'Sweeney Todd' is a grand collaboration
MANILA, Philippines - Movies these days have completely eclipsed theater — that is an unfortunate truth especially when posed with the question of which one a viewer should watch.
Back in 2007, people flocked to the Tim Burtonmovie version of Sweeney Todd on the big screen with Johnny Depp in the title role. Hence, upon finding out that Repertory Philippines was staging an adaptation of Sweeney Todd, many wondered whether the play would be a “worthy” companion to its most recent movie incarnation.
The comparisons were inevitable; many wondered why Sondheim’s renowned work was chosen even though it was still quite fresh in people’s minds. However, although this Sweeney Todd is Depp-free, it is certainly not without its own star power.
That is why Audie Gemora, well-known veteran and “King of Broadway” was chosen to play the title role. His quiet bitterness as the Demon Barber of Fleet Street is countered by two-time Aliw Best Actress nominee Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo as Mrs. Lovett.
Other big theater names include Roger Saldo Chua (as Judge Turpin), Robie Zialcita (as Adolfo Pirelli), Liesl Batucan (as the beggar woman) and Robbie Guevara (as Beadle). The younger cast is made up of Franco Laurel (Anthony), Lena McKenzie (Johanna) and Marvin Ong (Tobias) — all of whom are not without their own formidable stage experience.
Taking place during the smoky Victorian era, Sweeney Todd has had its own detractors who say the play is much too depressing. Although the gloominess is reinforced by the abundance of black-and-white and Victorian-dressed bystanders pedaling raggedly back and forth across the stage, tinges of liveliness are inserted to literally bring more color to the production.
Railings bask in blue and red lights, and settings swivel in and out, ranging from platformed balconies to the mini-organ in the backroom of Mrs. Lovett’s shop.
It is then that the main intent of the production becomes clear. Directors Baby Barredo and Michael Williams seek to revive a play hanging between life and death. After all, the last time Sweeney Todd was staged in the Philippines was in 1982. Now, being the last production of Repertory Philippines for the year, no attempt has been made to modernize the play in any way, say by basing it on the movie (a current trend in staged musicals nowadays); this would be a grand, collaborative effort to bring something fresh to the stage.
This excellent collaboration was made evident from the very beginning. When the lights dimmed, people were already humming some of the songs to themselves. The younger audience members watched with raised eyebrows as unnamed characters gathered slowly on center stage, and began belting out the story of Benjamin Barker. The movie version did not include the play’s original chorus and ensemble. Hence, The Ballad of Sweeney Todd was a first indication as to how true to its roots this rendition would be.
With the cast and orchestra launching into the tale of a returning barber who was exiled by a judge determined to steal his wife, the first act does have its share of slow parts.
Thankfully, the orchestra (FILharmoniKA) conducted by Gerard Salonga remains active and essential to the play’s tone, with their haunting melodies and seamless oscillating between jumpy tunes and grand, sweeping ones. The accompanying cast must sing, literally, from the bottom of their hearts to reinforce the murky dreariness of 1846 London.
They manage the feat and master the accents, but the shift from lighthearted banter to outright black comedy is not without difficulty. Audie Gemora plays the title role with a cold brand of restraint, occasional bursts of energy at opportune times and with a control as steady as his razor handling. Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo is wonderful and deadly in her liveliness as Mrs. Lovett.
Franco Laurel, whose character is often lovesick and darts from one side of the stage to the other, effortlessly projects Anthony’s naiveté. Lena McKenzie is possibly the only cast member burdened with having to sing well beyond the range of everyone else, and her soaring, operatic voice is perfect for the role. Marvin Ong provides a haunting transformation as Toby, well-groomed for his big moment in Not While I’m Around.
Sweeney Todd provides a fine closure to Rep’s 72nd season. And while the production may not be groundbreaking, it succeeds in visualizing Sondheim’s masterpiece for audiences in Manila once again. An award-winning musical that has been lumped in with many other classics, Sweeney Todd is timeless in its death-defying standard of gloom and doom. Only occasionally do such complex productions with large ensembles take place, which is why it is well worth seeing, especially for Broadway aficionados.
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Sweeney Todd continues to be staged on weekends at Onstage, Greenbelt 1, Ayala Center, Makati, until Dec. 13, with matinees on Saturdays and Sundays.
