- In 1979, Sondheim wrote one of his most famous musicals, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Sondheim based his thrilling, award-winning musical on the 1973 play by Christopher Bond.
- Fun fact – the character of Sweeney Todd, the Victorian serial killer, originates from a 19th-century penny dreadful titled “The String of Pearls.”
- Much like an opera, the vast majority of the musical is sung rather than spoken, accompanied by full orchestra. When writing the music, Sondheim wanted the score to sound similar to that of the horror films of Alfred Hitchcock.1
- Synopsis of Sondheim’s musical via Portland Center Stage
Sources
- Karn Sottosanti and Arpit Nayak, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” Encyclopedia Britannica, accessed October 15, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sweeney-Todd-The-Demon-Barber-of-Fleet-Street-musical-by-Sondheim.
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