BAKING UP SOMETHING GOOD AT WILDSONG
Come on, Wildsong. You’re only two seasons old, in a tiny theater, have mostly young company players, and are on a ridiculously small budget. There’s no way that adds up to even considering doing one of Stephen Sondheim’s toughest musicals, Sweeney Todd, let alone doing it this brilliantly.
Sondheim’s music is notoriously difficult, changing tempo and key with abandon – sometimes numerous times in the same number. His lyrics run at NASCAR speeds, with characters often overlapping, while singing at different paces. Hugh Wheeler’s book for the musical is complex, covering numerous locations. And yet’¦wow!
Neither Sondheim nor Wheeler take credit for the base plot. The murderous barber was introduced in a serialized form in a magazine in 1846 (though the story is set in 1785). Before the serial ever completed, it was turned into a play in 1850. 120 years later, in 1970, it was revived and revised by Christopher Bond as a non-musical play, giving more backstory to the cut-throat shaving man to be used in Sondheim’s dark farcical musical version − nine years later.
Benjamin Barker (Cody Ingram) had been a barber, happily married with a daughter, Joanna. The villainous Judge Turpin (Tyler Jiles), who was attracted to Todd’s wife Lucy, had Barker jailed for life in a penal colony on a trumped-up charge. Lucy, we are told, poisoned herself after Turpin raped her. Turpin then adopts Joanna (Lyric Boothe) as his ward, essentially imprisoning the young beauty for fear of losing his possession.
Barker returns years later to London, having been rescued at sea, befriending the sailor, Anthony (Shane Hennessey), who saved his life. Barker, using the fake name Sweeney Todd, learns of the sad fates of his loved ones from Mrs. Lovett (Jennika Grace), the bawdy, gregarious owner of a bakery, whereupon she confesses that she sells “the worst meat pies in London.” In her defense, this might be due in part to the fact that beef has gotten expensive (a competitor is using cat meat). Mrs. Lovett is drawn to Todd on many levels and the two will hatch a wild, devilish plan (blood will be spilt) as Sweeney’s desire to exact revenge takes its own revenge. Will he ever get Joanna (with whom Anthony has fallen in love) from the judge and free his daughter? It’s anybody’s bloody guess in this thriller musical.
Ingram has powerful vocals that hit the mark needed for the brooding resonance of Todd. Boothe is delightful with near operatic tones as Joanna – a sharp contrast to her earthy beltings as Mimi in Wildsong’s Rent earlier this year. Kannon Gower is touching as Tobias, a simpleton who comes to love Mrs. Lovett for her kindness to him, giving an emotional delivery of what is arguably the show’s best-known number, “Not While I’m Around.”
But the grand spotlight goes to Ms. Grace, who adds an excitement and sexuality to the character wholly different than Angela Lansbury, Helena Bonham Carter, or Patti LuPone. Between Brooke Aliceon McDougal’s direction and choreography and Grace’s natural style, Lovett gets a fun dimension that I’ve not seen before. Set design (Kannon Gower, Debi Schneiderwind, Alex Beneventi) sets the creepy tone nicely; in Act II the designers reveal a terrific surprise, which received a huge cheer.
There’s still one real struggle with Wildsong Productions — and my regular readers have heard this time and again: The sound system at OB Playhouse, home to Wildsong, is subpar, a problem made even more noticeable with Sondheim’s music. You won’t miss out on plot, but you will lose lyrics, and some humor as a result, especially in the clever banter of “A Little Priest.”
The very good news for Wildsong is that community theater lovers and local news rallied behind the company a few months ago when their landlord tried to double their rent (ironically, during their run of Rent). The result is a three-year contract at this creative space. With a longer-term commitment to the locale than before, current fundraising has listed a new sound board as one of their top two priorities (along with tiered seating).
I continue to marvel at how much energy, passion, dancing, and pathos consistently comes out on Wildsong’s tiny stage time and again. Sweeney Todd follows that track record beautifully. The performances in this much more intimate setting match many shows I’ve seen at the Civic for Broadway San Diego. The time has come for Wildsong to start being recognized by more San Diego theatergoers − it’s upsetting that people look at me blankly when I mention this estimable institution.
photos by Brooke Aliceon
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Wildsong Productions
OB Playhouse (in Ocean Beach) 4944 Newport Ave in San Diego
Thurs-Sat at 8; Sun at 6
performance dates and times vary; see website for specificsextended through March 3, 2024
for tickets, visit Wildsong