WOW! im so glad you liked the show overall donald! i can honestly say that we as a cast have worked our butts off to learn such difficult music, and im so glad to see that it has paid off. opening night was also a success and yes, the lighting was much better haha. thank you for your review and thank you for getting the word out so people can enjoy this awesomely dark show we have given our all to put on!

I thought I needed to get my hearing checked ,because I could not understand what was being said 75% of the time. The rest of my group felt the same way. Articulate or skip the accent. The CMT ritual of a standing ovation is wearing thin. The outbursts were in very poor taste. Great job Joey and Kelly.

To Audience Member: What do you mean by "the outbursts"?

Opening night performances were spectacular. It opened with the cast featuring Joey, Terra, Kelly and Maelyn, All the voices were strong and impressive, especially Joey's. Kelly's Anthony was sensitive and sweet which matches his singing. There were some sound miscues, but they were minor. As for the "outbursts" I'm not sure what Audience member is referring to because i sat in the very front row. The only standing ovation I was aware of was at the end during curtain call. However, there were many time's, especially for some of Joey's songs, that an ovation was certainly warranted. I'm looking forward to seeing the other cast perform, especially Caitlin. CMT will certainly miss Caitlin, Joey and Daniel. I urge everyone to see this spectacular production!

Donald,

Thanks for your great review. My kids, 12 and 16 saw the show last night and LOVED it now I am excited to see it as well! We will all greatly miss the wonderful performances by Joey, Caitlin and Daniel but there are many very talented up and comers at CMT aka the hard working ensemble of Sweeney as well as the cast of the upcoming Once Upon A Mattress.

Thanks for such a great review. It was pretty dead on. I hope everyone goes to see Sweeney. Daniel (which happens to be my brother), Caitlin, and Joey have worked so hard for CMT within the past years. They really deserve to be recognized for their amazing talents. I will miss seeing all of them on stage! I love you brother, and am so proud of you!

I saw the Saturday matinee and loved it. (And we're going back this weekend to see the other cast). Particulary impressive was the way the large ensemble was utilized. The big vocal sound had fantastic impact, but the number of people didn't get in the way, either.

It's productions like this that remind me how much I love Sondheim. And if 15-20 year olds can accomplish difficult music like that, we really just need to see more of it in the area.

And I didn't think Tobais was too old at all-- Toby actually isn't usually played by a child (my personal favorite being when Neil Patrick Harris played him alongside Patti LuPone and Audra McDonald-- albeit in concert, but still). I think it's fine when he's played by a child, but it's fine at this age too (especially when it's as intricate a performance as the one I saw).

Oh, and Donald, I've been humming "Johanna" all weekend too. (Though I've been humming the Act 2 reprise, because I'm just a big fan of counterpoint. So I've also had a mini slasher film stuck in my head all weekend).

To: Donald Munro
"outbursts" meaning many members of the audience acted like they were at a rock concert during the finale. I applaud the cast's efforts; however, I have never been to a CMT show where there has not been a standing ovation. Once again, understanding the pronunciation of the dialogue left alot to be desired with the exception of a few cast members. Our group had coffee with some other friends after the show, and they absolutely agreed with our critique too.

To Audience member: Regarding your concern about pronunciation, I do understand where you're coming from. It isn't always easy to either perform or understand dialects that are different than ours. (I think it's important, also, to remember that CMT productions provide a learning experience for its performers, and some of them are going to be more proficient than others.) In some ways, I consider a show such as "Sweeney Todd" as more like an opera than a piece of musical theater. The lyrics are so intricate and the melodies so complex that there are times when it'd be helpful to have the whole thing supertitled. This isn't just the case for amateur productions, either. I saw the acclaimed revival of "Sweeney Todd" on Broadway directed by John Doyle -- the stripped-down, bare-stage version in which the singers also served as orchestra -- and I can tell you that even with all those terrific actors, without the benefit of sets or significant blocking, I still had some problems following the story line. I guess what I'm saying is that while in an ideal world you should be able to understand every word of a production, there are times that just isn't going to happen. In those cases, you either have to 1) just sit back, relax and follow as best you can; or 2) be familiar with the play beforehand.

I saw the matinee this weekend. And I have to agree with Elizabeth. We need more Sondheim in Fresno!
I thought the show was very well done. Starting from just walking into the theater and seeing the set. That set is amazing, one of the best sets I've seen at CMT in quite awhile. And bravo on the lights, they were masterfully done, not quite executed that well yet, but (fingers crossed) it'll be better when I see it again next weekend.

