Sondheim for experts Sondheim for experts (March 04, 2005)

Stellar Foothill cast rises to the challenge of 'Sweeney Todd'

By Jeanie Forte

Jay Manley may have officially retired from his position at Foothill College, but thank goodness he's still directing musicals there. His newest endeavor, a production of "Sweeney Todd," demonstrates yet again his superb talents as a director of powerful and memorable musicals.

Here he has assembled a fine cast in a show that defies the "bigger is better" mentality of most musicals, giving us instead a small, tight ensemble in an intimate theater setting. It works wonderfully to bring out Stephen Sondheim's complex lyrics and music.

Foothill's Playhouse Theatre has a wide, shallow stage, and every inch of it is utilized, including the aisles. From the start, even before the opening notes of the first number, the audience is drawn into the lurid, shabby and inequitable world of 19th-century London.

Actors mingle, hawking wares, searching for lost kitties, conversing casually, picking pockets and plying their trades, then gradually gathering on stage for the opening ballad. The effect is subtle but atmospheric, preparing us for a journey back in time.

Then for three hours we are immersed in Sweeney Todd's world, where corruption rules and revenge is obsession. Innocence doesn't stand a chance and naivete can get you killed. As with all good fairy tales, right eventually prevails -- but not until the stage is littered with bodies.

Hugh Wheeler, who wrote the book, and Sondheim fashioned their modern version after the historical legends around an actual Sweeney Todd, but took liberties with the story to make it relevant for our time. The final reprise of the "Ballad" brings home a chilling message, haunting and provocative.

I'm a big fan of James Monroe Iglehart, here appearing as Sweeney Todd. It's a massive, demanding role, and Iglehart is up to the challenge.

In the first couple of scenes I found him a bit too one-note in his anger, but soon a fuller characterization emerged, and by the time he sang "Epiphany," the transition was complete, from a small, vengeful man into a hate-driven monster. Iglehart's physical presence and vocal acumen are pure pleasure in this larger-than-life role; his awesome capabilities find full expression, whether wielding a razor across a victim's throat or tenderly weeping over lost love.

His partner-in-crime is played by the formidable and exquisitely funny Diana Torres Koss as Mrs. Lovett. She is as vicious and unrelenting as Sweeney is, and likewise delightfully zany and hysterically gruesome. She's a softer Lovett than Angela Lansbury's famous portrayal, which I liked -- it made her more human and more sympathetic, a necessity considering the extent of her crimes.

Koss possesses fabulous expressiveness and comic timing and is a perfect vocal match for Iglehart. Her solo, "By the Sea," is brilliantly realized and a welcome respite from Sweeney's gloom.

Other leads are equally fine. Austin Ku fulfills the earnest Anthony with a beautiful lyric tenor and the requisite good-guy good looks. Foothill Music Theatre regular Keite Davis brings her angelic voice and considerable acting skills, both dramatic and comic, to the role of Johanna. The Anthony-Johanna duets combine their two voices for a winning effect.

Kudos to Manley and crew for their faithful and satisfying realization of this challenging piece. I've seen this show several times, but never in such an intimate setting, and I've got to say that I liked this tremendously, for the wonderful cast and for being able to take in Sondheim's sophisticated Gothic musical in a way seldom experienced.
Information

What: "Sweeney Todd," presented by Foothill Music Theatre. The production features music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Where: Foothill College's Playhouse Theatre, 12345 El Monte Road in Los Altos Hills When: Through March 13. Show times are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; also Saturday, March 12 at 2 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Cost: Tickets are $24 general; $22 seniors; $18 students; $10 children under 12 (parental guidance suggested). Call: 949-7360 (open Thursday-Saturday 5-9 p.m.; Sunday 12-4 p.m.), 24-hour charge-by-phone hotline at 949-7414 or visit www.foothill.edu/fa.

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