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I'm just wondering if anyone has read any of the original Sweeney Todd stuff? Apparently it started out in a story about Joanna (not Todd's daughter) and her lover who disappeared, and the murderous barber was a minor character. But as the series grew, it became more about people disappearing after visiting Todd than about the love story.

Taylor...Sarah will be able to tell you more about Sondheim than me. But it appears he is still alive. Here's a little blurb for you:

"Stephen Joshua Sondheim (b. March 22, 1930) is an American stage musical and film composer and lyricist, one of the few people to win an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards (seven, more than any other composer), multiple Grammy Awards, and a Pulitzer Prize. He has been described by Frank Rich in the The New York Times as "the greatest and perhaps best-known artist in the American musical theater." His most famous scores include (as composer/lyricist) A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Assassins, as well as the lyrics for West Side Story and Gypsy."

Oh, yeah, sorry Taylor. The way the birthdate is written without the date of death lead me to believe he was still alive. But then, later in the entry it tells his current age, whereabouts, etc. :)

Stephen Sondheim is indeed alive and well.

I'm seeing the touring production of this in Portland this weekend, has anyone seen it? I saw a local production 2 years ago and it was one of the best show's I saw that year!

Is it the John Doyle version? Where the cast plays the instruments? I saw that on Broadway. It was absolutely amazing. Stunning. Manoel Felciano was brilliant as Toby and was robbed of the Tony. Patti LuPone and Michael Cerveris were the leads.

I'm unsure if it is that version. I saw the tony performance of that version and was floored!

I believe that is the version that is touring. I wonder if Lauren Molina's still touring as Johanna?

Yes she is and she was amazing! Judy Kaye and David Hess are the leads, but Anthony, Johanna, and Lucy are all from the original cast. It was such an amazing version I'm still buzzing about it. And post show went to Powells (a book store that is a full city block!) and was able to buy books! Though I couldn't find the one Sweeney Todd is based on. I thought I wrote the name down correctly any idea's where I could get my hands on it?

B&N has it. It's got Johnny Depp's face all over it.