preguntas frecuentes for
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

Yes. The entire cast does their own singing.

Laura Michelle Kelly (who plays the Beggar Woman) and Jayne Wisener (who plays Johanna) are "trained" singers. Helena Bonham Carter (who plays Mrs. Lovett) has been quoted as 'singing her butt off' in preparation. Though Johnny Depp was cast as Sweeney before any one ever heard him sing, he trained himself in the privacy of his own home.

Lyrics Similar to the Film lyrics: http://www.stlyrics.com/s/sweeneytoddthedemonbarberoffleetstreet.htm

Stage Libretto: http://www.theatre-musical.com/sweeneytodd/libretto.html

Here is the FULL song list IN ORDER. If you don't see a song title, it is NOT in the movie (many thanks to kc24 for the full list): * The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (heard only as an instrumental during the film's opening credits sequence) * No Place Like London * The Worst Pies in London * Poor Thing * My Friends * Green Finch and Linnet Bird * Alms, Alms! * Johanna * Pirelli's Miracle Elixir * The Contest * Wait * Ladies in Their Sensitivities * Pretty Women * Epiphany * A Little Priest * Johanna Trio * God, That's Good! * By the Sea * Not While I'm Around * Final Sequence

The Ballad serves as a "Greek chorus" providing back story for the stage show; yet, Burton has the luxury of showing us what happens to Benjamen Barker and his wife, so the chorus became obsolete.

"Epiphany"

The lyrics he sings are combined from two different verses (as is the footage, if you look close enough)

the full lyrics are here: http://www.leoslyrics.com/listlyrics.php;jsessionid=8E09456360944CB04EF80A41B2761AFB?hid=pwH8skWA1xs%3D

This was an adaptation of an existing (and very popular) Stephen Sondheim musical.

Danny Elfman was offered by Tim Burton to score the movie, but turned the offer down after feeling that he couldn't do the justice.

No, this is the first adaptation of the Sondheim musical.

There is a 1982 DVD recording of the musical starring George Hearn in the title role and Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Lovett. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084747/. George Hearn won an Emmy for this.

There have been several non-musical versions, including a black and white with Tod Slaughter from the '30s (I don't know how accesible it is): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028331/

A movie with Ben Kingsley in the title role: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0147582/

A TV movie with Ray Winstone: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479760/

And the 2001 Concert version of the musical featuring George Hearn, Patti LuPone, Tim Nolen (Judge Turpin), Neil Patrick Harris (Toby), and Lisa Vroman (Johanna) with the San Francisco Symphony: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0300536/

While this version is a "concert version" it is a STAGED version, it is not like the Les Miserables 10th anniversary concert. The Concert is staged with a very dark, kabuki theatre style with props and raised platforms to great effect. There are many behind the scenes documentation as well as seeing Sondheim himself correcting misconceptions about the show and you see him also correcting the musical and phrasing interpretation of the score. So musically this version is far more complete with Turpin's Joanna being included in the show. The show benefits from classical singers being in the secondary roles. As it allows the story to flow most consistently and brings out some of the musical humor that Sondheim included. Incidentally, Sondheim has singled out Neil Patrick Harris as being a definitive Toby so this is worth checking out for that!

Yes, but there has been a lot of debate on that.

In 1979 (the year Sondheim's musical premiered), Haining wrote the first of two books arguing that Sweeney Todd did exist. However, after nearly three decades, Haining's sources remain unverified, giving cause for skepticism.

This article gives the entire story, complete with bibliography (Of more sources than just Haining).

http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/weird/todd/index_1.html

A skeptical counterpoint can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweeney_todd

http://www.geocities.com/justingilb/SweenyPage.html

The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) have given the film '18' for strong bloody violence

Apparently, yes. Several reports have stated that Sondheim likes the movie a lot, and one also mentions that he is is very pleased with the performances; Depp's and Bonham Carter's particularly.

http://www.lemonwade.com/2007/10/04/its-true-about-sweeney-todd-sondheim-really-really-likes-it/

Every actor had to personally audition in front of Sondheim for his or her part, except Johnny Depp, who came attached to the project. He also wrote additional music for the score (as he was involved in the 2005 radically different--exceptional--revival). So his involvement makes it encouraging that his vision is preserved.

