The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

At last night's opening of Sweeney Todd, at the State Theatre, I couldn't help but make comparisons to the recent film version. This is what theatergoers do at revivals, right? They consider the present viewing experience in relation to all previous encounters with a favorite play or musical. And to be clear: Sweeney is, by far, one of my favorites.

We are children, and then we work. If we’re fortunate, at any rate, we’re allowed to experience our childhood as children, and able, when the time comes to make our way in the world, to find work. Meaningful work, if we’re truly fortunate.

The truth, though, is that the introductory icebreaker for youngsters—“How old are you?”—is too quickly replaced by “What do you do?”