This is brilliant...the whole show should have been high-quality recorded and released. Amazing how Patti plays Mrs. Lovett so completely differently from the concert. A true actress.

Having played this music, I am seriously impressed that the musicians can do it without any sheet music! It was a devil to play let alone from memory

Guys, the accordionist is Paula from Crazy Ex Girlfriend

not sure if I really like this version but I mean Michael Cerveris is 10/10 at singing so (god) that's good

It’s funny, Neil Patrick Harris once played Toby in a live action performance. Wonder if it gave him some memories lol

The revival has always torn me...I love the instrumentation, the actors are very talented both vocally and with their instruments, but I get this "trying too hard" vibe from the whole production. Michael Cerveris is very much not your traditional Todd, but I enjoyed his performance. I love Patti Lupone's voice, absolutely beautiful, but for Lovett I feel like there needs to be more grit. It's almost too pretty for the role in my opinion. It's also not as funny as the original.

To all of the haters, this was a phenominal production. I saw it on tour with David Hess and Judy Kaye. The staging, lighting, and acting was amazing. I know it is a little jarring in this video, but experiencing it first hand is on of my most memorable theatrical expwriences!

Apparently not a lot of people like this one.. I personally like it a lot, and it sounds a lotttt better on the recording than it does in this video.

The tony performance doesn't really do this show justice, it was really phenomenal and atmospheric seen live

4:24 is it just me or does Patti almost chime in on "but everyone does it and seldom as well" before she hears Michael singing it??

I LOVE this version of Sweeney Todd so much! We can all see a classic version of the show nationwide but rarely do companies take the risk and make something so different! The whole idea is so fresh and new. I'm more interested in this than the original for that reason.

Just enjoy each and every version. They come along so infrequently.

Saw this production, often from the first row, and it was better each time. The skill on the display, and the direction which made you feel you were being told a scary story, it was always so brillkiant.

Sweeney Todd is another timeless musicals...like Phantom Of the Opera, Fiddler On the Roof, The Hills Of Music....u cant ever stop the musical, EVER!!!

Who knew uncle fester had such an amazing voice?

I've been on a kind of sweeney todd bender over the last few days. Did not see it live unfortunatley, but i've watched a lot of videos and listened to alot of recordings, and this, I think, is the best version. There were a lot of good attempts at Mrs. Lovett and Patti is the best of them, but HOLY SHIT no one even comes close to Michael Cerveris' portrayal of Todd. His performance absolutley incerdible, visceral and terrifying. No other actor has come close to version, it's like they don't get what the character is supposed to be. In others' version Todd is this brooding gloomy type, they miss the danger and horror that Cerveris exudes so brilliantly. Wish there was a full legit recording of this production :(

Like with many wonderful things, being stripped bare makes this production even more compelling and beautiful.

I have to admit, first time I saw this was a few years ago and I didn't think much of patti's performance until recently when I got a little insight on what she was going for. And now, I see the eccentricity put into the performance and realize what I thought was wooden acting was actually how Lovett's mind actually worked, going from one place to another. Miss Lapone, I apologize for my questioning your Tony nod for this, and I have to thank this KZfaqr I stumbled upon who was going over who was the best Lovett (he chose you as the winner going against Carter and the original). Great job selling it! :)

Sweeney Todd is a great show and all, but my God the orchestration in this is PHENOMENAL!

It's September! I love him!!!!

With the new revival coming I’m happy to say that I saw THIS revival I liked it when the actors/musicians played as they acted!! It was a breath of fresh air

I love how Patti is playing the triangle! LOL

sigh...love this cast so much. They should have just released a professionally filmed DVD of this revival instead of making a movie.

Michael is the best! We've seen him do Hedwig and Sweeny live!!!! He rocks!!!

Frankly, I love the spin that this revival took. It would be boring if every revival was exactly like the original, but with flashier sets. The point of a revival is to bring new life to a piece, which I think this production achieved.

Apparently I am the only one who absolutely loves this production...whoops

This is easily my favorite production of this show. I wish I could see it again! The orchestration makes each thread of the music sing beautifully and watching the cast move between scenes and playing instruments was like watching the inside of a watch tick with perfect precision and timing. Not only that but the interpretations are darkest and most honest here, which in my opinion highlighted the humor that much more. Can't say enough about how much I loved this when I saw it!

I honestly think that the actor musician style doesn't really fit the show, as cool as it is to see live.

agree 100x. Lauren Molina is amazing in person...she impressed me so much! beautiful instrumentalist and amazing singer. her voice is so clear and beautiful

I just saw this here in St. Louis and it was one of the most amazing things I'd ever seen. If you get the chance, you should see it. I didn't think I'd like it, but it was mind-numbingly great. :)

This was such a Brilliant adaptation of Sweeney Todd! Thanks for posting this. And in response to the post below me; this is not Johnny Depp on Broadway, he did a movie version of it.

i saw this version of sweeney todd like a month before it closed sososossooooooo gooood

Why does Todd look more like Lord Voldemort in this😂😂😂😂?!?

omg this creeped me out soo much when i first saw this...i was terrified of this musical

You made Patti bad! How do you make Patti bad?! She was absolutely amazing in the 2001 concert! And the ballad is supposed to hit the audience like a bus, this hit like an uncharged Nissan Leaf

This was very impressive. True Performers.

