By Fred Lief
"Sweeney Todd" closed not with a slash of a barber's razor but with a barrage of flowers — and a visit from the master himself.
As Patti LuPone and Michael Cerveris, the stars of the Stephen Sondheim musical, stood on stage Sunday night with the rest of the cast after the final performance of this revival, the flowers came soaring out of the orchestra and mezzanine.
Among those applauding wildly at Eugene O'Neill Theatre was none other than Sondheim, who wrote the music and lyrics for this grim tale of a demon barber in 19th-century London.
The roaring ovation began even before the curtain went up. It resumed at the end of the first act and reached a howling crescendo after Cerveris' murderous barber slammed the door and walked off stage to end the show.
"I take it some of you have been here before," Cerveris told the audience, the stage strewn with roses.
LuPone, who received a Tony nomination for her role as the barber's partner in crime, is no stranger to big Broadway moments. She was in tears on stage, covering her mouth and dazzled by the bombardment of bouquets.
She, too, thanked all number of people, "Stephen" among them. Sondheim was about 10 rows back on the aisle, clapping with both hands over his head like most in the theater.
By the end, LuPone was at a loss for words. Someone in the audience needed to fill the pause. "We love you, Patti!" he shouted.
The show first opened on Broadway in 1979, and this revival began its New York run last November. Next up is the movie version, with plans to start shooting in 2007, and Johnny Depp bearing the glistening razors.
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