brilliance and genius. i sat through sweeney in a daze. christine baranski, character actress of cybill and just plain general fame, played mrs. lovett, and 2000 tony award winner brian stokes mitchell inhabited the demon of fleet street with such intensity it made you shiver to look at him.
before the show started, one of my old yiddish teachers from high school approached me with a hesitant “ester?” during intermission, a jds parent sidled up asking, “bloom?” and after, i passed a lovely young black woman with a bouquet of flowers whose presence i remembered even if not precisely her face. i doubled back and said, “tessa?” “yes!” she cried. “i knew i recognized you — it’s the hair.” the flowers, i surmised, were for jane pesci-townsend, a member of the sweeney ensemble and understudy to mrs. lovett, and once director of a summer camp tessa and i were in eight years ago. i didn’t particularly enjoy the camp — at 11, i was the youngest camper, so i didn’t get a noteworthy role. tessa, on the other hand, virtually stole the show as little red riding hood. tessa smiled radiantly and a man whispered that she should go quickly to catch jane. i told her to communicate my best and watched her go.
once upon a time, i would have done anything for a life upon the wicked stage.