It sounds like an episode of Law and Order. Sweeney Todd’s young and beautiful wife catches the eye of a prominent judge, who in order to ‘have her’ has Todd exiled to Australia. The judge tricks Todd’s wife into sleeping with him and many of his wealthy friends. After her shame leads her to suicide, the judge takes custody of Sweeney Todd’s daughter.

And all this happens before the play even starts.

Sweeney Todd is a macabre tale of a barber who returns to extract revenge on the man that ruined his family, but along the way develops a little blood lust of his own. Think Soylent Green meets Oliver.

This particular production, at the Eugene O’Neil Theatre, stars Michael Cerveris and Patti LuPone (who you may know from Life Goes On). Cerveris should win the Tony for his portrayal of the demon barber of Fleet Street. His bald shaved head and sunken eyes convey the intensity of a good man turned bad by the evil around him (plus he’s super creepy). The entire cast is impressive not only for their acting ability but also because the play their own instruments — and stay in character while doing so. As if it’s not hard enough for actors out there, now you can’t get a job unless you can play the cello or the accordion?

The staging is unique in that the set is very bare and simple; the actors are all on stage the entire time, the only colors are black and white (with the exception of the blood red of Sweeney Todd’s victims) and almost all the scenes are played to the front. So instead of talking directly to each other, the actors talk to each other out to the audience. It’s a direction that I hadn’t seen before, but I liked it because it really focuses the audience on the few non-musical scenes.

Tickets are expensive, but you might be able to get a student rush seat ($35, 2 hours before showtime with ID), or find a discount online (try checking BroadwayBox). Patti LuPone is only contracted until July 2nd, but I have a feeling it will be very popular after the Tonys on June 11th, so try to go before then.