Sweeney Todd is a great role for Johnny Depp in the forthcoming movie of Sondheim's classic, but I don't think he's interesting enough to pull it off. The overall cast looks good with Alan Rickman as Judge Turpin, Timothy Spall as Beadle Bamford and Borat as Aldolfo Pirelli, 'the king of barbers and barber of kings'. The greatest weight should fall on Helena Bonham Carter who plays Mrs Lovett, purveyor of meat-pies. Isn't she a Johnny Depp lookalike?
I saw Sweeney in London 26 years ago, but was mesmerized by the recent lean, mean revival in London in which the cast of 9 played the instruments and replaced the orchestra. It was so thrilling that I saw it again when it transferred to New York. To die for.
