Oct. 12, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — If you don’t get your first goosebumps walking into an implied crime scene to enter the Ziegfeld Theater, just wait.
After you find your seat in Ogden’s intimate, professional theater, The Ziegfeld, you’ll notice an imposing pipe organ set bathed in blood-red light, then a determined man arriving to pound out a dark opus, his back turned to the audience.
On his final note, the mysterious figure turns to reveal a haggard face, a penetrating gaze, and crazed, sinister air.
Meet the title character in “Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”
The Stephen Sondheim/Hugh Wheeler musical is challenging in content, in casting, in set design and especially in vocal demands. And the Ziegfeld’s masterful production meets every challenge.
Caleb Parry directed and Jim Christian served as musical director for this professional quality production.
For anyone who has missed one of theater’s most beloved but twisted musicals, which debuted in 1979, it’s about a wrongly convicted barber, jailed so a crooked judge could get him out of the way and take what he coveted.
When the barber escapes, nearly two decades later, he sets up business under a new name, and waits for those who wronged him and his family members to come in for a “shave,” with their remains to be used willingly as ingredients by Mrs. Lovett, the owner of the meat pie shop, one floor down from the barber shop.
And Todd, antisocial and angry with the world, is also happy to provide “ingredients” from other customers unlikely to be missed.
Cameron Kapetanov, a veteran Utah actor, is known for powerful and nuanced performances and for his strong vocals. He gave the most believable and terrifying performance as Sweeney of any actor I have seen in this role. His singing voice was powerful, and captured the despair and madness of this role.
Maggie Gadd was wonderful as his partner in crime, Mrs. Lovett, whose whole goal was financial profit and a chance to stop chasing down neighborhood cats as an ingredient. Gadd’s Lovett was gregarious and gleefully guilt free.
Austin Payne, as the pompous and corrupt judge, was a more classic villain, with no motives except avarice and lust for his odious actions. He was so good in the role, the opening night murmured in approval as he made his dramatic final exit.
Nate Smith, Natalie Lichfield and Fletcher Schweppe all did a great job in their more innocents roles, adding some balance and brightness to the dark musical.
And the ensemble cast executed complex dance number, choreographed by Pidgin Haycock. The ensemble was also striking when staring straight at the audience to add exposition or sing out warnings.
And remember the imposing pipe organ in the first scene? It breaks apart and serves as effective set pieces for the entire show. Director Parry was also set designer, with projections crafted by Troy Martell. Costume design by Brittney Reid and lights by Carson Sabin (in Ogden) were also on point.
This is a chilling, mesmerizing show you don’t want to miss.
Performances continue at the Zig through Oct. 26, then move to Park City’s Egyptian Theatre for shows Oct. 30 through Nov. 3. Be aware that the show contains a brief simulated sexual assault, and a whole bunch of simulated throat cutting.
For ticket and theater information, visit this Ziegfeld link for Ogden shows, and this Egyptian link for Park City shows.
The Ogden show on Friday, Oct. 18, will feature ASL interpretation.
