Then, he played an early song in the show, "The Barber and His Wife." Cariou says Sondheim showed him how "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" used the "Dies Irae" from the Catholic mass for the dead. Cariou went to the composer's house for a preview, where both were so nervous, they shared a joint, before Sondheim demonstrated a few songs. You know, if he writes a really romantic score, this might be interesting,'" he remembers, adding: "The guy's pretty smart, you know."Īnd Sondheim wrote a really romantic score. But Cariou had worked with Stephen Sondheim before, on A Little Night Music. Lovett, disposes of the bodies by baking them into meat pies. So, there is a fraternity of Sweeneys, who can share stories and trade tips about playing the famously difficult role.įour of them came to NPR's New York bureau for a wide-ranging conversation: pop singer Josh Groban, who's only recently taken on the part Michael Cerveris, who fronted the revival in 2005, playing guitar, while Patti LuPone played the tuba Norm Lewis, who's played the role three times, most recently off-Broadway in an immersive production set in a pie shop, and Len Cariou, the original Sweeney.Ĭrazy, because the show is about a barber who slits the throats of his customers. Since its premiere 44 years ago, Sweeney Todd has returned to New York in various guises – small off-Broadway productions, operatic and concert versions, and a Broadway revival, where the actors performed their own accompaniment. And the lavish revival, featuring Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford, a cast of 25 and an orchestra of 26, recently opened to rave reviews. The tale of a murderous barber, who teams up with a pie shop owner in 19th century London, the show is gruesome, passionate and outrageously funny. Stephen Sondheim's 1979 masterpiece, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, is back on Broadway. Annaleigh Ashford and Josh Groban in the 2023 Broadway production of Sweeney Todd.
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