There will be blood. That much is certain. But not as much as other \Sweeney Todd"" productions, and a far cry from Tim Burton's gore-addled film adaptation.
What many in Madison will witness of ""Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street,"" which has been called ""the greatest musical of the past half-century"" by the Wall Street journal, is more of a minimalist dark comedy than a slasher drama, according to leading actress Carrie Cimma, who plays macabre meet pie vendor Mrs. Lovett.
""It's really stripped down, minimalistic. The costumes are mainly black and white and everything is just sort of alluded to - the blood and gore we just pour buckets of stage blood, so it's not nearly as gory as other tellings of the story,"" Cimma said.
With this production, the focus was less on sensationalizing the gore and shocking the audience and more on accentuating the natural humor inherent in the story.
""I think there's a lot more humor in this production. The movie I really thought was humorless, the gore was really over the top at the end,"" Cimma said. ""But I think it's a very funny story. A New York Times reviewer, when the revival opened in New York, said it was the angriest musical ever written, and I totally disagreed with that. I think it's more of a black comedy than anything.""
The directors and producers also took a unique twist on the popular musical, telling it from the view of the assistant Toby, who has lost his mind by the end of narrative.
""It's sort of told in retrospect through his [Toby's] mind as an insane person in an asylum. So we're all these characters who are sort of telling the story, so it' actors playing characters playing characters,"" Cimma said.
Also adding to the intrigue and challenge, the actors will physically be playing the instruments for the score rather than just playing characters. For Cimma, who graduated from New York University School of the arts, it's a challenge she relishes.
""I just love doing this show every night. The music is just spectacular, and I don't think in a traditional setting of the show I don't think I'd have an opportunity to play the score.""
""Sweeny Todd"" will run on Friday, Jan. 23 at 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 24 at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 25 at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are available for $29-$69 at the Overture Center ticket office, by phone at 608.258.4141 or online at overturecenter.com.
