Broadway's Hamilton - Opening Number Homage to Sweeney Todd

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• published: 27 Apr 2016
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At the 30th annual Easter Bonnet Competition, the company of Hamilton took top honors for transforming their opening number into an homage to Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd. Lin-Manuel Miranda chillingly portrayed the “demon barber of Fleet Street” as his fellow cast members retold the dark, twisted tale. The bonnet on Jonathan Groff's head represents a slice of meat pie, in homage to Sweeney Todd. It was designed by Scott Westervelt. Easter Bonnet 2016: The Fleet Street Remix by Lin-Manuel Miranda LESLIE How does a master’s gore-filled sumptuous score and a plot skimmed Hot from a British novel involvin’ a convict, hopped on conflict, Washed up in London harbor grow up to be a bloody demon barber? ANTHONY The mean barber used to bein’ Benjamin Barker Got a lot darker by bein’ a lot odder By seein’ a lot of trauma, by seein’ his baby mama Swiped from the scene, sent screaming away from his wife and daughter DAVEED And every day while shaves were bein’ flaunted and sauntered away By Italian knaves, he struggled and kept his shop up Inside, he was longin’ for bloddy beadles to chop up The barber was ready for judges’ jugulars he could mop up OAK Then a green finch came and linnet birds rained Our man saw his future drip drippin’ down the drain Put a razor to his nasal, connected it to his brain, And he straight up went insane, his arm was complete again… LESLIE Well the word got around they said “this can’t be the same man Sent away to prison like Valjean in a chain gang Get yourself a station, a place to practice your aim, And the world is gonna know your name, what’s your name, man?” LIN Demon barber Sweeney Todd I am the demon barber Sweeney Todd Indeed I serve a dark and vengeful god But the work…waits… RENEE Judge Turpin ordered him to split, full of it, lust-ridden Some years later, see Turpin and his ward just sittin’ Flushed, spittin’ as he locks her up quick, his hair slick COMPANY Johanna’s not his daughter but c’mon that shit is sick ANDREW Moved in with Miss Lovett, Miss Lovett would be his newest guide Cookin’ his victims into her pies, somethin’ new inside A voice, sayin’ COMPANY Sweeney, you’ve gotta kill for yourself ANDREW He started the bleedin’ and feedin’ every pastry on the shelf LESLIE There woulda been several new deceased, which only grew the feast And nobody knew that she imbued the yeast with just a little priest Started workin’ Turpin was the one he saved his hand for Slicin’ up Pirelli, practicin’ on Beadle Bamford COMPANY Scammin’ LESLIE For every neck he can get his hands on COMPANY Plannin’ LESLIE For the future, see him now, as he stands on The bow of a ship headed for his hometown On Fleet Street, clean sweep, cut ‘em all down COMPANY On Fleet Street, clean sweep, cut ‘em all down LIN But the work waits… COMPANY On Fleet Street, clean sweep, cut ‘em all down LIN I’m alive at last… COMPANY On Fleet Street, clean sweep, cut ‘em all down On Fleet Street, on Fleet Street… LIN And I’m full of JOOOOOOOYYYYY!!! COMPANY Demon barber Sweeney Todd We will now attend the tale for you (we attend the tale for you) You could never back down, you had to swing your razor hiiiigh Oh, demon barber Sweeney Todd Here’s the tale that we regale for you What happens next, well, that’s the play You wouldn’t want us to give it away The world will never be okay, ohhhh LESLIE The ship's in the London harbor now, see if you can spot ‘im A young sailor named Anthony right beside him His enemies destroyed his rep, his vengeance turned him rotten DAVEED, OAK (AS TURPIN AND THE BEADLE) We fucked with him. ANTHONY (AS ANTHONY) Me, I trusted him. ANDREW (AS PIRELLI) Me, I shaved with him. RENEE, JASMINE, ALYSHA (AS MS. LOVETT, JOHANNA, AND BEGGAR WOMAN/SWEENEY’S WIFE) Me, I loved him. LESLIE And me I’m the young Toby that got him. COMPANY There’s a million things I haven’t done, but that’s the playyyyy… LESLIE What’s your name, man? COMPANY Demon barber Sweeney Todd!