Review: SWEENEY TODD is a Bloody Good Time at Palm Canyon Theatre

What is it about a good horror story that draws audiences by the cart load?  Is it the adrenaline surge of danger around every corner, even as the viewer remains safely out of danger? Or is it the exploration of the dark side of man’s psyche, feeding a vicarious blood lust in the deep recesses of our primordial hind brains? Or, is it a bit of schadenfreude, particularly if the victim is “deserving”?  All of things await the anxious theatregoer in Palm Canyon’s Theatre’s latest venture, Steven’s Sondheim’s macabre masterpiece “Sweeney Todd”.

Set in 1785 amidst the dusky, despair laden quays of London-town, the good ship Bountiful disembarks her curious crew, particularly a starry-eyed sailor Anthony Hope, played by Christian Quevedo and the mysterious Sweeney Todd, played with venom by Paul Grant.  A greater clash of personalities one would never expect, but they meld in the infectious optimism of Anthony and the dark cynicism of Todd, with a respect earned through the acquisition of a life debt, when the sailor saved Sweeney from a horrible death on the wild ocean off Australia.  And, like a Lannister (a reference for you Game of Thrones fans), he always pays his debts.  With a soaring voice and innocence not yet quashed by the world, Mr. Quevedo makes you cheer for him, even though you’re quietly thinking, “oh, you poor sucker, don’t you know you are in a Sondheim play?”  Mr. Grant leaves nothing to the imagination. He emits darkness, a seething desperation and singular focus to get his revenge on those who sent him away and ruined his life.  With raucous vocals and an eminent taste for vengeance…maybe you aren’t so safe in your seat?!  A haggard old beggar woman, here embodied by Linda Mack Berven, sings alms for the poor.  When that doesn’t get her anything, her addled mind switches gears to offer up “a little bounce around the bush”.  Keep an eye on her, she an important little crazy plot point!  As we progress, we find ourselves in the “good part” of town and meet sweet Johanna.  Portrayed by Nicole Kennedy, this bird in a gilded cage and “ward” of the nefarious Judge Turpin, is the quintessential lady in distress.  Ms. Kennedy’s lilting soprano was beautiful, conveying the virtuousness and the danger of her situation.  The instantaneous “love match” (ah, aren’t musicals wonderful?) of her and Anthony lead to some of the most rapid-fire lyric deliveries in the show.  Both experienced singers deftly handled the tongue torturing lyrics of “Ah, Miss” and “Kiss Me”  with aplomb.

PHOTO BY Carlos Mendoza

Following Sweeney’s trail, we find ourselves in the infamous meat pie shop of Mrs. Lovett, played with darkling mischievousness by Se Layne.  The interplay between Grant and Layne have been seen at this theatre many times over the years, but this coupling adds a bit of mystery to the enterprise.  As focal characters to the main plot, Lovett and Todd become integral to each other’s aspirations (His for assassinating all who wronged him, her in achieving a love that lie in secret since when she knew Mr. Todd as his “naïve” younger self, Benjamin Barker, before tragedy stole his soul).  Their chemistry is self-evident, together baking a most gruesome pie of murderous intensity.  If you are starting to think, “is there no light in this thing?”, yes, there absolutely is (if you have a dark sense of humor like me!).  Their rendition of “A Little Priest” is one of the few times Sweeney gets to actually enjoy himself, a flash of former humor he may have forgotten he possessed.  Mind, it is about how to dispose of a select cross section of humanity through gourmet pastry, but what were you expecting, “Tomorrow”?  Mrs. Lovett’s interactions in that piece with Sweeney, flirty with a glint in her eye, was a fun work and the best way to end an act.  Considering where things end up…I’m going to leave that there!

As our bevy of villains shake out, by far the most heinous is the duo of pious law and order debauchery, Judge Turpin and Beadle Bamford, played with frothing bile by Donald Kelley and Marcello Tulipano.  Donald Kelley known to area audiences over countless productions over the years, plays the evil Judge who ruined the life of our barber and destroyed his family.  His pedophilic obsession for Johanna, his “ward” who grew up in his household from a young child, and now plans to wed her, whether she will or no (EWW!!), is as vile as it needs to be. “Pretty Women” is his opportunity to show his vocal chops, which he does with a flair. His lackey, the self-important Beadle is a condescending toady with a malevolent streak to those under his “charge”.  Cheers for Mr. Tulipano on maintaining the stratospheric tenor notes on “Ladies in Their Sensitivities” number and hilarious in the “Little Polly Plunkett” bit.  A secondary villain in the person of Adolfo Pirelli, portrayed with Pomposità gigante (he’s Italian…..kinda) by Raul Valenzuela.  When audiences see Mr. Valenzuela make an entrance, they know they are in for something great.  His Italian barber did not disappoint!  Ridiculous and self-aggrandizing, this Pirelli slayed….without killing anyone!  His dog’s body, the much-maligned Tobias Ragg here played by Joshua Rach, is engaging and sympathetic.  Under the wing of Mrs. Lovett, their quasi mother/son dynamic was moving and felt authentic.  His vocals had a naturalistic quality that felt neither forced nor strained, keeping the esthetic consistent and likeable.

