Sweeney Todd

Arguably Stephen Sondheim's greatest achievement, Sweeney Todd is the operatic tale of the “demon barber of Fleet Street,” who seeks revenge against the lustful judge who ruined his life and stole his daughter. Pie-maker Mrs. Lovett helps Todd ply his bloody trade (and dispose of the remains in her tasty confections). Tim Burton's big screen adaptation (VL Online-4/08) is quite good, and a 1982 taping (VL-7/04) that largely recreated Hal Prince's imaginative 1979 Broadway production, starring Angela Lansbury (the original Lovett) and George Hearn, remains superlative. This Blu-ray release of a semi-staged 2001 concert version by the San Francisco Symphony is also first-class. Hearn is again masterful in the title role, and is ably seconded by Patti LuPone as Lovett, while Neil Patrick Harris as Lovett's helper Tobias Ragg is part of the fine supporting cast. Rob Fisher draws inspired playing from the orchestra, while Lonny Price's expert ramp-based staging keeps the action flowing smoothly. Presented in DTS-HD stereo, extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette. An excellent rendering of Sondheim's dark, brooding tale of madness and mayhem, this is highly recommended. (F. Swietek)