I have seen 3 versions of Sweeney Todd: the 2007 movie by Tim Burton, the 1979 version with Angie Lansbury, and this. I became a fan of Sweeney after seeing the wonderfully amazing 2007 version (I WILL review that), and this was the 2nd Sweeney I've seen, and I've never been disappointed yet except for the atrocious camera work in the 1979 version.Now you guys already know the plot, so I won't give anything away. But anyways, here's my breakdown of some of the cast: GEORGE HEARN as SWEENEY TODD: Awesome!!!!! He was much better than Johnny Depp... and Depp's my favorite actor (Depp did an amazing job in the movie though, keep in mind). I couldn't believe my eyes and ears. His singing is perfect, and so is his acting! PATTI LuPONE as LANDLADY MRS. LOVETT: The best Mrs. Lovett I've seen. She did an amazing job. Throughout she kept me captivated, and I loved it.NEIL PATRICK HARRIS as TOBEY RAGG: Good performance, especially in "Not While I'm around".DAVIS GAINES as ANTHONY: Great performance! Especially when he sings "I have sailed the world and seen its wonders...", that's when you know he's awesome from the beginning.VICTORIA CLARK as the BEGGAR: Great!!!!! I felt like they actually used an actual beggar for her role.I will leave the rest for you to see, but I was amazed by this Sweeney adaptation. Watch it!

This is a wonderful representation of this brilliant musical. The performances are all at peek energy and perfect characterization. Patti LuPone's voice and new spin on the classic character of Mrs. Lovett is the highlight of this concert, for me. She is moving, hysterical, coy, and her voice is always beautiful. George Hearn gives a wonderful reprise performance of the role he played so many years ago. All other performances are wonderfully acted and beautifully sung by both Broadway and opera singers. Lonny Price's new vision and direction for this concert is just about perfection. He uses minimal set, props and costumes, but still creates the atmosphere of the show. Also, the opera ensemble and symphonic orchestra only adds to the magnitude and beauty of the piece. This is a must-have for any Sweeney fan!

You either love Sondheim or you hate him (although few of the arguments for hating him hold water, In My Anything But Humble Opinion). Certainly his darkest work and arguably his best, Sweeney Todd is an exploration of the depths to which a man will sink to wreak vengeance on those who have wronged him.With all respect to Len Cariou, who created the role in the original production, George Hearn is and always will be the definitive Sweeney Todd. There are things he does that I don't even think he's consciously aware of anymore, but are absolutely chilling to watch. Patti Lupone has the thankless task of trying to follow the immortal Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Lovett; she carries it off by making almost completely different dramatic choices and playing her strengths (like Meryl Streep, she's got one of the best deadpans in the business, and lines that Lansbury played for laughs, Lupone plays straight--we still laugh, but for different reasons). The rest of the cast acquit themselves beautifully, particularly Davis Gaines as the lovestruck Anthony Hope and Victoria Clark as the crazed Beggar Woman.But the real surprise of the cast is Neil Patrick Harris as the innocent, waiflike Tobias Ragg. Having played the part myself, I have a bad habit of holding other actors to impossible standards--and Harris not only meets them, he flattens them. Instead of watching him and thinking, "I could have done that," I found myself watching him and saying "I wish I'd done that"--something I've never been able to say in any other production.The score is as close to grand opera as Sondheim gets, and the gems--"A Little Priest", "Not While I'm Around", "Johanna", "Wait," and the act II quartet sparkle as brightly as I've ever heard them.Grade A.

"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street" In Concert, which aired Halloween night on PBS, is a truly splendid sight for those who know songs like "Worst Pies In London," "Pretty Women," and the show-stopping "Little Priest" by heart. Stephen Sondheim is a musical Renaissance man, and Jonathan Tunick's orchestrations are magnificent. George Hearn is a wonderful Sweeney, and Patti Lupone, even though she looses her British accent in a few places, is lively and attractive as Mrs. Lovett. Everyone else, including Neil Patrick Harris and his surprising singing voice, is wonderful! The style of the production - everyone dressing in black, the blood-red sheet, etc. - are very appropriate for the show. See this show! Only thing this reviewer would inquire is that they could've included more of Hugh Wheeler's clever dialogue. Otherwise, "Sweeney Todd" is a show that needs to be seen more by anyone looking for a good time, and to have their ears blessed by Stephen Sondheim's definitive score! "God, That's good!"