Utah Opera's Sweeney Todd

When the Utah Opera 2024-2025 season was announced the only opera I was interested in seeing was Madame Butterfly so I decided not to renew my subscription.  I changed my mind about Sweeney Todd and got a ticket to see it last night and I'm very glad I did because the production is amazing!  Sweeney Todd (Michael Mayes) is a Victorian-era barber who has just returned to London after 15 years of exile in Australia.  When he learns the fate of his wife Lucy (Megan Marino) and daughter Johanna (Amy Owens), he immediately wants to get revenge on Judge Turpin (David Soar), the man who ruined his life.  He goes back to his former rooms above the pie shop run by Mrs. Lovett (Audrey Babcock) and discovers that she has kept all of his barbering tools so he decides to set up shop and lure the judge in for a shave so he can slit his throat.  However, the judge eludes him and he vows vengeance on the whole human race.  He begins to kill all of his customers and Mrs. Lovett uses the bodies in her meat pies!  Eventually, his quest for revenge turns to madness.  I have always loved the music by Stephen Sondheim so hearing it performed by operatic voices was absolutely stunning!  Both Mayes and Babcock have incredible voices and they bring these despicable characters to life in a way that is both comedic and tragic.  Mayes' rendition of "Epiphany" is terrifying and I found Babcock's versions of "The Worst Pies in London" to be hilarious and "By The Sea" to be incredibly poignant.  I laughed out loud when the two of them sang "A Little Priest."  Other highlights include a lovely performance of "Green Finch and Linnet Bird" by Owens, a moving version of "Johanna" by John Riesen as Anthony Hope, and a hilarious rendition of "Parlor Songs (Part II)" by Bille Bruley as Beadle Bamford (his facial expressions killed me).  I also really enjoyed "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" and all of its many reprises by the Chorus because they are all very dramatic, especially the Bedlam scene.  The large sets, including Judge Turpin's house, Mrs. Lovett's Pie Shop, and the bakehouse, all rotate in front of an imposing silhouette of a factory that is eventually revealed to be the asylum (in condemnation of the industrialization of London).  I loved the barber chair which sent Sweeney's victims to the bakehouse and the use of smoke, lighting, and other special effects (particularly all of the blood as Sweeney slits his victim's throats) add much to the spooky atmosphere.  This is a great show to see right before Halloween and I think it is very accessible for those who might not be very familiar with opera.  There are performances on Wednesday and Friday nights and a matinee on Sunday (go here for tickets) at the Capitol Theatre.