Encyclopedia Britannica says: also spelled gilliflower any of several scented flowering plants, especially the carnation, or clove pink (Dianthus caryophyllus), stock (Matthiola incana), and wallflower (Cheiranthus cheiri). The gillyflower of Chaucer, Spenser, and Shakespeare was the carnation. Other plants that utilize the word gillyflower are dame's gillyflower, also known as dame's violet (Hesperis matronalis); mock gillyflower, also known as soapwort or bouncing bet (Saponaria officinalis); feathered gillyflower, also known as the grass or garden pink (Dianthus plumarius); and sea gillyflower, also known as the thrift or sea pink (Armeria maritima).

A Beadle is a Parish Baliff. They don't exist anymore. A parish is the administrative area around a Church. A Baliff is the officer of the parish who deals with the practicalities of the local laws.

It's a play on words. "Bleeder" is an old British term, used with the cockney language. A bleeder is a semi-insult/synonym for a person. E.g. "Where is the little bleeder?" It is comparable in meaning to "bastard". It can also be taken literally, as in, 'one who bleeds' - it's an old term for a hemophiliac, and is also used colloquially to refer to those who tend to bleed easily when nicked (perhaps while shaving).

Mrs. Mooney is another pie maker whose pies are made out of "pussy cats." She is never shown but referenced by Mrs. Lovett.

The time frame is meant to be a purpousfully unspecified part of the mid-19th century.

While the movie never states clearly whether or not they wound up together. You are supposed to make the inference that yes, they do end up together. Anthony gets the coach and takes Johanna away. There is no other reason to not believe it- but I think the reason they didn't include it is because you are supposed to make the inference and they wanted to more focus on the tragedy of Sweeney's death and the rest that happens in the final scene.

The play does end differently. In the play, Toby becomes completely insane and his hair turned white from horror. He kills Sweeney Todd and then Anthony, Johanna and the police run into the bakehouse. Here, Toby drops the razor walks over to the meat grinder and continues to grind the meat as Mrs. Lovett had told him too.

So therefore, in the play you know that Anthony and Johanna will get away safely and in the movie, though never said, you are supposed to draw the assumption that they fled together to live their lives together- happily or unhappily.

Opening Title - Sets the dark and somber mood for the film, and displays all the cast and crew credits.

No Place Like London - Introduces Sweeny Todd and Anthony, and allows the audience to learn of Sweeney's former life and false imprisonment.

The Worst Pies in London - Introduces Mrs. Lovett, and explains just why no one cares to visit her pie shop.

Poor Thing - Sweeney Todd learns from Mrs. Lovett the tragedies that have befallen his wife and daughter. We also learn that Mrs. Lovett has feelings for Sweeney Todd.

My Friends - Sweeney is reunited with his razors, and begins to slowly embrace his lust for vengence.

Green Finch & Linnet Bird - Johanna, Sweeney's daughter, wonders how the birds in her room are able to sing despite the fact that they, like her, are caged and shut away from the world.

Alms, Alms - Introduces the Beggar Woman, who asks for money/alms and tells Anthony of Johanna.

Johanna - Anthony professes his love for the yellow-haired beauty, Johanna.

Pirelli's Miracle Elixir - Introduces Toby and Signor Perelli, who is the "creator" of a hair-growing elixir, which Sweeney immediately denounces as a fraud.

The Contest - Sweeney faces off against Pirelli, who happily sings of his personal approach to shaving.

Wait - Mrs. Lovett tries to convince Sweeney to savor his revenge and not rush it, so that it might be that much sweeter when it is finally carried out.

Ladies In Their Sensitivities - Judge Turpin tells the Beadle of his marriage proposal to Johanna, and the Beadle suggests that he travel to Sweeney's shop to improve his looks so that Johanna might be more receptive to him.

Pretty Women - Sweeney uses the magic of women--the Judge's weakness--to distract him while he attempts to carry out his execution by "shaving" him.

