REVIEW: 'Sweeney Todd' an evening to remember

"SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET"

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 14

WHERE: Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St.

TICKETS: $31-$3 non-members, $26-$30 members; 634-5583, csfineartscenter.org

SOMETHING ELSE: Don't fear the gore. Arterial spurts are at a minimum.

GRADE: A

A complicated set, a demanding score, a brutal story and an extremely talented cast made for a compelling evening of theater Saturday when Stephen Sondheim's masterful "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" continued its run at the Fine Arts Center.

It was a tour de force -- on stage, behind the scenes and in the pit.

As a director, Alan Osburn made it all look easy. That's high praise when you're talking about Sondheim; even higher when you're discussing the beloved "Sweeney Todd," a Tony-winning musical that's known for being both melodically and dramatically challenging.

And to his credit, there was not a tinny note in his sprawling cast's performances. Not one.

As an actor, Osburn, who, in this production, was director and lead for the first time, shone most brightly when he played "the hungry god." He capered and crowed, practically rubbing his hands together with glee as he planned the bloody comeuppance. Osburn seemed to feel less comfortable early on, though, too big for the smaller moments of conversation, the emotional in-betweens of learning the fate of his wife (who was raped by the judge who sent him unjustly to prison in faraway Australia) and daughter (who grew up in that judge's care).

Throughout, though, his Broadway training was clear: Even without amplification, Osburn's muscular voice could have knocked doors off their hinges.

There simply aren't enough superlatives for Eryn Carman's performance as the practical Mrs. Lovett. She's funny and quite appealing despite her terrible acts. Like Osburn and others here, her voice is powerful and perhaps more important, she deftly handles Sondheim's tongue-twister lyrics and akimbo melodies.

Ditto for Marco Robinson as romantic lead Anthony, Ericka Gasper as his love interest Johanna and Sammy Gleason as Toby, the lost boy Lovett takes under her wing. The acting (including spot-on British accents), the voices, everything was full-on compelling.

It's easy to miss the supporting elements of most productions. But you couldn't help be impressed by Christopher Sheley's clever, efficient, Escher-like set, lighting by Holly Anne Rawls, Nicole Harrison's wonderful costumes and in the pit, Roberta Jacyshyn's music direction -- all of which made the "Sweeney Todd" machine purr beautifully.