Donna Lynne Champlin as Pirelli, ftw!

I think a lot of people are getting the angle of this performance all wrong. I’m probably wrong, but lemme say my peace. The concept of this revival is that it all is taking place within an asylum (Toby has on asylum garb and a head covering). The characters and stripped down set are supposed to be presented as ghosts and moreso epitaphs of feeling and memory rather than real live people. Hence the rather gloomy and slow pacing and energy of the actors. It’s a dark memory, twisted and stripped to expose the cold beast that lies within. Whatever, it’s 3:00 in the morning. Just my thoughts

Well, I saw that particular cast on Broadway except Lauren Molina, her understudy was on that night. I thought the entire show was amazing. Everyone was great. It was a true ensemble because of the whole actor/musician they had to rely on each other. Michael Cerveris is by far my favorite Sweeney. Lauren is my favorite Johanna. Although I did not see her, from the recording you can just tell how beatiful her voice is. Her soprano is not annoying like the other Johannas I've seen.

Saw this with Patti and. Michael and it was Phenomenal

I LOVE the Tobi in the revival. He was amazing live. Gave me CHILLS.

I don't know why people are complaining about this, I saw it and it was one of the best shows I've seen.

I still have Patti's autograph from this one! One of my favorites :D

So great!

that is fricken amazing!

wooooooooow there all amazing I was amazed xxx :)

Am I the only one who noticed that the lead-in to NPH's introduction was "Everybody's Got the Right"?

September!

@RyJo I agree. I really believe a production in this manner suits the piece so much better than literal interpretations. It's haunting and chilling. Also, I think Mrs. Lovett is so much more interesting when she's dark and smart as opposed to daffy.

fabulous

Michael might be my favorite Sweeney of all time. I have mixed feelings on this revival but Michael was fantastic.

Happy Birthday Michael Cerveris!

Yes the tonys are always held there.

I'm going to see this late in April! Yay! I still don't understand some of it though. Do all of them play intruments or is it just some of them, you know like the actors.

I love patti lupone and michael cerveris just like wooooooooooooooooooooow and I also adore the songs love it xxx :)

Patti Lupone in the 2001 concert was so much better! Why make her play Mrs Lovett like a zombie when she has so much explosive power in there? -_-

Having seen the concert Patti definitely has what it takes to play this part and definitely made it her own. Michael also just seems natural in the role. I’m just not a huge fan of the actors as the orchestra. It worked a little better with Company. Idk which one is harder to sing/ play music in but both are very musically demanding shows. I know the touring version of this one did not cast well for the hybrid.

Weird hearing Toby sung as a baritenor. I kinda like it!

yeah, I read somewhere that she used to be a backup singer for Sarah Brightman. I'm glad she's on her own doing her own stuff...she's really great. Oh and Patti is AMAZING!!!! =]

@RyJo I'm absolutely crazy about this production too. It was so bleak and chilling. I hesitate to say it's my 'favorite', since, well, the original's the original and I don't know if I could ever like a show more than that one. But this was such a brilliant interpretation of the show. Patti LuPone was almost unrecognizable, and just phenomenal. And Michael Cerveris was outstanding. Truly scary.

That's Patti LuPone! She's a Broadway legend!

I remember seeing this revival it was amazing.. better to see an orchestral cast in my opinion

chills

No one is obviously wrong on this point, but I find it odd you say that because Sondheim intended Sweeney to be an intimate show. It was Hal Prince that convinced him for the original production to go big. Though there is some loss of story given the minimalist aspect to it, being that there's almost no set whatsoever. But I think the intimacy helps make it more frightening how Sondheim intended.

Yes they do...

Loved seeing Niel Patrick Harris!

