\ Was sweeney todd based on a real person? - Dish De

Was sweeney todd based on a real person?

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Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as the villain of the Victorian penny dreadful serial The String of Pearls (1846-47). … Claims that Sweeney Todd was a historical person are strongly disputed by scholars, although possible legendary prototypes exist.

Is Sweeney Todd based on the Barber of Seville?

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Singing Barbers: Although Stephen Sondheim was inspired by the Victorian penny dreadful serial The String of Pearls, Sweeney Todd owes a tip of the hat (or razor) to The Barber of Seville.

What play is Sweeney Todd based on?

1979: The musical version of Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (based on the play) by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler, premiered, directed by Hal Prince and starring Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou. The production was nominated for nine Tony Awards, winning eight including Best Musical.

Who inspired Sweeney Todd?

Mack doesn’t think it a coincidence at all. He theorizes that Dickens had an influence on the legend of Sweeney Todd. In 1843-44, when Martin Chuzzlewit was published, the legend of the murderous barber was rather nebulous. There was simply a story about a barber who killed his customers.

Did Mrs Lovett exist?

Lovett is a fictional character appearing in many adaptations of the story Sweeney Todd. … She makes meat pies from Todd’s victims. First appearing in the Victorian penny dreadful serial The String of Pearls, it is debated if she was based on an actual person or not.

Sweeney Todd – The Real Story

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Why is the blood in Sweeney Todd so fake?

TIL The blood on set for Sweeney Todd was coloured orange so it rendered correctly on the desaturated color film used. This reminds me of The Addams Family; the rooms were very vibrant and colorful.

What happens to Toby after Sweeney Todd?

Lovett later search the cellars for Toby, who by then has vanished into the catacombs. At the end, Todd realizes that he has murdered his own wife Lucy, whom he did not recognize, as she appeared to be a mad beggar woman. … However, in the film version, Toby does not appear to be caught or to have gone insane.

Is Fleet Street Real?

Fleet Street is a major street mostly in the City of London. … The street became known for printing and publishing at the start of the 16th century, and it became the dominant trade so that by the 20th century most British national newspapers operated from here.

What does Judge Turpin do to Lucy?

She is the faithful and loving wife of Benjamin Barker and mother of Johanna Barker, whose life is destroyed by the evil Judge Turpin, who exiles her husband in order to have her all to himself. Soon afterward, Turpin rapes her, so she then poisons herself with arsenic.

What was the inspiration for Sweeney Todd?

The Musical’s Literary Sources

The character of Sweeney Todd originated in The String of Pearls, a penny dreadful by an unknown author, first published in England in 1846-47. The basic plot will be familiar to fans of the musical and movie: a barber and a baker collude to murder people and bake their remains into pies.

Is Johnny Depp really singing in Sweeney Todd?

The actor has starred in six of Burton’s films, been on the receiving end of gallons of gore , and, he says, the director is like a delighted child when he is around it. Yes, Johnny Depp did his own singing in the film Sweeney Todd.

Is Mrs Lovett an alto?

MRS. LOVETT (Alto/Mezzo G3 – E5, Cockney accent, moves well, age range 35-50) An amoral, pragmatic seller of meat pies — takes practicality to a ridiculous level. She lusts after Todd. A very high-energy role.

Why is Sweeney Todd 18?

The MPAA rated Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street R for graphic bloody violence.

Who was Sweeney Todd Based off?

A five-volume biographical record of notorious criminals housed at Newgate Prison was published in the late 1700s. Titled “The Newgate Calendar,” there is a detailed story of a man named Sawney Bean (very close in name to Sweeney Todd).

What is The Barber of Seville based on?

The Barber of Seville (in Italian: Il barbiere di Siviglia) is a comic opera (opera buffa) in two acts by the composer Gioachino Rossini. The libretto (words) are based on a comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais called The Barber of Seville.

Who is Figaro in The Barber of Seville?

Figaro, formerly the Count’s servant and now a barber in Seville, arrives rejoicing in his profession (“Largo al factotum”). He tells the Count that Bartolo has plans to marry Rosina for her inheritance.

What happened to Sweeney Todds wife?

Lucy Barker was Benjamin Barker’s wife and while he was arrested, she was raped by Judge Turpin, which drove her to attempt suicide by poisoning. Mrs. Lucy was murdered by mistake by her husband Sweeney Todd “Benjamin Barker” in which he shows extreme remorse and in rage Sweeney Todd kills Mrs. …

Do Anthony and Johanna end up together?

Anthony does this and then rescues Johanna, bringing her (disguised as a young lad) back to Sweeney Todd’s shop as he fetches a coach. Though the ending of Anthony’s story is never revealed in the play, it is implied that he and Johanna left London, got married in France and are now living happily ever after.

Did Sweeney Todd know Johanna was his daughter?

She is nearly murdered by her father when he discovers her, as he does not recognize her as his daughter (seeing as he had never met her since infancy and because she is disguised as a young man). She survives when Mrs. Lovett screams in the basement bakehouse, distracting Todd and allowing her to escape.

Is Sweeney Todd based on Jack the Ripper?

The playwright Christopher Bond, whose 1973 work was adapted by Sondheim for the musical, began his tale by telling readers: “Sweeney Todd is pure fiction … … Later, there grew the story of Jack the Ripper – a villain whose existence and identity is contested even more fiercely than Todd’s.

Why did Benjamin Barker change his name?

Benjamin Barker had to change his name in order to avoid recognition upon his return. The fact that he picked such a peculiar name such as Sweeney Todd might just seem eclectic to anyone that is not aware of what the name Sweeney Todd really means.

Why was Fleet Street full of red people?

Question 4: Why was Fleet Street full of red-headed people? Answer: The advertisement in the newspaper made many red-headed people apply for the job at the office of the League which was on Fleet Street making it full of red-headed people.

Is Toby Jack the Ripper?

The film’s Toby grows up to be Jack the Ripper. … Johnny Depp being in From Hell (a Jack the Ripper movie costarring Hagrid) makes this even cooler.

Why is Mrs Lovett in love with Sweeney Todd?

His motive (in addition to the fact that Sweeney wanted to kill him) is that Sweeney has murdered the maternal figure in Toby’s life, Mrs. Lovett. … Mrs. Lovett later claims that her motive for lying about Lucy’s death is that she loves Sweeney.

How old is Toby in Sweeney Todd?

In the stage musical, Toby is portrayed as a mentally handicapped adult; Ken Jennings, who originated the Broadway role, was 31 on opening night, and Neil Patrick Harris was 27. In the 2007 movie, he is a child and not mentally ill, portrayed by 14-year-old Ed Sanders.