“Epiphany”

Musical Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979)
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Hugh Wheeler
Based on the play The String of Pearls, by Christopher Bond

TODD (Shouting):  Out! Out, I say! (Bewildered, ANTHONY leaves. Music begins under, very agitated. TODD stands motionless, in shock. As the JUDGE hurries off down the street, MRS.  LOVETT, with a new bottle of gin in her hand, sees him. She glances after him, then goes into the back parlor where TOBIAS is now asleep. She looks at him, puts down the bottle and hurries out and up the stairs to TODD)
MRS. LOVETT:  All this running and shouting. What is it now, dear?
TODD:  I had him — and then …
MRS.  LOVETT:  The sailor busted in. I saw them both running down the street and I said to myself: “The fat’s in the fire, for sure!”
TODD  (Interrupting, sings):
I had him!
His throat was bare
Beneath my hand — !
MRS.  LOVETT (Alarmed, pacifying):  There, there, dear. Don’t fret.
TODD:
No, I had him!
His throat was there,
And he’ll never come again!
MRS.  LOVETT:
Easy now.
Hush, love, hush.
I keep telling you —
TODD (Violently):
When?
MRS.  LOVETT:
What’s your rush?
TODD:
Why did I wait?
You told me to wait!
Now he’ll never come again!
(Music becomes ferocious. TODD’s insanity, always close to the surface, explodes finally)
There’s a hole in the world
Like a great black pit
And it’s filled with people
Who are filled with [bad word] And the vermin of the world
Inhabit it —
But not for long!
They all deserve to die!
Tell you why, Mrs. Lovett,
Tell you why:
Because in all of the whole human race, Mrs. Lovett,
There are two kinds of men and only two.
There’s the one staying put
In his proper place
And the one with his foot
In the other one’s face —
Look at me, Mrs. Lovett,
Look at you!
No, we all deserve to die!
Even you, Mrs. Lovett,
Even I:
Because the lives of the wicked should be —
(Slashes at the air)
Made brief.
For the rest of us, death
Will be a relief—
We all deserve to die!
(Keening)
And I’ll never see Johanna,
No, I’ll never hug my girl to me —
Finished!
(Turns on the audience)
All right! You, sir,
How about a shave?
(Slashes twice)
Come and visit
Your good friend Sweeney — !
You, sir, too, sir —
Welcome to the grave!
I will have vengeance,
I will have salvation!
Who, sir? You, sir?
No one’s in the chair —
Come on, come on,
Sweeney’s waiting!
I want you bleeders!
You, sir — anybody!
Gentlemen, now don’t be shy!
Not one man, no,
Nor ten men,
Nor a hundred
Can assuage me —
I will have you!
(To MRS.  LOVETT)
And I will get him back
Even as he gloats.
In the meantime I’ll practice
On less honorable throats.
(Keening again)
And my Lucy lies in ashes
And I’ll never see my girl again,
But the work waits,
I’m alive at last
(Exalted)
And I’m full of joy!
(He drops down into the barber’s chair in a sweat, panting)