'Sweeney Todd' sets up shop at CSUN

The demon barber of Fleet Street is back and open for business. For its annual musical production, CSUN's Department of Theater and Music presents Sweeney Todd, the classic Victorian tale of a barber who exacted revenge on those who wrongly destroyed his family.

Todd, imprisoned and separated from his wife and daughter for 15 years, goes largely unrecognized when he returns to London and resumes his barber trade, sharp razor in hand. During the course of the play, he slits the throats of his persecutors (along with those of a few innocent bystanders). The corpses become the main ingredient in the delicious meat pies made by friend and neighbor Mrs. Lovett.

What might be a gruesome tale of serial murder was leavened with dark humor thanks in large measure to Stephen Sondheim's music and lyrics. Once you've heard Todd and Mrs. Lovett sing about the variations of meat pie based on the occupation of the person supplying the meat (A Little Priest), it's hard to react to the murders on Fleet Street in the same way as the ones that occurred on Elm Street.

Maybe that explains why, despite his outstanding singing, Robert Collins falls just slightly short in his portrayal of Sweeney Todd. Except for the time he sings A Little Priest, Collins comes across as too earnest, too controlled. Despite his energy and enthusiasm, he never quite fully inhabits the character of the demon barber.

Perhaps that wouldn't be as apparent if he hadn't shared so many scenes with Carina Sapiro, whose Mrs. Lovett was Broadway caliber. Sapiro made the part larger than life, a thoroughly entertaining blend of comic relief and convincing characterization. She was pitch perfect whether Mrs. Lovett was acknowledging the inferiority of her products before Todd's arrival (The Worst Pies in London), imagining a fantasy life with the vengeful barber (By the Sea) or giving false assurance to an orphaned assistant (Not While I'm Around).

In addition to the superb voices of Collins and Sapiro, there were praiseworthy vocals by Jeffrey Sabino as Tobias Ragg and a memorable performance by Hank Doughan as the Beadle, henchman to sentencing Judge Turpin.

Sondheim's lyrics are demanding but the entire cast was up to the challenge. At the same time, the production overcame any and all acoustic challenges, which hasn't always been the case with performances at Nordhoff Hall's Campus Theatre.

Director Ken Sawyer's decision to set the story in a mental institution and create a chorus out of the institution's patients and staff proved particularly effective. It not only provided an historical context to the plot but it served as a constant reminder that insanity may be more prevalent outside institutional gates than within.

Despite the confines of the Campus Theatre, David Weiss' practical set designs did an excellent job of conveying the historical era and the brutal environment that framed the story. Plaudits, as well, to Paula Higgins for designing costumes that enriched the overall performance.

Additional performances of Sweeney Todd are scheduled at 7:30 p.m. April 2, 3, 4 and 5 and at 2 p.m. March 30 and April 6. A question-and-answer session is scheduled after the April 2 performance and an interpreted performance will occur April 4. Ticket prices range from $15 for students to $20 for non-senior adults.