Now onto the show. The tracks were actually quite impressive, I didn't think I was gonna be pleased with them. Especially since I've been used to being spoiled the past few summers by CMT having a rather impressive pit orchestra. Obviously that's exponentially harder to do with a show like Sweeney, so I am pleased the tracks didn't sound like 1980 computer sounds.

Onto the actors. The ensemble is HUGE. I mean, my goodness. Huge. And on paper you think it'd be a problem, but in the show and the way they are used, and the way they perform, it just works. And they have dynamics! And they can get loud! It was a wonderful treat to feel the shape and phrasing of the music, so rock on ensemble. Noting especially the quintet, and the trio. Those were some cool moments. (Shout out to the soprano on those whistle notes in one section.)

Johanna I thought had some very nice moments, and sang it beautifully. And Anthony did a fine job and sang it very well.

The judge and beadle were quite good. They made specific character choices, and kept them throughout, which you don't often see from young actors, so bravo to them. And I do have to say I didn't care much for Beadle at first, because he was so slimy and creepy. And frankly, I've just become accustomed to the idea that Beadle is a very large man. But after I left and re-evaluated the show, I realized the reasons I didn't like him meant that he played the character right, so good job Beadle.

Toby is definitely one of the highlights of this cast for me, he has some very good moments without stealing the scenes, and his and mrs. lovett's chemistry is amazing. Definitely choked up in their scenes, and in his end "patty cake" scene. Well done.

Pirelli does a fine job, but seems a little young at times (which makes sense) and you can't understand him with his accent a lot of the time. But he does well.

Mrs. Lovett is wonderful! Very well acted, and quite impressive. She has a great stage presence and physicality of the character that I really enjoyed.

Sweeney does a fine job with the character portrayal and the overall struggle of Sweeney. And I really appreciated his interpretation of Sweeney not being completely deranged the whole way through, and seeing his change and development. (How he played and flirted with Lovett in 'Have a Little Priest' but had no interest in her by 'By the Sea') Great job.

All in all, I really liked the show and I look forward to seeing it again this coming weekend and seeing how that cast stacks up. Good job CMT on a great production!

Benjamin-- it's great that you mention the soprano in the quintet, because as soon as the show was over, I made a beeline for her, and rather than have manners and tell her what a great show it was (which it was!), the first thing out of my mouth was, "Okay, seriously-- what were those notes?"

D#. Dang, dude.

Way to get up there, Kylie. ;)

Gray was too old? Munro, you must not have seen the performance I did. Toby is supposed to be a wounded adult, not a little child like in the movie. As Elizabeth said it has never been played by anyone younger than Gray on a professional stage. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not every musical is like the movie Donald.

To C2k: You're correct that Toby is most often played by a teen-ager/young adult when "Sweeney" is done on stage. But "Sweeney" isn't usually performed with ALL teen-agers/young adults, as this production is. My opinion is that with the actors playing Mrs. Lovett so young, it might have been better to cast Toby with someone in the 15-16 year age range, just to provide a better contrast. Of course, your opinion is just as valid as mine. That said, I think I made it pretty clear in my review that "not every musical is like the movie."

True Donald. But shouldnt it be based on what a performer can accomplish rather than what they should look like since its a younger group? Take the actor for what he did, not what you feel he should have looked like. And since the character should be a young adult, the match up doesnt matter, because Toby is supposed to be a young adult. A young adult just like Anthony and Johanna.

I saw the show last weekend and you must be smoking crack if you thought it was well done. Donald is right when he said the lighting is awful. I couldnt see a lot and I saw pretty close, but beyond the tech stuff, the young actors were struggling so hard to hang on to their notes that they had very little acting through their singing. I know Sondheim is hard to sing and I appreciate their attempt, but this missed the beauty and grandeur and cyncisim of this show. And I agree that the standing ovation thing with CMT is so juvenile. I know young people get excited, but this isn't a high school pep rally, it's a theatre. Sorry to be a stick in the mud but that kind of false applause makes me puke. I wish CMT would stick to easier shows and do them well rather than reaching for such difficult material and screwing it up.

