What contradicts Christmas spirit more than tomorrow’s release of the movie production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical Sweeney Todd? Unless you count Yoko Ono’s vocal performance on “Happy Christmas (War is Over),” nothing dampens the holiday mirth more than the twisted story of a homicidal barber. Nonetheless, the morbidity of Sweeney Todd has not prevented it from receiving generally positive reviews and multiple Golden Globe nominations. And now it seems that Sondheim’s relationship with film will extend beyond Sweeney Todd: the marital woes of Company and the love dilemmas of Follies may also grace movie theaters someday.

According to the New York Times, Sondheim is willing to let directors and writers rework his scores and adapt the two musicals for film. The article says that West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin, who also is writing a musical based on the Flaming Lips’ Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, is already developing Follies as a motion picture. If both musicals do make the cut, perhaps they too will make effective films. The one legitimate fear, however, is that the production team will cross the line with casting famous actors with no Broadway experience or formal vocal training. Just imagine Tom Cruise as Bobby in Company. Now there is a thought that is far more sickening than the blood on Sweeney’s blade.

-Raj Srinivasan

Image Source: New York Magazine

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007): Reviews [Metacritic]

Aaron Sorkin will write Flaming Lips musical [Entertainment Weekly]

Another Stab? [New York Times]

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