>> PHOTOS: The Broadway shows we can’t wait to see in Dayton
ABOUT THE SHOW
Direct from London’s West End, the critically acclaimed production is housed inside Greenwich Village’s snug Barrow Street Theatre, which has been ingeniously transformed into a pie shop befitting the story. As seen at its outstanding Sunday, March 5 matinee, the show is filled with riveting immediacy and shock value.
The versatile eight-member cast regularly leaves the stage to perform on four dining tables placed in the audience, interacting with glee and menace. In fact, the entire experience, simultaneously compelling and jolting, gives refreshing meaning to the lyric “isn’t that Sweeney there beside you?”
"To be part of this 'Sweeney' revival with such a refreshing and different take on the material has been thrilling to say the very least," said Finke who memorably portrayed the title roles in Muse Machine's productions of "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and "Peter Pan."
“The musical is so beloved, especially by the New York crowd, and it has been exciting to have people who are huge fans of the show come to our production and say they have found a new appreciation for the piece. They are hearing and seeing things they never have before and I think that is largely due to the staging and design. Mr. Sondheim was inspired by the film score of ‘Hangover Square’ when he approached ‘Sweeney Todd ‘and even says himself in his book ‘Finishing the Hat’ that ‘Sweeney Todd’ is a movie for the stage. There is something incredibly filmic about putting the material in such an intimate setting with the immersive approach. There is no separation between the actors on stage and the audience in the dark. Everyone is part of the gritty, suspenseful story.”
In Act 1, Finke skillfully interprets “Green Finch and Linnet Bird,” a tender ballad expressing Johanna’s deep yearning within entrapment. Her rendition is strikingly unhurried and reflective, bolstered with equal amounts of anguish and curiosity.
“‘Green Finch’ is such an iconic song in the musical theater catalogue, so I always hoped to do it justice,” she said. “I approached Johanna as I do every role, hoping to bring the character to life in a way that honors them as a fully formed, genuine person with all of their quirks, complexities and flaws. Johanna’s circumstances are so far from my own so to get inside her head and her skin has been a process. I still feel like I am learning new things about her each day.”
ONE OF THE HOTTEST TICKETS OF THE SEASON
Directed by Bill Buckhurst, “Sweeney Todd” opened March 1 and has become one of the hottest tickets of the season. It was originally slated to run through Aug. 13 but has extended through Dec. 31. The dynamic cast includes Londoners Jeremy Secomb (Sweeney Todd), Siobhan McCarthy (Mrs. Lovett), Joseph Taylor (Tobias Ragg) and Duncan Smith (Judge Turpin) along with Matt Doyle (Anthony Hope), Betsy Morgan (Beggar Woman/Adolfo Pirelli), and two-time Tony nominee Brad Oscar (Beadle Bamford). Beginning April 11, Tony nominees Norm Lewis and Carolee Carmello notably replace Secomb and McCarthy.
Finke, who made her Broadway debut in 2015 as Cosette in “Les Miserables,” says she continues to value her plum role and the production’s appealing uniqueness.
“I had never worked on an immersive production so learning how to relate to the audience has been a great learning experience,” she said. “I think another challenge, not just for me, but for all of us as actors in this piece, is making the extreme circumstances of the story feel real for the audience sitting sometimes less than a foot away. The support we have received from Mr. Sondheim has been amazing. He has already seen the show twice. To sing his music and lyrics 10 feet away from him was definitely a surreal bucket list moment.”
For tickets or more information about "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" visit sweeneytoddnyc.com.
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