I've had the chance to see both casts and I honestly feel that the "Fleet Street" cast is far more impressive than the "Pie shop" cast. The maturity of the voices in Gerdici (Todd) and Greer (Lovette) are remarkable. Although the young Todd's voice is beautiful, I feel as if he uses it as a crutch because his acting skills seam lack luster next to the quality of his voice. I grew quite bored with his scenes and found myself waiting for Lovette to come back on stage. Greer was just outstanding, from her accent to her twangy character voice, She worked this character. Nothing on her part felt forced and I particularity loved her performance of "Little Priest". Her Humor and liveliness become distinctly more apparent when singing next to the drab Sweeney. Other favorites of mine included Kelly Sanchez as the naive but sweet Anthony. His performance of "Johanna" was very sweet and his feelings for Defude's character felt quite sincere and genuine. I also enjoyed Perelli's performance. The contest scene between him and Todd is quite humorous and fun. I do believe that his execution of the "Shaving" could have been rehearsed better but the overall effect and performance was great. His accent and flamboyancy work well for this character and made the scene quite memorable. Another memorable character was the slimy and sinister Beedle. I was quite impressed with the clarity of his falsetto and the distinct character choices he made such as flipping of the wrists, his mischievous smile and sinister chuckles. He made it very easy to hate him and played the part of Villain well. The harmonium scene he has with Lovette was possibly one of my favorites. The look Lovette gives this odd man when he reaches those impossible notes sent me and rest of the audience into a roar of laughter and his eagerness to sing these notes only adds to the comedy of the scene. However, I did find myself disappointed with the Beedle's counterpart Judge Turpin. the acting on his part felt a bit monotonous and bland and his character became easily forgettable. The "Humming" of the "Bum Bums" during "Pretty Women" was harsh on the ears and made it hard for my to enjoy. For the most part I did rather enjoy the principals performances and was quite impressed with the talent of these young people. I don't feel as if anything about the show they put together was juvenile, but believe that they rose to the challenge.

TO AL
Stick to easier shows!?!? Then what would be the point? CMT serves as an opprotunity to teach young people about theatre, it serves as a place for them to grow, learn be challenged and to expand their talents. If CMT were to stick to easier shows none of this would happen. Not only that, it would be boring to watch.

No matter if the show was as horrible as you think or as great as others think, the cast was given the opprotunity to learn one of musical theatre's most demanding shows. That in it's self was a great experince. The lessons they learned from this show will undoubtedly make them better actors.

Also, CMT cannot control the audience that shows up, they are simply greatful that they do show up. Most are parents who, regardless of sucess or failure, are proud of their children for trying.

I haven't yet seen the show (tomorrow I shall), but I can comment without reservation that NOBODY handles a large ensemble better than Elizabeth 'Biz' Feister. Nobody anywhere in the world...and I've been around this block for a loooong time.

I look forward to seeing the show!

Hey Marie

I understand the concept of challenging young performers, but Sondheim is some of the hardest music for ANYONE to sing. Look at the differences between Donald's review of SWEENEY and MUSIC MAN. Now the latter has more funds and adults, but the fact that the music is a lot easier makes it easier to put on a show that the audience will actually enjoy.

To say that CMT has no control over how the audience reacts is ludicrous. You can guide the audience to be respectful and not scream like monkeys. I assumed that part of CMT's mandate is to teach audiences as well as performers. While I understand performing SWEENEY for that reason, I just didn't think it was done well, and the standing ovations just bloat young performers' egos.

Al, you seem to be alone in your hatred of such an impressive show. The audience liked it, you didnt, hence why they cheered. Sorry you were alone in your hatred, but dont get mad for others enjoying such a well done show. I saw it Friday night and loved it. If you have such a problem with it stay in Clovis, for it seems you enjoy the yearly Music Man and such like. Venture out to Fresno when you are ready to appreciate something different.

I saw the matinee today, and was very pleased. cmt did a very good job with this production. I got to see the "Fleet Street" cast and was so glad I did. Joey's voice blew me away (but then again, when does it not?) and Terra was really enjoyable to watch. The standout performance, however, was Tony playing the part of Toby. I have seen him in multiple cmt shows prior to this one but he never really stood out, but I feel in this one he was really able to grasp the character and brought some really nice moments to the show, hooray for being able to watch an actor grow and develop through community theatre!!!
Another nice peformance was Miguel Molinnar as pirelli...very funny. He is going to go far with that voice. beautiful.

Fresno needs to learn when to give a standing ovation. seriously.

sweeney was bomb I don't know what you're talking about Al.