A rave from Michael Kuchwara, the AP reviewer:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051104/ap_en_re/theater_sweeney_todd_2 This is a singular "Sweeney," a delightfully idiosyncratic interpretation that, thankfully, is more a rethinking than a reproduction. Directed and designed by John Doyle, this compact adaptation of the show is done with only 10 actors (the original had more than two dozen) who also double as the show's musicians. It challenges memories of that 1979 production by inviting theatergoers to re-examine the show's book and score on entirely different terms.
And another level of enjoyment exists, too, watching the actors negotiate various instruments — with surprising success.
Doyle's intimate, disturbing take on "Sweeney Todd" may condense Wheeler's book and slenderize the richness of Sondheim's melodies, but it doesn't diminish the musical's power. This deconstructed "Sweeney Todd" still retains its ability to shock and to soar.
"Some of us have it worse, you know, Dana. Some of us are dating lesbian men. Okay? C'mon."