PHOTO BY Carlos Mendoza

There is much to like with this production, with live accompaniment by Steven Smith (Piano), Larry Holloway (Bass) and Bob Forte (Drums).  If I have a complaint here, it would be that I wish the piano would have been a synthesizer instead.  The musical really needs pipe organ sounds that a piano just can’t do. Artistic Director and Costumer Derik Shopinski really put himself to the test with a show like this.  Sondheim is not standard Broadway fare, (even 45 years later) the timing and rhythms are difficult for even the most accomplished Broadway veteran.  He did an admirable job in balancing the musical necessities under Mr. Smith’s musical direction and the dramatic needs of the book.  With a multi-layered set by resident guru JW Layne and the four-sided rotating cube which serves as the two stories of the Fleet Street tenement which house Lovett’s shop and Todd’s Tonsorial Parlor were appropriately stark and functional, with a surprise around every corner (and even on top!).  His lighting design was appreciably dark and moody with floods of red to heighten the suspense. Nick Edwards' projection and special effects work punctuated the deaths with an appropriate "spray". Shopinski's costume designs, as always, established the time and place in grand fashion. He used the scaffolding well in use primarily with his ensemble, who consists of David Brooks (who played Mr. Fogg the asylum keeper), Danny Hargreaves, Jessica Lenz, Darin Macleod, Jackie Padgett, Janet Peterson, Luke Rainey, Denise Rooney, Tim Steele, Colleen Walker, Lisa Walters, Sanai Wright and Gina Zollman.  Ever present as the world our leads inhabit, their refrains about Sweeney’s plight and actions were vocally tight. The number which allowed them off the scaffold and one of the more challenging numbers is “God That’s Good” at the top of the second act.  Just knowing what is in those pies…..

PHOTO BY Carlos Mendoza

For a bloody good time and a sweet, but not too sweet revenge tale, attend yourselves to “Sweeney Todd” while you still have a chance. The production runs Thursdays at 7:00p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. through Sunday, March 24, 2024. Tickets can be purchased at www.palmcanyontheatre.net or by calling (760) 323-5123.

I will put an additional note here, for all reading to hopefully be advised. Lately local theatres, including Palm Canyon, have become aware that there are third party ticketing sites (with whom the theatres have no relationship) that purchase blocks of tickets and resell them on their third-party sites for four to five times their face value.  None of that goes to the theatres I can tell you.  The problem is compounded with the fact that these third parties are buying Google ad space to get their sites to appear in the top three Google search results for the theatre name.  This is just not right!  So, please, buy your seats through the appropriate theatre venue directly.  Your wallets will thank you!

Next up on Palm Canyon Theatre’s 2023-24 season slate:

The Boys in the Band (April 12-21, 2024) In his New York City apartment, Michael throws a birthday party for Harold, a self-avowed “thirty-two-year-old, pockmarked, Jew fairy,” complete with a surprise gift: “Cowboy,” a street hustler. As the evening wears on – fueled by drugs and alcohol – bitter, unresolved resentments among the guests come to light when a game of “Truth” goes terribly wrong.

The Light in the Piazza (May 10-19, 2024) Based on the 1960 novella by Elizabeth Spencer, the show is set in the 1950s in Florence, Italy. Margaret Johnson, a wealthy Southern woman, and her daughter Clara, who is developmentally disabled. When Clara falls in love with a young Italian man, Margaret is forced to reconsider not only Clara's future, but her own deep-seated hopes and regrets as well.

Bye Bye Birdie (July 5-14 2024) Set in the 1950s, this story is reminiscent of the King of Rock. A songwriter finds himself in trouble when the rock and roll teen heartthrob he writes for, Conrad Birdie, is drafted into the Army. As a publicity stunt to record and sell one more hit record before he is sent overseas, a televised farewell is planned with Birdie set to kiss a preselected All-American girl.

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