Holy shit I remember seeing this performance on TV at age 7. This was my first introduction to Sondheim as I knew it (my mom had sung me some Sondheim songs as a kid when I was in the bathtub with my sister, I never really knew it was from musical shows or who the guy who wrote them was). It definitely wasn’t like any of the happy go lucky musical productions that I had grown up watching or listening to (and from what I could tell the leading people were morally questionable), as it was dark, dreary (but in a fascinating way) and stripped down and my 7 year old mind thought “What is this? Why are they singing like that? What’s going on? Why are they singing like that?”. The leading people were also not like any I had seen before (I’d never seen a bald person before on stage), they had an aura of maturity and edginess to them. My parents told me it was Sweeney Todd and that it was about this guy who killed people and turned them into meat pies after I asked them what the show was about and what it was. I thought “This stuff can be musicalized? Who wrote this? Whoever did this, this is unique?” I was intrigued, though I was puzzled as to of why they would turn dead people into meat pies. I even asked my parents if we could go see it (I was faaaar too young to see it), but unsurprisingly, they said no. At the time, because I was relatively new to all this stuff, I didn’t know it was a revival (I had no distinction in my mind yet as to of revivals and new pieces), I thought that it was a new thing. It was only until later on that I discovered it wasn’t. The musical score was unlike any I had heard of before from a musical, especially coming back from seeing chitty Chitty bang bang the year before when I was 6 years old. I didn’t know who Sondheim was then (I was 7 years old), and I wanted to find out more, but didn’t know how-until later on when I got more into theatre. I also saw commercials on tv for this production and for the movie version a year later at age 8. Since then, this show has left an enormous impact on me. I eventually got to see it live with the excellent immersive production at the Barrow Street theatre with my dad when I was either 17 or 18, with the theatre turned into a pie shop replica and where they served actual pies before the show (thankfully not made out of people). It’s just as amazing live, if not more so.

Nothing will ever compare to the 2001 production with George Hearn and Patti Lupone. Ever!

The little white coffin is sweeneys famed barber chair. The act of it dropping victims to the basement is implied. I know, there's no awesome mechanic that drops people into the floor and it may sound lame, but this new revival is not about the trappings. It's about the story and music. Also that bigger coffin IS the set. It is repositioned to convey many settings. Standing in it is Sweeneys upper room, while throwing the lid on and turning it sideways makes it a counter perfect for rolling pies

Even the presenters are epic.... I think Joanna would make an awesome Mrs. Lovett.

Yup -- Cerveris was sweeney and manoel felciano was tobias. They're the dudes in this video. Oh man, you saw the touring company?? Was it amazing?? I'm trying to persuade my rents to take us to pittsburgh to see it there in the beginning of february, but so far, no go (we're about a 4 hour drive away).

Why are people hating this Mrs Lovett? Patti Lupone is sooo good! I suggest haters watch Sweeney Todd in Concert, there she rules the stage :D

Yeah, it wasn't so much the musician aspect, but the fact that he always envisioned Sweeney with a tiny cast, as a very small and intimate show. Hal Prince saw it as you did, as an epic. And like I said, Sondheim supports interpretation of his work, so he was fine with both ways.

September!!! :D

They do if they're Phantom.

I have to admit that I found the newer production more enjoyable. The choreography seems better planned overall. But I may be biased as I didn’t see the 2006 cast in person.

Anyone know where i can find the bootleg of this

I do feel this revival just tried too hard to be different. But where this one failed for me, the Chichester Festival revival that then went to London hit every single tick box. THAT is how you revive a Sondheim musical. It's a larger than life musical, I agree with those saying it needs big set pieces and large orchestras and ensembles. I love intimate performances but this show isn't one and that's it's best quality

Same! O.O when the video began I felt goose-bumps all over! He was quite creepy.

Oooh Mr T I love you too. :D

Michael Cerveris rocks.

I know, he is severely underrated

The guy who played sweeney todd reminds me of billy corgan. I would LOVE 2 see him play the part!

Bold move having Joanne Gleeson present Patti Lupone 😅

@thessie It is Dr. Horrible, but he wasn't hosting. He was just a presenter.

I'm n ot sure which one I like better...they're so hard to compare.

On what planet did someone think it was a good idea to take this broad melodrama and suck all the life out of it? And why have Patti Lupone if you're going to make her do it quietly? Subtlety is not exactly her strong point. Sweeney Todd is fundamentally a dark comedy with tragic elements - this production doesn't make sense because it's deadly serious but then they have to do songs like "a little priest" which is five minutes of cannibal puns and rhymes. Especially weird is the fact that Lupone has been the definitive Lovett in a performance with George Hearn but here she's awful

How do we have both? There's no professional DVD of this Revival.

Yes, I suppose that's why this cast won the Tony Award for BEST ORCHESTRATION for crying out loud...

@WEEZERman1212 agree completly. I love the orignal cast. but I do love how they sing the ballad of Sweeney in this remake, however. I love the movie, and helena does an excelent job at lovett. She is good at being that "hidden insanity" type of character in alot of movies, harry potter etc.

@Velociactor who knows why but some shows do that like i saw a production of Aida and the egyptian soldiers had guns and aida wore heel boots

neil! :D great musical.

@inlovewithJLT OH gosh ya! Totally agree! It is my favorite musical and they did such a fantastic job at it!

I agree she looks rough in this! Whats the craic with the costumes?

1:38 Is that MR. X from RE2?

when sweeney todd was at ASU Gammage the cast played the instruments like this and i thought it was really cool...

I think it's funny how Neil Patrick introduces Sweeney Todd, because he played Toby in the 2000 Concert.

I'm going to see Judy Kaye in my town.

It was actually originally done that way in London.

I hate the trend in the mid 2000s of turning this great original piece and making it all dark and weird when it wasn't intended that way.