The Ballad of Porchlight’s ‘Sweeney Todd’

By Barry Reszel
(Sung to the tune of “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” lyrics and music here.)

Attend the Porchlight’s Sweeney Todd
A tale quite gruesome, a tale most odd
It comes from the pen of Stephen S.
Who most in the know say’s a living genius
His notes trod a path that few might trod
In Sweeney Todd
The demon barber of Fleet Street

David Girolmo’s the barber who shaves
While keeping an eye out for daughter enslaved
In this dream of a role his talents do thrill
As he gives a performance that literally kills
He’s Sweeney
He’s Sweeney Todd
The demon barber of Fleet Street

Let those voices soar, Porchlight!
Sing it to the skies!
Freely flow the songs of Steve immortalized!

Rebecca Finnegan delivers in spades
As old Mrs. Lovett, who delivers Todd aid
A bedroom and place to drop
His hobby’s deposits in her shop
Her voice and acting deserve a nod
In Sweeney Todd
The demon barber of Fleet Street

Endearingly haunting, Harrington is
Clean and crisp Acker’s Anthony is
Stockstill’s Johanna’s a quite lovely bird
To make Turpin more sleazy would not be absurd

Weber pondered and Weber planned
And brilliant Doug Peck leads the five-person band
The dance is subtle, the dance is smooth
DiCostanzo choreographs all the right moves

Sweeney! Porchlight! Sweeney! Porchlight!
Sweeney!

Attend the Porchlight’s Sweeney Todd
A ghastly tale of a vengeful sod
What happened then, well, that’s the play
But click for this summary that gives it away
That Sweeney
That Sweeney Todd
The demon barber of Fleet Street

Porchlight’s fine cast of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street includes David Girolmo (Sweeney Todd/Benjamin Barker), Rebecca Finnegan (Nellie Lovett), Kelli Harrington (The Beggar Woman), Stephanie Stockstill (Johanna), Brian Acker (Anthony Hope), Edward J. MacLennan (Judge Turpin), Matthias Austin (Beadle Bamford), Kevin Webb (Adolfo Pirelli), Miles Blim (Tobias Ragg) and Matt McNabb (Jonas Fogg). The ensemble features Pablo Barajas, Ben Barker, Christin Boulette, Caron Buinis, Javier Ferreira, Johann George, Rachel Klippel, Sierra Naomi and Andy Robinson.

“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler, direction by Porchlight Artistic Director Michael Weber with music direction by Doug Peck, and dance/musical staging by Dina DiCostanzo runs through Nov. 9 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave, Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays at 8 pm, Saturdays at 4 and 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm. m. NOTE: *There are no Thursday 7:30 p.m. performances October 9 and November 6. Tickets are $39 for Thursday performances and $45 for all other performances and available online at www.porchlightmusictheatre.org or by phone at 773-777-9884.