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Show Thr Newspaper Thursday, October 7, 1982 Page B5 Dark musical 'Sweeney Todd' chills the bone By Rick Brough In "Sweeney Todd," the musical currently playing at Salt Lake's Theater 138, the entire cast emerges to begin the play. Their faces are pasty white and they sing of death and murder. It looks like a musical version of "Night of the Living Dead" and in some ways, that is exactly the effect they intended. in-tended. The "Sweeney" production pro-duction is bone-chilling and blackly comic. The performances are not always assured, which is very damaging to this kind of unconventional musical. (When you see an off-center moment, you're not sure it's the author's unorthodoxy, or the actor's fumbling.) The play has some broad flaws. But in general, Theater 138 displays artistry and daring in "Sweeney." The story is based on an old legend about the murdering murder-ing barber of Fleet Street. In his second-floor shop, Sweeney Swee-ney slits the throats of customers, then dumps the bodies down a trap door to his confederate, Mrs. Lovett. She bakes the remains into meat pies that become taste sensations among the unknowing un-knowing neighbors. Sweeney's actions, while atrocious, are vengeance on society. Years ago he was railroaded into prison by a corrupt judge who ravaged Sweeney's wife, and took Todd's daughter as his ward. (Now that she's grown, he even has incestuous designs - s j 'i Norv Lambert, Allen Titensor Teamwork pays off Park City's Trivia Team, Norv Lambert and Allen Titensor, were in the winner's circle this week, and are entitled to share a free sandwich from the Main Street Deli. The Dynamic Duo knew that the British version ver-sion of "All in the Family" was called "Til Death Do Us Part"; that Bull Durham Tobacco is advertised ad-vertised on the north wall outside the Red Banjo (the sign has been blocked from view by an adjacent-building since. 1978); and that Marilyn Stillman-Caravaglia is looking for live models for her drawing class. If you want a sandwich for yourself, or a partner, part-ner, rush your quiz answers to The Newspaper office at 419 Main St., or call 649-9014 before Tuesday noon. This week's questions are: 1. In literature, what secret treasure is associated with the hero Allan Quartermain? 2. What is Hawkeye Pierce's full name? 3. Orrin Hatch and Ted Wilson recently debated before what association in Park City? (M3tuD?Q ft SB China Rfye Restaurant Open 7 days a week, y Mon. thruFri. 11:30 a.m. -11:00 p.m. Sat. & Sun. 3:00 to 11:00 upon her!) Joseph Paur as Sweeney has a demonically deep voice and a sinister smile. And when he sings to his "only friends" the sinister razors he makes the moment eerie without edging over into the ridiculous. But he's still rather stiff as an actor. And his portrayal isn't very interesting. He keeps hitting the same doleful note. Margaret Crowell is the show's delight as Mrs. Lovett. Lo-vett. She combines cunning, maternal sweetness, impudence, im-pudence, and gaiety the only aspect of her character that doesn't quite ring true is her quiet, desperate love for Sweeney. (One big advantage advan-tage is that her part is one of the best-written in the play. ) The supporting cast features fea-tures local actcr Steve Stan-czyk Stan-czyk as the sailor Anthony, who falls in love with Sweeney's daughter. (This is our ostensible reason for writing about a Salt Lake City play, but we hope that henceforth we can periodically periodi-cally examine the talents of the valley theater groups.) Stanczyk is, as usual, excellent, and holds his own with the experienced 138 players. He is convincingly idealistic, and love-smitten as he desperately tries to rescue his love from the judge. My only regret is that he can't make more out of what is a routine juvenile role. (His most distinctive moment comes when he first sees the girl he loves, and shyly clings to the side of a building.) He could play Sweeney Todd. In the darkest moments mo-ments of the play, Stanczyk has an angry, dead-soul pose that is very creepy. Rest assured, the future will bring better roles. The score by Stephen Sondheim has many lovely, lively moments, but also some of his familiar over-indulgences over-indulgences the turgid, breathless songs that blur the very same subtleties, and scabrous edges they're attempting to bring out. The inconsistent book by Hugh Wheeler begins in a corrosively bitter mood, shifts to black comedy for the most of the play, then whips up a Hamlet-like string of killings to end the play, again, in bitterness. The writing frustrates the actors' efforts at times. Gene Pack as the judge never makes an impression because be-cause his character is required re-quired to be loathsomely perverted in one scene, and fuddy-duddy in another. The play's corrupt copper is a thug in the early scenes, but later on becomes almost endearingly foolish. (Lonnie Ray Johnson has several nicely pompous moments in the role.) There are effective performances per-formances from the other supporting players: Anne Stewart Mark as the daughter; daugh-ter; Dorothy Briggs Arnold as a beggar woman; and Edd Clark as a preening Italian barber who rivals Sweeney. Some of the most impressive dramatic muscles mus-cles are displayed by Joseph Allen Brown, as a comic apprentice who descends into madness when he discovers dis-covers what his employer, Mrs. Lovett, has been up to. The play has vigorous direction from Ariel Ballif, and a boisterous effective ensemble of singers. The swinging sets accomplished a small miracle by showing a whole region of London on the small 138 stage. (The only major problem on opening night was the barber's bar-ber's trap door, which opened too early. This left the "unwitting victims" bravely trying to ignore the hole under their feet.) "Sweeney Todd" will stick in your mind. Its horror has depth, even if the bite is sometimes missing. The production runs Wednesday Wed-nesday to Saturday through Oct. 30. All seats are reserved, at $4 for adults, $3 for students, and $2 for senior citizens. Curtain is at 8:30 p.m. For further information, infor-mation, call 322-0093. X- HOLIDAY VILLAGE MALL, PARK CITY, UT - 649-6541 : $1.00 Wed- Family Fun Day $1.00 ALL EVENING LONG . Ihu 'v. - - See it or be it... AMERICAN U-ru?zSi' Or r-n Daily: 5:15, 7:15,9:15 Sat. -Sun.: 1:15, 5:15. 7:15. 9:15 .AT RIDGEMONT HIGH I Only the Rules STARTS get Busied! FRIDAY Daily: 5:30, 9:00 Sat. -Sun.: 2:00, 5:30, 9.00 w Sat. -Sun.: 1.15,: ' Si53MT RIDGEMONT HIGH K I njsTARTS FRIDAY """N. pi ,r mm Tcrll Iff Daily: 7:30 Ig 3:45,7:30 TH6 BASTiyASTR t MARr SINfiFR M 1 m TANYA ROBERTS Daily: 5:30,7:45, 10:00 Sat. Sun.: 1:00,3:15,5:30,7:45, 10:00 Ws m w muui WHA IS 4th aJClXlU 9il V Zf SPECIAL w Monday - Friday 11:30a.m. -3:30p.m. Egg Roll, Chicken Chow Mein, nU Pork Fried Rice $2.95 L Take out available mini bottle service. v 1 October VJ 16-24, 1982 At the Park Meadows Racquet Club Trophies to winning team, awards to all participants. Finals and awards party Sunday night. All proceeds donated to Big BrothersBig Sisters of Greater Salt Lake. For team sponsorship or individual participation information, call: Park Meadows Racquet Club 649-8200 Miller Brands 972-6004 |