Cappies Review: 'Sweeney Todd School Edition' At West Springfield HS

By Katherine Townsend of James Madison High School

Gaunt faces and sinister whispers made West Springfield's production of "Sweeney Todd School Edition" a show to revel in.

A complex Sondheim production, this show employs difficult orchestration, lyrics, and staging to tell the story of the "Demon Barber of Fleet Street" and his quest for revenge. When Sweeney Todd escapes from his life sentence in prison, he is greeted by a pie shop in the place of his old home, a dough-obsessed woman in place of his family. Anger turns to murder, mangled with young romance, until soon, the city is on fire and an innocent boy is driven mad by the stench.

A production of "Sweeney Todd" is nothing without its leading baritone, and Christopher Seeger certainly rose to the challenge. Seeger's mannerisms created a convincing portrayal of Sweeney Todd, a role much older than Seeger's own years. From a slow and stilted gait to a long-lived frown, Seeger exuded an air of gravitas not often accessible to a teenage actor.

But overall, Seeger's most compelling moments came in song, where a mature vibrato drew the audience into the mad mind of a murderer. Seeger was an impressive vocalist among many in this show, most notably Caroline Heyerdahl (Beggar Woman) and Nicholas Brunson (Anthony Hope).

Heyerdahl made the most of a single melody with a piercing tone that rang into the audience's ears time and time again. An admirable consistency and clarity contrasted sharply with the obvious muddling of the Beggar Woman's mind. Nicholas Brunson's old-school tone quality particularly impressed in duets — in harmony with a romantic interest or dissonance with Seeger's rival sound.

Acting choices took center stage in another duet, "Not While I'm Around," between Max Gerstenberg (Tobias Ragg) and Kaylee Wisner (Mrs. Lovett). A knowingly cocked hip from Wisner contrasted with Gerstenberg's innocent bounciness, traits maintained throughout their respective descents into madness. While individuals in this show captivated, the environment was never more real than when created by the ensemble.

The townspeople as a whole created a character that "stopped-the-show" more than any other. This ensemble used crisp diction and harmonies to unite under a wide array of individual character choices. Switching from storytellers to meat pie customers on a dime, this group was incredibly versatile, impressing and scaring the audience right into the world of Fleet Street.

The eerie atmosphere in this show was created largely by chillingly detailed lights. From lanterns to face-illuminating spots, the light crew (Rakeb Yihunie, Zachary Kearny) made use of color motifs and space to bring fire, dreams, and death to the stage in stride. Always glinting, the iconic razor set earns a mention for the props team (Marcus Reese, Kathryn King, Molly Zimmerman).

Genuinely refurbished, Todd's tool of destruction was like a character of its own — at least, its wielder seems to think so. When studying his precious knives, Sweeney Todd's face was gaunt, thanks to the hair and makeup crew (Alina Yang, Anabelle Volpe, Brianna Turner). This crew innovated, using creative contouring that only showed up in dim lighting, and twisted versions of period-accurate Victorian era hair.

"The Tale of Sweeney Todd" is not one easily told. West Springfield High School's production exceeded expectations in a precise and captivating rendition that evoked laughs, cries, gasps and screams. In the end, ghostly grins left the audience rattling as the coffin shut on this stunning show.