usical that is still repeating -
rin my head. one :

tself endl

eeney Todd's a treat

 traly a great musica (I think
" Wheeler's book, especially the
:. end, is disappointing com- -

pared to the complexities
rchieved by Sondheim), it is
certainly a wonderful produc-
tion.
: Designer Ken MacDonald

«Sets the atmosphere early for
._ this macabre rendition of an

carly urban legend. No comfy

“plush curtains in front of the
stage as the audience enters,

but a ragged, stained drop
that looks as if it might have
been sewn together from the
buria! shrouds of Sweeney
Todd’s victims --~ that’s if any

f them got as far as the grave, :

given | that Mrs. Lovert’s meats
pics always needed filling.
“As the lights go down,
James Fagan Tait sings the
aforementioned line before .
cranking up the drop and
ucing the rest of the

© motley crew. who will fulfil a

number of roles while provid-
ing a chorus as needed.
What's fascinating is the
way Panych and his cast, aided
enormously by Gerald King’s
lights, Nancy Bryant’s cos-
tumes and some heavy but
effective makeup, create and

_ retain a dark world suffused |

with oppression and menace.
There is a circus-like feel to
some of the presentation,
replete with MacDonald's
trademark two-dimensional
cutouts which helps to signal
thar it’s OK to jaugh; a neces-
sary signpost when ‘the reali-
ties of the story are murder
and revenge. It’s an interest-
ing tightropz the company has

to walk: create the horror then.

serve it up for entertainment.
"They never miss a step.
George. Masswohl is a big .

> ugly slab of a Sweeney, per-

fectly played with just the

photo David Cooper
=. CORRINE Kosle as Mrs. Lovett dreams ofa life by the sea in Sweeney Todd. The excellent Arts Club pro-
: “duction at the STanley Theatre is Vancouver’s first look at the Stephen Sondheim fausical.

tight level of obsession while
Corrine Koslo provides much
of the humour as the purveyor
of pies and once again empha-
sizes her ability to speak
directly to an audience. James _
Fagan Tait’s puffed-up Pirelli
delivers a iot of help in the
humour department, Karin
Konoval defines the misery of

poverty and Rebecca ing .

and Ryan Silverman provide
moments of light and love
from within the cage of
oppression. -

Bruce Kellett achieves

musical miracles with limited

tesources but, since the musi-

” cians are in view on. the scaf-

folding surrounding the stage,
I wondered why they too
were not costumed grotes-
queries...

But it’s the filling i in this -
musical pie that is truly delec-
table. Do taste it if you can.

wats

Purchase any

Sra nd we