Atlantis went Grand Guignol for its 20th Season opener, “Sweeney Todd” with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler, displaying great taste, pun intended, to celebrate the musical’s 40th Anniversary. The tale of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a revenge tale…one of my favorite kinds…that of a wrongly imprisoned barber, Benjamin Barker, escaping from the then-penal colony of Australia, taking on a new persona, Sweeney Todd (Jett Pangan), to wreak revenge upon the evil Judge Turpin (Andrew Fernando) who, with his lackey, Beadle Bamford (Arman Ferrer who also serves as Associate Vocal Director), robbed him of his earlier, wonderful life, with his beautiful wife and daughter. Led to believe that his darling Lucy has taken her own life, after being mauled at a party at the Judge’s lair, when she had gone to plead clemency for her husband.
The culprit who thus misleads Mr. Barker/Todd is the widow, Mrs. Lovett who struggles to keep her business that sells “the worst pies in London” afloat, who has long harbored a burning, unrequited passion for Mr. Todd. Reunited with his beloved blades, once used for shaving his customers, now to be used to shave the years off the lives of his wrongdoers he growls, holding his favorite “friend,” “My right arm is complete, again!” Todd is prematurely forced to despatch the scoundrel huster of a barber, Adolfo Pirelli, Nyoy Volante, who is himself is using an assumed name, and peddles a fake hair growth elixir with the aid of his much abused servant, Tobias Ragg (Luigi Quesada). When Pirelli recognizes, and attempts to blackmail Mr. Todd, he doesn’t live to regret it. In disposing of his body, Lovett and Todd serendipitously end up saving her business, using the flesh of Todd’s victims, usually the disenfranchised, whom no one would miss, as the filling of her now highly coveted, newly delicious meat pies. The production itself is very avante garde. The set by David Gallo is highly stylized…at once post Apocalyptic, but fascinatingly, anachronistically employing vintage cars as part of the set. The presentation is highly representational, asking the audience to employ their imagination, as the barber shop scenes take place on the back of an old pick up, and its trunk serves instead as the chest in which Todd’s victims hide, or are hidden, if only, momentarily.
The wardrobe by Rajo Laurel accurately represented the English setting, but were more contemporary, and very effective in fleshing out each of the characters. Director Bobby Garcia adapted a technique that I saw the Royal Shakespeare Company employ, of having the characters, once shown as having been killed (with a loud, disturbing buzzing sound and flickering red light), are considerate enough to amble off into the oven. The emotional obligations of each scene were all satisfyingly filled. La Salonga is a force of nature all her own, but in general a show is only as good as its director, and “Sweeney Todd” was fantastic. The lighting design by Aaron Porter truly floored me, and was almost a character, unto itself. There’s a moment in which Todd stands upon the pick-up representing his barber shop, engulfed in a cone of light from behind, and with just a special to illuminate his face. Several other awe inspiring moments truly amazed me. This was one show in which the lighting design, without usurping the focus from the performers, or the unfolding tale, was in itself a star. Kudos, Mr. Porter!
The wardrobe by Rajo Laurel accurately represented the English setting, but were more contemporary, and very effective in fleshing out each of the characters. Director Bobby Garcia adapted a technique that I saw the Royal Shakespeare Company employ, of having the characters, once shown as having been killed (with a loud, disturbing buzzing sound and flickering red light), are considerate enough to amble off into the oven. The emotional obligations of each scene were all satisfyingly filled. La Salonga is a force of nature all her own, but in general a show is only as good as its director, and “Sweeney Todd” was fantastic. The lighting design by Aaron Porter truly floored me, and was almost a character, unto itself. There’s a moment in which Todd stands upon the pick-up representing his barber shop, engulfed in a cone of light from behind, and with just a special to illuminate his face. Several other awe inspiring moments truly amazed me. This was one show in which the lighting design, without usurping the focus from the performers, or the unfolding tale, was in itself a star. Kudos, Mr. Porter!
