*Queeney Todd,* Oct 29, 2026
I went to Hearbeat Opera's annual Halloweenish drag extravaganza on Oct 29, 2026.
Last year it was Orgy and Bess - - this year it was Queeney Todd: The Demon Bottom of Fleet Street. It was fun and well done but a bit of a disappointment. Last year's show was both of those things but also smart. This year it was mostly just raunchy, which doesn't sustain for 90 minutes, at least not for me.
Nathaniel Sullivan was wonderful as Queeney, he was clearly having a very good time. I heard him as John the Baptist in their production of Salome so it was no surprise that he sang well. The musical highlight of the performance was mezzo Eliza Bonet singing "Crude furie" from Serse, an aria I don't hear often enough. Here's the great Ann Murray singing the aria in English. I was lucky enough to see her in this production in Chicago in the 90s, it remains one of the most delightful evenings in the theatre ever:
The hands-down highlight of the show was not centered on the music. It was a strip number by Jonathan Burke. I'd seen him as Mungojerrie in Cats the Jellicle Ball but whoa Nelly that did not prepare me for his performance in Queeney Todd. He was unbelievable and the crowd, of course, went absolutely nutso.
I think I might have been one of the few audience members who was disappointed. Everyone else appeared to adore the show and I suppose it delivered on what it set out to do. I'll do a better job of setting my expectations next year.
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