Attend the Tale of Sweeney Todd

Tonight is the closing show of Sweeney Todd at Trustus Theatre. As I reflect on the entire experience, my first thoughts don’t go back to the beginning of rehearsals in early August. They go back to the Fall of 1979 when, as a teenager, I saw Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou in Sweeney Todd on Broadway. What I know now is that I was way too young then to understand that I was watching history being made.

When Patrick Kelly emailed me in May asking if I was interested in singing for the role of Judge Turpin in Trustus Theatre’s production of Sweeney Todd, I quickly looked at my schedule. I replied, saying I had several conflicts but that if he could work around them and liked how I sang, I’d love to.

At the time, I was in the middle of producing The Monthly After Dinner Cabaret, had a Father’s Day gig at The Venue, plus a trip to Tennessee for a nephew’s wedding. I was also overwhelmingly involved in helping to produce, orchestrate, and sing in Ensemble Eclecticas! ‘s Thank You For the Music. My plate was full. But Sweeney Todd, y’all. I’m a big fan of Stephen Sondheim’s work, having played the Baker in Into the Woods and, honestly, Sweeney Todd… The show is considered by many, as director Christopher Ashley put it, “…one of the masterpieces of musical theatre. — arguably the pinnacle of the form.”

I sang for Patrick and musical director Amanda Wrona and was formally offered the role. I’ve worked with Amanda on several shows, so I knew I was in good hands, and she knew what I could bring to the production. I joked, “If I can sing Into the Woods, I can sing anything.” And then I opened the Sweeney score…

Friends and Colleagues

Some of the cast of Sweeney Todd are friends and colleagues with whom I have wanted to work for a while, including Christopher Cockrell, Katrina Garvin, Hunter Boyle, and Jonathan Monk; they are superb performers and deserve all the accolades they have received for the show. I have seen their professionalism and admired their talent since landing in Columbia in 2009. Chris sat in as accompanist once for Vicky Saye Henderson and me at Villa Tronco (he’s stunning), and Katrina delivered a show-stopping performance in the MAD Cabaret. Of course, I’d worked with Mandy Applegate in She Loves Me at Workshop Theatre and love her dearly — she’s a force of nature and a kindred spirit in many ways. As with every production, I am grateful for the relationships and friendships I’ve made. Anyone who knows me or has worked with me also knows that collaboration makes my heart sing.

Mel Driggers (Tobias), John Ballard (Anthony), and Caroline Quinn (Johanna) play supporting roles. The last time I shared the stage with Caroline, she was much younger, playing one of the children in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I played the Childcatcher and trapped her and her on-stage brother in my cage. Caroline is now 20 years old!

Serving as Ensemble in the show are Von Huber, Liza Hunter, Caitlin White, Liana Wiley, and Semaj Whitener. They still needed a tenor, and, of course, I suggested Adam Bigoney, who has an absurd vocal range. So, in many ways, it was like old home week, even though this was only my second show at Trustus. Von was in The Play That Goes Wrong at Town Theatre, for which I ran sound. Liana was in Cinderella at Town with me, and Adam was Sky Masterson to my Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls at Village Square Theatre, an experience I treasure.

Working with these people has been a joy. Each has their own approach to the work, and each delivers beautifully. The leads, supporting actors, and Ensemble undertook the work with ferocity and supported each other throughout. I’m grateful and proud to add my name to this roster of performers on the Trustus stage.

Sweeney Todd is musically brilliant and lyrically extraordinary, and the whole thing adds up to more than the sum of its parts. I believe it is a masterpiece with its intricate orchestrations, incredibly intelligent and witty lyrics, and distinct characters. The music is so discordant at times that even when you sing it correctly, it can sound wrong. And there are a lot of syllables!

Caroline’s “Green Finch and Linnet Bird” is beautifully deceptive. On the surface, it’s a sweet song. But, if you listen closely, the melody keeps shifting. Joanna doesn’t sing the melody with the same intervals twice; it bounces around like a bird beating its wings on its cage (a plot point), always in a similar pattern, but never exactly the same. In hindsight, it shows the possibility of madness coming to her like it came to her father and mother.

John’s “Johanna” is just lovely. He starts to sing the song, and my character, Turpin, interrupts an encounter between him and Johanna. But the whole song happens after he gets chased away, and it’s heartbreaking.

Unquestionably, my favorite song to listen to backstage is Sweeney’s “Johanna,” which is actually a quartette. Chris, John, Caroline, and Mandy delivered it beautifully and smoothly. It’s the one song in the show that has a rolling beat that never stops. It’s not frenetic like most of the score, with Chris carrying the song’s bulk and the other three chiming in, offering counterpoints. It’s amazing.

Choices Were Made

While putting the show together, sadly, Judge Turpin’s version of “Johanna,” a particularly disturbing piece, was cut from the show just before opening night. I was a bit salty about it, but I ultimately accepted the decision as a professional should. It was felt that the number interrupted the flow, but I believe the song reveals the Judge’s true nature. The piece is sometimes not performed and is an appendix in the script. As an interesting side note, a review of the current Sweeney Todd revival on Broadway includes an interesting take on the song:

“So, the third jewel of the “Johanna” triple crown is the one that Judge Turpin sings. But original director Harold Prince didn’t want it in his production, either. It was a pretty grisly song for an era when ANNIE was still Broadway’s biggest hit musical. In it, the hypocritical and perverted Turpin spies his ward, Johanna, through a keyhole. Any doubt that he was up to no good? Has the word “voyeur” ever been meant as a compliment?