Iconic Lea Salonga, at whom I marvel, as one of our only truly mainstream, World Class Performers was in rare form, outdoing herself, which is saying a lot, as lovable murderess, Mrs. Lovett. Ranging from an endearing poppet of a woman, to a love crazed psychopath, who was willing to do anything to get, and keep her man. Turning in her usual crystalline, ingenue notes for a rich, full, earthy sound, she was truly a spectacle, for both sight and sound, in a role with which her fans usually wouldn’t have associated her. She truly showed her acting chops, especially in the scenes where she expressed here hitherto unrequited passion for Benjamin Barker. He returns from the then-penal colony, Australia, in disguise as Sweeney Todd, the unjustly imprisoned barber, whose love and life, his wife and daughter, Lucy (Ima Castro), and Johanna (Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante), were torn from him by the evil Judge Turpin. I especially loved her performance in the final scene, when Lucy is revealed to have been Barker/Sweeney’s wife, whom Lovett had insinuated to have died, by her own hand…when in truth, the hapless Lucy did attempt suicide, but survived. The fire, despair, passion in her delivery, as she told him she thought to spare him the shell his former wife had become, and he was better of believing that she was dead…that Lovett had loved him all along, and wanted him to be hers. She truly blew me away. Jett Pangan starred in the starring role, having lost none of his earlier rockstar charisma or powerful voice, since his heyday as the frontman of popular band, Rage. His voice consistently powerful, his emotional, raging (ahem) scenes were most impressive, and he and Salonga were a perfect pair. Nyoy Volante was brilliant as Pirelli, the hustler of a barber who previously trained with Barker, recognizes him, attempts to blackmail him, and doesn’t live to regret it. His rendition of the character was just spot on…perfecting his Italian accent, and with all the flair and aplomb as I would have wanted in the portrayal of the character. He had his own version, and was very different from, but nailed it as well as Sacha Baron Cohen did, in the movie version. Pirelli is one of my favorite characters in this show. During the presscon, each of the performers was asked, what other character he would’ve played, if given the chance. Volante said he still would’ve picked Pirelli, and would slip into Pirelli’s self-introductory spiel, at any given opportunity. How charming to see a performer truly smitten with his role, and Mr. Volante certainly delivered.
Pirelli is a very small role, but done properly, is one of the most memorable characters in “Sweeney Todd.” Bravo, Mr. Volante! Another performer who truly caught my eye and ear was young Luigi Quesada who fleshed out young Tobias Bagg, Pirelli’s much abused street urchin Mrs. Lovett takes in to help with her meat pies. Each of the cast had their own strengths…quite notably, Mr. Gerald Santos, freshly arrived from a stint as Thuy in “Miss Saigon”, who, in his role of Anthony Hope, sustained an extremely clear, powerful note, during his solo, and released it so wonderfully…it’s sometimes in the release that singers let the audience down…oh, not this time. That was wonderful, Mr. Santos. The Atlantis ensemble were crisp, precise, passionate perfection, reliable as always…with even those with short solos giving their moments their all…the mark of true talent and professionalism, nailing their accents and notes (Bravo, Mr. Manman Angsico, Vocal Director, and Mr. Arman Ferrer, Associate Vocal Director!) Among the performers, in my humble opinion, the three that truly impressed me were Ms. Salonga (which is no surprise. I’ve been a fan since I saw her as “Annie,” she’s truly a National Treasure), Mr. Volante, and young Mr. Quesada. They were the ones who delivered their respective accents most flawlessly and consistently, and I truly enjoyed their characterizations. Three highlights were Pirelli’s solo, while he “shave a the face,” Mrs. Lovett’s profession of her long unrequited love for Todd, and how she was so desperate to have him, and “Not While I’m Around,” by Tobias and Lovett. The last one was truly touching…the smitten, overly young man tries to woo the older woman he loves, voicing his suspicions that her love, Todd is up to no good, inadvertently sealing what should have been his fate. I grasp at the words to express how clearly, how brilliantly Ms. Salonga expressed how torn she was…she loved the young lad, as a Mother, but his suspicions threatened the man she loved, and her, as his accomplice, as well. The less experienced performers or audiences will misconstrue any tears shed in performance as good acting…but I recall it being said that crying per se is no good…there are many ways or contexts of crying. The uncontrollable sobbing that often pervades less inspired performances is often unrealistic (how often do people truly reveal how much they are broken?), and at times, cloying, or even boring. But when a truly honed performer such as Ms. Salonga simply has tears brimming, as she holds them back, her character hiding how torn she is, between the beloved street urchin, and the love of her life…that is truly breathtaking. Gerard Salonga, Lea’s younger brother, notably conducted the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra so impeccably that a handsome stranger/audience member beside me randomly asked whether the show was accompanied by a CD.
I joke among my friends that Ms. Salonga, upon meeting me at the press con, then proceeded to portray me (referring to Mrs. Lovett) with great accuracy. I am very passionate when it comes to my work (writing, acting, singing), or when I’m smitten. Perhaps the handsome stranger was keen enough to notice this air about me, as being performed so accurately onstage, before him. He did not turn out to be my returning Benjamin Barker.
“Sweeney Todd” ran from October 11-27, 2019, at the Theatre at Solaire, Paranaque City, in the Philippines.
Don’t feel too badly, if you missed it, for Atlantis has more theatrical delights in store, namely, “The Band’s Visit”, which won Tony for Best Musical, in March, “Oliver!” the award-winning musical adaptation of the classic Charles Dickens novel, and “On Your Feet” the story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan.
