Even though this German production of
Stephen Sondheim's
Sweeney Todd may be greeted with some skepticism, it is a remarkable performance in English that is fairly free of language problems and surprisingly faithful to classic recordings of this operatic musical. With
Mark Stone as
Sweeney,
Jane Henschel as
Mrs. Lovett,
Gregg Baker as
Anthony, and
Rebecca Bottone as
Johanna, the cast consciously aims toward a vague approximation of Cockney, intermittently applied, and there are only a few moments in the choral numbers where the
Bavarian Radio Choir sings with obvious traces of a German accent.
Henschel doesn't sing with the nasal twang associated with
Angela Lansbury, though it takes a lot of effort to impersonate that voice, and she was wise to avoid such affectation. Similarly,
Stone doesn't growl as fiercely as
Len Cariou, and he pursues a richer, more mellifluous interpretation of the character. The highlight of the show is the duet "A Little Priest," which gives
Henschel and
Stone their most comic moments and steals the show. The
Munich Radio Orchestra is conducted by
Ulf Schirmer, and they provide a warm and luscious accompaniment to the singing, and the spontaneity of the live performance makes this feel convincingly like a fully staged version.
Sweeney Todd has enjoyed many productions in Germany, and this
BR Klassik recording will do well there, though it needs wider distribution in the United States to compete with the original Broadway and London cast recordings. ~ Blair Sanderson
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