Review: "Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"

John Doyle’s ten-player actor-musician revival of “Sweeney Todd” manages to be as juicy and satisfying as Hal Prince’s original 1979 spectacular. The literal downsizing is conceptually justified by treating it as a Brechtian memory play recited at a madhouse. The intimate production might not have worked at such a large theater were it not for the creepy, intriguing performances of the versatile cast, especially Michael Cerveris and Patti LuPone. Less epic and more dramatic, it compares favorably with Peter Brook’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” proving how reconceivable the great works of musical theater can be with the proper direction, creativity, and extensive dramaturgy.

Eugene O’Neill Theatre, 230 West 49th Street, $36.25-101.25, 212-239-6200; Fri 8pm, Sat 2 & 8pm.