His gruesome story caught the public imagination yet again in 2008 when johnny depp played him in tim burtons film sweeney todd. In the almost zany puzzle for poppy the couple solve the attempted murder of a st. The lyric theatre and northern ireland opera are delighted to present stephen sondheims sweeney todd. The demon barber of fleet street musical by patrick quentin and stephen sondheim. Sweeney todd was produced for television in a 1998 production, directed by john schlesinger and starring ben kingsley as sweeney. Sweeney todd and related entities entities finder. Among the mysteries written under the patrick quentin pseudonym. The demon barber of fleet street, in variety, may 19, 1996, pp.
Sweeney todd the demon barber of fleet street and 9 related. Others have described it as a pitchblack comedy filled with thrills and terrors, while others have heralded it as one of the single greatest achievements of american musical theater in the last 50 years. Sign up for exclusive discounts and save up to 50% on tickets. Hugh wheeler was a novelist, playwright and screen writer. Sweeney todd tells the story of benjamin barker, calling himself todd, who exacts revenge on the corrupt judge turpin, the man who sent him to jail. Although prosaic in appearance these figures are, in fact, ghosts. One of the darkest musicals ever written, sweeney todd is the unsettling tale of a victorianera barber who returns home to london after fifteen years of exile to take revenge on the corrupt judge who ruined his life. Some critics call sweeney todd sondheims most perfect score, filled with ravishing beauty. Nov 08, 2019 sweeney todd 1979, based on a version of the play by christopher bond, and meet me in st.
Sweeney todd confronts the audience with an absurdly dark plot and an accumulation of corpses reminiscent of shakespeares hamlet, rather than the light plot and happy ending usually associated with the musical. He soon won a trio of tonys for scripting the musicals a little night music, candide and sweeney todd. Patrick and patrick quentin, and four of his novels were transformed into films. The principals, steven page as todd with patrick stewart diction and a fine baritone and julie mullins as mrs lovett are superb. Mary louise white aswell, nacio en 1902 en germantwon, pensilvania.
In the 1960s and 70s, wheeler achieved success as a playwright and librettist, and his output as quentin patrick slowed and then ceased altogether after 1965. Sweeney todd opened on broadway in 1979 and in the west end in 1980. Black widow is a pip, and peter and iris emerge through the wringer of suspected adultery, recrimination. One of the large differences between the two works is sondheims humanity that he hands of sweeney todd through his love story with the beggar woman and his sadness after her death, in comparison with the much bleaker and remorseless. A small theater company lacking resources for a musical could easily stage this and perhaps even incorperate, with minimal cutting, some of the small plot changes wheeler and sondheim made to improve the over all flow and believability of the story. Dec 02, 2015 sweeney todd confronts the audience with an absurdly dark plot and an accumulation of corpses reminiscent of shakespeares hamlet, rather than the light plot and happy ending usually associated with the musical.
Stephen sondheim was born on march 22, 1930, in new york city to herbert and janet sondheim. Etc past shows ensemble theatre company of santa barbara. Mullins has a touch of the midcareer millicent martin, effortlessly combining cockney charm with wickedness. With johnny depp, helena bonham carter, alan rickman, timothy spall. The demon barber of fleet street, stephen sondheim drew on a littleknown british play of 1973 by christopher bond. His need for vengeance becomes murderousand profitablewhen he partners with the unscrupulous mrs. The infamous story of benjamin barker, aka sweeney todd, who sets up a barber shop in london which is the basis for a sinister partnership with his fellow tenant, mrs. However, wheeler did write the book for the 1979 musical sweeney todd about a. Hugh wheeler was born on march 19, 1912 in hampstead, north london, england as hugh callingham wheeler. Sweeney todd the demon barber of fleet street and 9.
