SWEENEY TODD, THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET, by composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim and librettist Hugh Wheeler, is both a melodramatic musical thriller packed with sensational surprises, and an examination of class structure and a corrupt justice system. The musical, which opened on Broadway March 1, 1979, was originally directed by Harold Prince.

Based on a version of the popular English melodrama, SWEENEY TODD, by British playwright Christopher Bond, the show is set in Fleet Street and its environs in 19th century London. The main character is a barber who slits the throats of his customers and turns the corpses over to a female accomplice in the shop below his. The accomplice, in turn, grinds up the remains and bakes them into meat pies.

The characters in SWEENEY TODD feel compelled to take these horrific actions. The universe of the musical has frightening similarities to our own often unfeeling, off-kilter world. In many ways, it is a reflection of the complex times in which we live and the violence which has a strangle-hold on our popular media and many of our streets and cities.

The show’s references to the Industrial Revolution’s impact on the dignity of the individual also has resonance for us as our society seeks to stabilize the balance of men and machines.

Tickets can be purchased at the door; prices are $8 for students and senior citizens, $10 for adults. SWEENEY TODD is not recommended for children under the age of 10. Parental discretion is advised.