'SWEENEY TODD'

Basic theme:

A murderous tale of revenge and survival: A British barber is wrongfully sent to prison by a malevolent judge. A struggling
meat-pie maker becomes the barber's accomplice.

Full title:

"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."

Unintended impact:

A dark version of business enterprise, with cutthroat queasiness.

Obvious questions:

Do you know what you're eating? Is that hair in the sauce?

Modus operandi:

Getting even can be murderous; Sweeney Todd calls his barber's tools his "friends" and sets up shop above Mrs. Lovett's pad to flesh out his cutting-edge business; composer Stephen Sondheim's tunes advance the horrific and humorous story (book by Hugh Wheeler) in operatic style.

The plot, thickened:

Tensions mount as the body count increases; besides the shenanigans of the barber and the baker, there are subplots involving the judge, a beggar woman, a beadle (parish officer), Sweeney's captive daughter, a sailor, a rival barber and a simpleton.

The inspiration:

Sweeney Todd is fictional, but the character has appeared in
mid-19th-century literature and often deemed an urban legend; an 1847 play by George Dibdin Pitt had a subtitle, "The Fiend of Fleet Street"; the musical is based on a 1973 play by Christopher Bond.

Selling points:

One of Sondheim's acclaimed hits; a scaled-down Broadway revival (10 actors also play instruments) closes Sunday in New York. The 1979 original earned eight Tonys: best musical; best actor, Len Cariou; best actress, Angela Lansbury; book, Hugh Wheeler; costumes, Frannie Lee; director, Harold Prince; scenic designer, Eugene Lee; score, Stephen Sondheim. The 2006 revival won two Tonys: best director, John Doyle; orchestrations, Sarah Travis. Also, director Tim Burton has signed Johnny Depp for the movie version.

Aha! moments:

Elements of Jack the Ripper (slashings), Hannibal Lecter (cannibalism) and "Les Miserables" (operatic format) abound.

Key characters:

Sweeney Todd (Laurence Paxton), a sinister barber aka Benjamin Barker; Mrs. Lovett (Stefanie Smart), the pie maker without meat or morals; Judge Turpin (John Mount), the unscrupulous judge; Johanna (Megan Mount), Todd's daughter; the Beggar Woman (Lorna Mount), who keeps appearing.

Biggest buzz:

Murdering victims for ingredients for Mrs. Lovett's pies — while not exactly kosher — is bloody good fun.

Director's take:

Director Stephanie Conching said she was lured to the show "because Sondheim's music is fantastic, tells the story and sets the mood, adding in comedy when (the action's) supposed to be funny. The element of darkness is all around us, but we're trying to maintain levity — to find the humor. When there's death, there's no fake blood — we rely on red lighting. And Larry Paxton and Stefanie Smart are fantastic, finding the nuances of character."

'URINETOWN'

Basic theme:

During a drought, a financially challenged town oversees toilets and requires its residents to pay to pee.

Full title:

"Urinetown: The Musical"

Unintended impact:

Raises environmental awareness, sheds light on human-rights issues and government corruption.

Obvious questions:

To pee or not to pee? To pay or not to pay?

Modus operandi:

A dark comedy that parodies musical-theater conventions and satirizes the corporate world — with self-mockery, too (joking about the wincing title). Mark Hollmann's music and Greg Kotis' lyrics propel the action.

The plot, thickened:

Think neo-Brechtian absurdist melodrama, about a Gotham-like city in the throes of a drought so devastating that a malevolent corporation has taken control of all the toilet facilities, requiring payment for relief. When an old man pees in public and is sent to Urinetown, his son revolts to challenge authority.

The inspiration:

Greg Kotis, who wrote the book for the show, was a starving artist
in Paris (where public toilets come with a fee), with not much moolah some years back. When he had to "go," he scrounged for coins for the privilege to pee. He ultimately flushed out a show.

Selling points:

A memorable title, whether you love it or loathe it. Who wants to pay when you have to go? Winner of three Tonys in 2002: best director, John Rando; best original score, Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis; best book of a musical, Greg Kotis

Aha! moments:

Boasts the spirit of a Kurt Weill-Bertolt Brecht piece; choreography pays homage to "Les Miserables," "West Side Story," "Fiddler on the Roof."

Key characters:

Officer Lockstock (Matthew Pennaz) and Little Sally (Danel Verdugo) serve as narrators; Caldwell B. Cladwell (R. Andrew Doan), the villainous operator of the Urine Good Co. that requires money for bladder release; Bobby Strong (Mike Dupre), custodian of Public Amenity No. 9; Hope Cladwell (Katie Beth Hicks), the home-from-college cutie (and daughter of Cladwell) who falls for Bobby.

Biggest buzz:

The clever title offends some people. Others confuse the title, like in "You're In Town?"

Director's take:

Director Andrew Meader was performing in "SantaLand Diaries" at Manoa Valley Theatre last December and noticed a "Urinetown" script on the premises. "I wanted to direct it, and I asked Dwight Martin (MVT producing director). I was working at a theater festival in New York in 2001, and there was a buzz about the show. I later went to see a performance, an hour north of Dallas, and I wasn't sure what to expect — but it was phenomenal, in a theater just like Manoa's (size-wise). You're not supposed to like the title; it's a comedy, for sure. And if you take it literally, it's talking about sustainability — Americans go to extremes, they're wasteful."