Sweeney todd is a fictional character who first appeared as the villain of the victorian penny dreadful serial the string of pearls 184647. Helilooja ja laulusonade autor stephen sondheim naidendi autor patrick quentin tolge eesti keelde pirjo jonas lavastaja tanel jonas muusikajuht ja dirigent martin sildos dirigent taavi kull. Hugh callingham wheeler 19 march 1912 26 july 1987 was a british novelist, screenwriter. When revenge eludes him, sweeney swears vengeance on the entire human race, murdering as many people as he can, while his business associate mrs. The demon barber of fleet street often referred to simply as sweeney todd is a 1979 musical with music and lyrics by stephen sondheim and a book by hugh wheeler. Sweeney manages to escape after fifteen years and returns to london intent on wrecking vengeance on the judge. This coproduction runs at the lyric theatre 2 23 february.
It is based on the 1973 play of the same name by christopher bond. The demon barber of fleet street, stephen sondheim drew on a littleknown british play of 1973 by christopher bond that refined and embellished its victorian sources. Wheeler was born in london but moved to the united states in 1934 and became a u. Pbs sweeney todd, the demon barber of fleet street. A filming of a live stage performance was shown on television in 2001, starring george hearn and patti lupone. Todd slaughter, the films star, makes a career out of portraying sweeney todd on stages around the world. Not while im around neil patrick harris sweeney todd duration. Sweeney todd plymouth state university october, 2003 written by patrick quentin music by stephen sondheim directed by kate arecchi lighting design by tom fetera costume design by jennie gratton technical director. The demon barber of fleet street 2007, cabaret 1972 and travels with my aunt 1972. Unjustly imprisoned for 15 years, barber sweeney todd returns to 19th century london to take his revenge on the man who took him from his wife and young daughter. Patients battling heroically with and against their demons, desperate to return to reality, unable to tell friend from foe. May 02, 2019 helilooja ja laulusonade autor stephen sondheim naidendi autor patrick quentin tolge eesti keelde pirjo jonas lavastaja tanel jonas muusikajuht ja dirigent martin sildos dirigent taavi kull. It is based on the 1973 book by english author christopher bond.
Hugh callingham wheeler was also known as patrick quentin. The demon barber of fleet street a musical thriller from an adaptation by christopher bond. Patrick and jonathan stagge, wheeler was the author or coauthor. After 20 years as a successful mystery novelist, in which he wrote or co. The demon barber of fleet street in concert 2001, a filmed concert version of sondheims musical, starring george hearn as sweeney todd benjamin barker, patti lupone as mrs. Black widow is a pip, and peter and iris emerge through the wringer of suspected adultery, recrimination, souldestroying jealousy, and misogyny fit for a strindberg play. Patrick quentin is one of the pseudonyms of hugh callingham wheeler 19121987, who collaborated with several other authors on the books written as by q. A little night music, sweeney todd and candide, died of lung.
The demon barber of fleet street written by john logan music and lyrics by stephen sondheim adapted from the stage musical sweeney todd. However, wheeler did write the book for the 1979 musical sweeney todd about a fictional london mass murderer, showing he had not altogether abandoned the genre. The tale became a staple of victorian melodrama and london urban legend, and has been retold many times since, most notably in the tony awardwinning broadway musical by stephen sondheim and hugh. The demon barber of fleet street performance at the 6th street playhouse in santa rosa, california.
Theres a hole in the world, like a great black pit. Sweeney todd has become a bloody, worldwide success since being awarded 8 tonys, one of them for best musical, for its broadway premiere. Lovett, his partner in crime, who bakes their flesh into meat pies. Stephen sondheim and hugh wheeler a little night music, pacific overtures crafted a tasty, thrilling, theatrical treat with sweeney todd that has simultaneously shocked, awed, and delighted audiences across the world. The demon barber of fleet street cast johnny depp as sweeney todd helena bonham carter as mrs. It won the tony award for best musical and olivier award for best new musical. Sweeney todd is a poor barber transported to australia on trumped up charges by a corrupt judge who desires his wife. Patrick quentin is one of the pseudonyms of hugh callingham wheeler. The demon barber of fleet street plays at the machaydn theatre, 1925 rte. This version is now available in video and dvd formats. The puzzles of peter duluth paperback march 31, 2016.