He’s watching Johanna, whom he’s “protected” since infancy and is now a fully grown woman, though substantially younger than he. As the Judge spies, he begins with a prayer to God — “Mea culpa!” (“My fault”) to “Mea maxima culpa!” (“My grievous fault”) and ups it even higher to “Mea maxima maxima culpa!” (“My most grievous fault.”). He obsesses over the girl and begins whipping himself on the one hand, and becomes sexually arroused on the other, ending in a climax (not just musically!).

He then (I believe) has a psychotic break in which he determines the best way to avoid losing Johanna is to marry her. The review goes on to say:

The Judge’s “Johanna” was cut early in the previews of the original production, although it is on the original cast recording. One reason given, and the easiest to believe, is that audiences had been repelled by it. Some say that original director Harold Prince had trouble staging it. But Stephen Sondheim felt so strongly about the song that he compromised by including it as an option in an appendix to the score.

From the beginning, Patrick saw the show as a ghost story. I rather liked that interpretation. After all, the opening number is performed by people who will have died by the end, save Tobias, who has likely lost his mind. Changes and adjustments are part of bringing any show to life, and some production elements could have been more fully realized and/or refined. But what Patrick developed was a more stylized treatment of the show. The space at Trustus is limited in height, and traditional staging of the show usually includes a two-story structure. Indeed, this was the case when I saw the original production.

I served in the Ensemble of Hunchback of Notre Dame at Town Theatre. It was a massive production, and I was reminded just how difficult it is to be an Ensemble member. If you’re a theatre person, you already know this. If you are not, suffice it to say you have responsibilities for set pieces on which the entire cast depends; you play multiple characters with multiple costumes. You become the backbone of the production and seemingly have to be everywhere at once with various tasks and roles. The Ensemble is hard work.

The Ensemble

As I watched during rehearsals and later from the wings, I was again reminded how challenging the job was that fell on the Ensemble’s shoulders. These six performers took on a score that 20+ people normally sing. They are a Greek chorus and, in part, serve as various characters in the show. I found their performance of the intricate harmonies in “The Letter” to be outstanding. This pseudo aca pella piece is perhaps the most difficult in the show. The talent and experience these individuals bring is breathtaking. Amanda lived up to her reputation of getting a lot of sound out of people.

I also have to give a shoutout to my new friend, Mel Driggers, who plays Tobias. I’ll have to go through the score to count, but I honestly think she may actually sing more words than anyone else on stage. Her voice soars, and I love hearing her sing.

“The Review”

The run of Sweeney Todd has been virtually sold out – this despite, or perhaps because of, a less-than-stellar review published by The Jaspar Project. I’m providing the link so those who have seen the show can decide for themselves. While my original post was more like a manifesto on the subject, I’ll simply say, “thank you.” IYKYK

With no disrespect to the institution, the subject of Trustus’ position as “Columbia’s only professional theatre” is utter nonsense. Regardless of which proscenium arch under which one works, garnering a paycheck alone is not what defines someone as a professional. In practice and connotation, it is an attitude we bring to any venue that defines us, not the compensation we receive. It is appreciated. But it doesn’t equal professional. This is not an indictment of Trustus or its Company. Of the Jasper review, I will say this; much was made of the idea that Company members would likely do a better job. I disagree. I was honored to stand alongside other actors, both in and not in the Company’s ranks, as we performed what is arguably Stephen Sondheim’s most challenging work. And for the record, if asked, I would be delighted to join the Company. But membership in its ranks would not be the end all and be all.

I also read comments on social media threads pointing out that reviews in big cities are often nasty. I wholeheartedly agree. Having received a less-than-raving review years ago in Houston, Texas (a big city), I completely understand the truth in this. I have never believed they are meant to provide warm and fuzzy feelings across the board, stroke the egos of those on stage, or sell tickets for the theatre. If it’s a rave, that’s lovely and heartening, with all the good feels accompanying it. And if that rave review is honest, all the better. Tony Awards campaigns are often waged on the heels of a good review, and ticket sales can soar. That’s all wonderful.

There’s a certain parity in “big city” reviews when considering the “big budgets” those producers must spend on production. While throwing money at a show doesn’t necessarily make it a good one or guarantee its success, it certainly smooths the pavement on the road to fruition. There is a glaring lack of parity when equating Columbia, South Carolina, to New York; to try to do so is absurd. Scale and scope matter and must be considered. To ignore this is disingenuous. To be clear, no one is asking for a review full of hollow praise. At the same time, I have never once said, “It’s just community theatre, so I expect less.”

I recall helpful advice from a teaching director in Galveston, Texas, who said,

“If you can’t learn something from a bad review, I think the best thing to do is ignore it. Many reviews say more about the critic than the performer; learning how to tell the difference is part of an actor’s training and can sometimes be painful.”

So to all performers at all theatres, all directors and production staff, and all audiences who support them, and yes, the reviewers – keep doing what you’re doing. Keep attending. Keep performing. Keep reviewing. Keep collaborating. We’ve enjoyed a successful run with Sweeney Todd. I’m grateful to Patrick Kelly for the opportunity to be part of it and to Jessica Fichter and Dewey Scott Wiley for their help in bringing it home. Also, thanks to Terrance Henderson, who worked with the cast on movement. I’m incredibly grateful to add several people to my list of friends. And most of all, I’m glad I got a chance to perform another piece of Stephen Sondheim’s work.

Clayton King
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