 
Produced ............... Robert Stigwood 
In association with ......... David Land
By arrangement with ....... Richard Barr
....................... Charles Woodward
........................... Robert Fryer
....................... Mary Lea Johnson
........................ Martin Richards 
Directed ................. Harold Prince 
Choreography .............. Larry Fuller 
Production Designed ......... Eugene Lee 
Costumes Designed ........... Franne Lee 
Lighting Designed ....... Ken Billington 
Orchestrations ......... Jonathan Tunick 
Musical Director .............. Ray Cook 



Cast:

Sweeney Todd ........... Denis Quilley 
Mrs. Lovett ........... Sheila Hancock 
Beggar Woman ........... Dilys Watling 
Tobias ............ Michael Staniforth 
Anthony .......... Andrew C. Wadsworth 
Johanna ................... Mandy More 
Judge Turpin ............. Austin Kent 
Beadle ........ David Wheldon-Williams 
Pirelli .................... John Aron 
Jonas Fogg ................. Oz Clarke 
The Company ........... Sylvia Beamish
....................... Michael Bulman
...................... Simon Butteriss
............................ Oz Clarke
......................... Linda D'Arcy
...................... Victoria Duncan
...................... Katherine Dyson
....................... Mercia Glossop
........................ Andrew Golder
....................... Stuart Haycock
......................... Stephen Hill
........................ Marie Jackson
...................... Diane Mansfield
......................... Neil Michael
....................... William Relton
........................... Myra Sands
........................ Suzanne Sloan
.......................... Grant Smith
..................... Rex Taylor Craig
.......................... David Urwin 



Original London Added Songs:

 1. Beggar Woman's Lullaby



Original London Cut Songs:

 1. Parlor Songs




London Revival Production Info:

Opened ..................... May 1, 1985
Theatre .............. Half Moon Theatre
Ran .................... 33 Performances 
Music ................. Stephen Sondheim
Lyrics ................ Stephen Sondheim
Book .....................  Hugh Wheeler
.... Based on a book by Christopher Bond
Presented by ......... Half Moon Theatre
Directed .................... Chris Bond 
Production Designer ........ Elen Cairns 
Costume Supervisor ....... Jayne Lambert 
Lighting Designer ........ Jimmy Simmons 
Musical Director ........... Graham Pike 
Sound Designer .............. Tim Foster 
Musical Arrangements ....... Rick Juckes 



Cast:

Anthony Hope ........ Christopher Snell 
Sweeney Todd .............. Leon Greene 
Beggar Woman ................ Ruth Mayo 
Mrs. Lovett ............. Gillian Hanna 
Judge Turpin ........... Bernard Martin 
Beadle Bamford ......... Edward Clayton
Johanna ............... Eithne Hannigan 
Tobias Ragg .......... Andrew Schofield 
Pirelli ..................... John Aron 
Bird Seller ............. Judith Street 



Recordings:

 1. Original Cast Recording (2 LP), 1979
    (RCA, CBL2-3379

 2. Original Cast Record. (2 Tape), 1979
    (RCA, CBK2-3379)

 3. Original Cast (Highlights), 1984
    (RCA, RCD1-5033)

 4. Original Cast Record. (2 CD), 1987
    (RCA, 3379-2-RC)

 5. Sweeney Todd... In Jazz, 1995
    (Varese Sarabande, VSD-5603)

 6. Sweeney Todd (Barcelona), 1995
    (Horus, Polydor Spain 25002)



Awards:

1979 Tony Awards - 9 nominations, 8 wins:

 1. Best Musical
 2. Best Book (Hugh Wheeler)
 3. Best Score (Stephen Sondheim)
 4. Best Actor... Musical (Len Cariou)
 5. Best Actress (Angela Lansbury)
 6. Best Director (Harold Prince)
 7. Best Scenic Design (Eugene Lee)
 8. Best Costume Design (Franne Lee)     


1979 Grammy Awards

 1. Best Original Cast Show Album 
 2. Best Engineered Classical Recording


1979 New York Drama Critics Circle Award
 
 1. Best Score (Stephen Sondheim) 
 2. Best Lyrics (Stephen Sondheim) 
 3. Best Book (Hugh Wheeler) 
 4. Best Actress (Angela Lansbury ) 
 5. Best Actor in a Musical (Len Cariou) 
 6. Best Featured Actor (Ken Jennings) 
 7. Best Costume Design (Franne Lee) 
 8. Best Scenic Design (Eugene Lee) 


1979 Outer Critics Circle Award

 1. 1980 London Standard Drama Award  
    Best Musical 

 2. Society of West End Theatre Award 
    Best Musical 

 3. Society of West End Theatre Award  
    Best Actor (Dennis Quilley) 



Secondary performance rights handled by
Music Theatre International



Articles: 

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