The 2005 Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd starring Patti LuPone and Michael Ceveris, began it's journey at the Watermill theatre in Newburry, England in February 2004. This stunning new interpretation was conceived by John Doyle. Sweeney Todd was now set in an asylum. There was no chorus, or orchestra. The cast played the instruments and were in fact the orchestra. Far different in execution than the original production the 2005 Sweeney emphasized the horrific elements of the story more than ever before. It was the echoing sounds of the asylum, the buckets of blood, the blood drenched lab coats, the shadows... that provided the chills behind the new conceptualization.

Sweeney Todd, opened at the Eugene O'Neil on November 3, 2005 after a month of previws which began October 3, 2005 to glowing reviews and closed on September 3, 2006.

The director of Sweeney, John Doyle, just knows how to feed actors and what comes out of us, good, bad, right, wrong, doesn't matter. There's no fear or censure. He opens up the creative goo and all of the actor vessel stuff. He knows how to do it. It's just incredible.
-Patti LuPone

"When I first wrote this thing all I wanted to do was write a horror story, a Grand Guignol piece," he(Stephen Sondheim) recalled recently, settling in the Eugene O'Neill auditorium with Mr. Doyle. "Of all the productions I've seen, this is the one that comes closest to Grand Guignol, closest to what I originally wanted to do. I characterize all the major productions I've seen in terms of a single adjective. Hal's was epic. Declan Donnellan's production was exactly the reverse, it was very intimate. John's, for me, is the most intense."
-Stephen Sondheimn

Production information: JOHN DOYLE (Director and Designer), SARAH TRAVIS (Musical Supervisor,) DAVID LOUD (Resident Music Director), RICHARD G. JONES (Lighting Designer), DAN MOSES SCHREIER (Sound Designer), PAUL HUNTLEY (Wig & Hair Design), ANGELINA AVALLONE (Make-up Designer), JOHN MILLER (Music Coordinator),BERNARD TELSEY CASTING, C.S.A. (Casting), ADAM JOHN HUNTER (Production Stage Manager),JULIA P. JONES (Stage Manager), DAAVID REDMAN SCOTT (Assistant Stage Manager),RICHARD FRANKEL PRODUCTIONS/JO PORTER (General Management), SHOWMAN FABRICATORS, INC. (Production Manager) ,TED LeFEVRE (Associate Set Designer) , PATRICK CHEVILLOT (Associate Costume Designer), PAUL MILLER (Associate Lighting Designer), DAVID BULLARD (Associate Lighting Designer), THE FRANKEL VIERTEL BARUCH ROUTH GROUP, (Producer)AMBASSADOR THEATRE GROUP, (Producer),ADAM KENWRIGHT, (Producer) DARREN BAGERT, (Producer) ROBERT G. BARTNER (Producer.)

Sweeney Todd
Revival synopsis
Song-Cast list
Shows