Actors ran down the aisles of the John H. Mulroy Civic Center theater toward the stage, making small talk with audience members as they passed, actively regaining the audience’s attention after intermission and transporting them back to 19th century London for the second act of “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”

“What’s that? Can you buy meat pies with it?” one actor asked an audience member who hastily turned off her phone.

But the meat pies he was referring to are not the typical British Shepherd’s Pie — these pies include bits of the shepherd.

The Syracuse Opera performed a matinee of “Sweeney Todd” to ravenous applause from a sold-out crowd on Sunday at 2 p.m.

Directed by Patricia Weinmann, this run of “Sweeney Todd” marks the musical’s debut within the theater company. And with recognizable, sinister classic tunes by the famed Stephen Sondheim, the talented cast and orchestra gave the production’s debut a deserved standing ovation.

Although it was performed at the Civic Center, “Sweeney Todd” was not staged in the large concert hall. Rather, it was in a smaller theater in the building. And for this particular show, it worked. The sloped auditorium seats made it easier for the actors to connect with audience members, and smart stage direction caused actors to sing up and down the aisles, connecting with the audience and making them feel as if they were in the middle of the action on stage.

“Sweeney Todd” describes a convicted criminal who, after serving his prison sentence, secretly returns to London under the pseudonym Sweeney Todd. Immediately after his arrival in the foggy city, Todd learns the whereabouts of his wife and daughter, who he hasn’t seen since his deportation. His beautiful wife went insane and drank poison, and his daughter is now imprisoned under the watchful eye of the same judge who sentenced Todd.

Promising to avenge his family’s tragedy by giving the judge the “closest shave of his life,” Todd reopens his old barbershop. When reunited with his shaving knives, Todd declares that at last, his arm is complete again, and “it will soon drip rubies.”

The barbershop is above Mrs. Lovett’s struggling meat pie shop. Amid crushing crawling bugs with her rolling pin, she complains about how expensive meat is and sings about “the worst pies in London.”

It isn’t long before Todd and Mrs. Lovett join forces. The plan is simple — if not completely sinister. Todd attracts customers into his barbershop in need of a shave, and then slits their throats with his straight razor. The economical Mrs. Lovett then cleans the meat off of the bones and serves it in her meat pies.

Mrs. Lovett and Todd sing a humorous duet about the quality of the customers they get their meat from. Mrs. Lovett gloats: “Everybody shaves, so there should be plenty of flavors!”

Kyle Albertson stars as Todd, marking his Syracuse Opera debut like only a leading man should — with a dramatic entrance to the stage. After the cast belts out the opening number, “No Place Like London,” Albertson is slowly raised up from underneath the stage, staring menacingly out into the audience. Albertson’s mannerisms throughout the night’s performance prove to be just as creepily astute as one’s imagination could draw for a serial killer.

Luckily for Albertson, his talent is matched with a standout cast that has no weak links — an especially tough feat that not many casts can brag about.

Mrs. Lovett was perfectly portrayed by Jennifer Roderer. While she acted as the motherly figure of the production, she was the brain behind the sinister plan, piecing it together and smoothing out its rough edges when things began to fall apart. Happily, as is not always the case, her vocal performance as Mrs. Lovett was skillfully just comical enough, proving that she deserves the title of a leading lady.

The most notable performance of the evening came from actor Jonathan Christopher, who played Anthony Hope, a sailor who befriends Todd and lusts after Todd’s daughter, Johanna. Indeed, it was his love song to Johanna that brought down the house, his hearty baritone vibrato reaching all corners of the theater, his emotion emanating into the audience.

The only drawback from the performance was the choice not to mic the singers, although this is fairly common for opera troupes.

The leads had no problem projecting their voices, and they strongly articulated their dialogue for the most part, making it easy to understand the words being sung.

The chorus, however, was not as strong as the main voices. One-liners sung by select chorus members were lost in the spacious room, as they were either not sung loud enough or the notes were too low in their register to be sung strong enough. Still, when the company sang as a whole, the effect was chilling.

Performing a show that is often considered a musical rather than an opera is a risk by the opera company — but it’s a risk the company should take more often. Although “Sweeney Todd” might not leave audiences craving meat pies, it will leave them hungry for more from the Syracuse Opera.

Published on February 11, 2013 at 12:39 am

Contact Kristin: klross01@syr.edu | @kriskross22