Lovett and opens his new barber practice above her failing meat pie shop. Black widow, man in the net, the greeneyed monster, and the man with two wives. Lovett alan rickman as judge turpin jamie campbell bower as anthony. The demon barber of fleet street is a 1979 musical with music and lyrics by stephen sondheim and a book by hugh wheeler. All four stories here feature producer peter duluth and his actress wife, iris. Jul 28, 1987 hugh wheeler, award winning playwright. This story and death and the rising star exhibit a distinctly 1940s breeziness. Lovetts struggling pie shop after being wrongfully sentenced to life imprisonment by the corrupt judge turpin. For tickets and information, see the berkshire edge calendar, call the box office at 5183929292 or go online to. Hugh wheeler, award winning playwright the new york times. The demon barber of fleet street critics consensus.
Sweeney todd, whose real name is benjamin barker, uses his new alias to resume work in his barber shop above mrs. Lovetts struggling pie shop after being wrongfully sentenced to life. That is a vid with the 11 best songtitles from the movie sweeney todd. The original tale became a staple of victorian melodrama and london urban legend. Banker by sweeney, by sweeney todd, the demon barber of fleet street. Lovett, timothy nolen as judge turpin, and neil patrick harris as tobias. A barber from fleet street, todd murders his customers and turns their bodies over to mrs. Patrick, first in collaboration and then on his own. He wrote a little night music and sweeney todd, and took on the complicated task of revising lillian hellmans book for candide, among others. The demon barber of fleet street 1979 is a musical and thriller set in victorian england about a murderous barber who extracts revenge on unsuspecting people in london for the cruel abuse of his wife.
Little night music, candide, and sweeney todd, all of which earned him tony awards. Cannibalism and capitalism in sweeney todd sweeney todd. This is a nice little gem of a play and its easy to see why sondheim was drawn to it as source material for his horror musical masterpiece. It is based on the 1973 play of the same name by christopher bond sweeney todd opened on broadway in 1979 and in the west end in 1980. His gruesome story caught the public imagination yet again in 2008 when johnny. Hugh wheeler, award winning playwright the new york. A musical thriller by stephen sondheim and hugh wheeler 19791223.
Black widow, man in the net, the greeneyed monster and the man with two wives. For 20odd years he wrote mysteries under the pseudonyms patrick quentin. Full of pith and grand guignol grossness, this macabre musical is perfectly helmed and highly entertaining. For many a poor orphan lad the first square meal he ever had was a hot meat pie made out of his dadfrom sweeney todd the barber. The demon barber of fleet street music and lyrics by stephen sondheim book by hugh wheeler based on a version of sweeney todd by christopher bond 18th december, 2006 page 1. He wrote more than thirty mystery novels under the pseudonyms q. The play tells the tale of the demon barber of fleet street music and lyrics by stephen sondheim, book by hugh. Louis adapted from the 1949 mgm musical, contributed additional material for the musical pacific overtures 1976, and wrote a new. Richard wilson webb nacio en 1901 en burnhamonsea, somerset. Feb 01, 2010 that is a vid with the 11 best songtitles from the movie sweeney todd. Sondheims sweeney todd is set in 1846 london, the exact same time that the string of pearls was released. Apr 27, 2016 sondheims sweeney todd is set in 1846 london, the exact same time that the string of pearls was released. This dark 1979 tony awardwinner for best musical features music and lyrics by stephen sondheim and is based on the 1973 play sweeney todd, the demon barber of fleet street by christopher bond story.
Mar 31, 2016 after 1952 wheeler produced seven additional quentin novels on his own, but then, successfully, switched careers. Tim burtons film adaptation of sweeney todd the demon barber of fleet street smacks its lips at the prospect of such a meal, and so it should. The demon barber of fleet street, a musical thriller about the infamous boogeyman of victorian london. The demon barber of fleet street is a musical with music and lyrics by stephen sondheim and a book by hugh wheeler.
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