Lunt-Fontanne Theater, 205 W46th St
Review: Mary Scott
“Who is Josh Groban?” I ask myself as I search the internet for last-minute show tickets this holiday week. Should I hold out to see Sweeny Todd until Sutton Foster (Younger) joins the cast on February 9th? An ode to Steven Sondheim in memorium nonetheless and having never seen Johnny Depp’s movie version nor the operatic Barber of Seville, I’m expecting a theatrical spectacle that is hopefully not too grotesque.
When researching seat selection, I wanted something more than fine with clean sight lines. A quick scan of Reddit led me to either Orchestra F for unobstructed views of the “pie counter,” “The crane” and “the bridge” or Front Mezzanine. I chose the latter to avoid the chance of any blood splatter.
An hour after strategically securing my seat, I got a text from Broadway Direct (also try TodayTix for discount pricing) informing me that Annaleigh Ashford would not be headlining this evening’s performance. I had until 7 pm to return the tickets. And who is Annaleigh Ashford anyway? I google her understudy, Jeanna de Waal (Kinky Boots), and decide to forge ahead.
As I make my way uptown, I post a pic of me in my slinky one-shouldered scarlet knit two-piece skirt set with cut-outs: get ready Josh Groban. The Demon Barber of Fleet Street has met his match.
As the curtain opens, the audience is loving every minute, being especially forgiving of Groban’s laughable (for the wrong reasons) acting skills, which were on full display in any of the scenes with his beloved barber shears. Every time he beheld the shining blade, launching into an empty refrain as he stared off into the distance, I rather wished I was watching Liev Schreiber in The Public’s Macbeth from Shakespeare in the Park several years back uttering, “Is this a dagger see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.”
I spent the entire first half shielding my eyes awaiting the bloodshed. Was I thinking of Faust at the Metropolitan Opera, stage and actors alike soaked in blood??? I went to visit the merch stand at intermission anyway. Why don’t they have any white blood-spattered Sweeney Todd t-shirts?
When Mrs. Lovett finally enters the stage, it becomes clear who the real star is. Hilarious in every scene, I can’t imagine watching it, let alone enjoying it, without Jeanna de Waal’s comedic tour de force. Where Groban struggled to convey any emotion through his superb vocals, Jeanna used both physical comedy and comedic timing to equal prowess, all seamlessly integrated with her deep pipes used to expert effect in every song and dance number. She shines deliciously in the ensemble pie scene, with Sondheim’s most famous number from the musical, “God that’s Good!” It’s no surprise Jeanna’s Mrs. Lovett stole the show, dominating in every scene.
Also deserving a mention is Sweeney Todd’s poor daughter, Johanna, played by a melodic and refreshing Maria Bilbao. Her sweetness combined with cognizance serve as stark contrast to her two would-be suitors/captors. Her vocal excellence and dramatic timing are showcased in Kiss Me (Parts I and II) as she is caught between her ward and Seaward—both options equal death. In medieval fashion, she chooses bedlam.
Time’s Up in more ways than one on this show. Not only is it demeaning to women, but clearly it got it’s choreography from Thriller. No wonder Sweeney Todd hasn’t graced a Broadway stage since the 80’s. In summation, Groban has got to go, but Jeanna de Waal makes cannibalism cool. Give it a try if Hamilton is sold out across the street.