Epiphany - Sweeney, having lost his chance at revenge, denounces the world and the people who live in it, and further expresses his wish to murder not only the Judge, but all of mankind.

A Little Priest - After Pirelli is murdered, Mrs. Lovett forsees a surprising business opportunity for her shop by baking corpses after they have been "shaved" by Sweeney, and they both rattle through the options on their "menu" which includes priests, poets, fops, and vicars.

Johanna(Reprise) - As Anthony searches for Johanna throughout London, Sweeney accepts that he will never see her again, while nonchantly "shaving" customers.

God, That's Good! - Toby advertises the grand re-opening of Mrs. Lovett Pie Shop, and her delicious "new" meat pies, while Mrs. Lovett is plagued by the Beggar Woman, who seems to have a strange need to repeatedly enter and bother her customers.

By the Sea - With the booming success of her pie shop and meat pies, Mrs. Lovett begins to paint for Sweeney a lovely picture of their life as a married couple.

Not While I'm Around - Becoming more and more wary and suspicious of Sweeney, Toby promises Mrs. Lovett that he will never let any harm come to her.

Final Scene - Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett search for Toby, who seems to have disappeared somewhere in the bakery. Anthony arrives at the barber shop with Johanna, disguised as a sailor, where he tells her to wait for him. Johanna hides when she hears the crazed beggar woman, who is still searching for Beadle Bamford, approach the barber shop. Todd returns to the shop upstairs and is surprised by the mad beggar woman, who seems to recognize him. Hearing Judge Turpin approach the shop, a distracted Sweeney quickly slits the beggar woman's throat and drops her through the trapdoor. Just a few moments later the Judge enters looking for his ward. Todd reassures Turpin of Johanna's safety and offers him a shave before reuniting with her. Turpin reluctantly agrees, and once seated, Todd reveals his true identity and brutally murders the judge, violently stabbing him in the neck repeatedly before slashing his throat.

Sweeney then discovers Johanna hiding in his barbershop. Not recognizing her dressed in men's clothing, he approaches her to kill her, but is interrupted by Mrs. Lovett's screams from the basement. He leaves Johanna unharmed, but warns her to forget his face, and rushes down to the bakehouse. There, Mrs. Lovett explains that Turpin had briefly clutched onto her dress but then died after a few seconds. Mrs. Lovett desperately tries to dispose of the beggar woman's corpse before Sweeney can notice. He tells Lovett to open the door to the oven, pushing her away from the body. As she hesitantly does so, the oven fire illuminates the beggar woman's hair and face. Todd recognizes the corpse as his wife, Lucy, whom he had believed long dead. Realizing that Lovett knew Lucy was alive but had lied to him, Todd begins to waltz manically with Lovett around the basement bakehouse, reassuring her that he does not care about Lucy because the past is dead, and that he and Mrs. Lovett can still be married before hurling her into the blazing fire of the oven and locking its door. Todd then returns to Lucy and cradles her dead body as an enraged Toby emerges from the sewer, picks up Todd's discarded razor, and slits Todd's throat. Todd then dies, as his blood spills onto the face of his dead wife.

Lucy was raped by Judge Turpin. None of the other party goers came to her aid because: "She wasn't no match for such craft, y'see, And everyone thought it so droll. They figured she had to be daft, y'see, So all of them stood there and laughed, y'see!"

It would appear that the name alone would indicate that she is in a committed relationship, but the film never indicates whether or not there is a Mr. Lovett.

Mrs. Lovett does state that she has had a fondness for Benjamin Barker for some time, as a person trapped in a pseduo-romantic state or whom has an infauation with what Sweeney Todd now represents.

"I'm your friend too, Mr. Todd..." tells the viewers that, should there really be a Mr. Lovett, that he is ultimately not imporant in her mind.

The only mention of a husand to Mrs. Lovett comes from the former Mrs. Barker who indicates that she is the wife of the devil or of evil.

From the film, one can only assume that if Mrs. Lovett is willing to murder now, then she was probably willing to do so in the past and her former husband may have met that same fate.....

....and maybe left her a pie shop.