Macabre Meets Musical

Long before Johnny Depp made the movie, Sweeney Todd was a tale of 19th Century British folklore. In the movie a bloodthirsty madman goes on a murderous rampage, seeking revenge for…well, we won't spoil it for you here. And after he kills, he does something to the bodies that is really, really gross. If you don't know what it is, we won't trouble your already addled mind with that either. But rest assured, it is an extremely distasteful storyline.

The folktale was eventually turned into a musical -- by Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim, no less — and it is considered one of his masterpieces. Its soaring score and delicious script earned it a Tony award for Best Musical. And guess what? It's coming to Miami's Carnival Center (1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami), just in time to ride the publicity from the new Johnny Depp flick. The stage version of Sweeney Todd isn't your garden variety Broadway musical, there are no chorus boys dancing around in tight pants; this is visceral theater about murder, lust, and revenge. It's not for the faint of heart, or gut. Showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets range $20 to $65. Visit www.carnivalcenter.org.
Tue., Jan. 1, 2008