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Nicole Reviews Sweeney Todd at the New York City Opera

A rag-tag crowd beckons "Swing your razor high Sweeney..." and we get swept into the world of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. For the next two hours we are masterfully drawn in, made to cringe, have our spines tingle, but also, sometimes to laugh. The story of the Demon Barber is this (without giving away the surprises): Sweeney Todd has returned to London after being locked away for 15 years. He was jailed by the evil judge Turpin who sentenced him for no reason but to get Todd's wife, Lucy. Todd is now back, and hungry for revenge. He teams up with Mrs. Lovett, who makes "the worst pies in London." Together they work out a perfect, yet murderous partnership which temporarily gets them both want they want: Todd gets revenge and Mrs. Lovett gets better pies.

We want to be repulsed by the murder and the cannibalism involved, but we aren't completely. Todd is too human, too wounded. And the cannibalism, which takes a back seat to Todd's murders, seems all too "practical," not to mention that it provides the laughs in the show in the form of "Have a Little Priest."

During this run of Sweeney Todd, two actors, Mark Devalan and Timothy Nolen, will play the title role. The majority of the shows will be Devalan's, but the night I went, Nolen was in the lead role. Nolen originated this role for the NYC Opera twenty years ago, and yesterday played the role perfectly -- to the T. The most special thing about Nolen's portrayal is his expressions, which capture Todd's anguish, hatred and hurt exactly. I recommend bringing binoculars since these are sold-out shows and the High 5 seats are typically way up in the fourth ring. And seeing Sweeney's face is crucial to getting the full impact of this "musical thriller."

The staging was also a powerful element. Everything from Sweeney's "special" chair, to the rotating centerpiece of Mrs. Lovett's shop below Sweeney's operation, was perfect for the world that Sweeney Todd is supposed to create. The word plays, the rhymes, and the brooding sense felt in Sondheim's lyrics are amazing. However, his mastery also lies in the soft lyrical songs that accompany the dark, one-minded ambition of Todd.

This musical is powerful, memorable (even if you can't sing it, you still have tunes and lines in your head as you come out) and probably one of the shows most worth seeing this season. I don't think I can put my recommendation any better than Sondheim does in the opening line when he tells us to, "Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd!"