�It might have been sophisticated film music�: The role of the orchestra in stage and screen versions of Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street

When Stephen Sondheim wrote his 1979 musical thriller Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, he aimed for it to feel like a horror film. As such, he drew upon methods from Classical Hollywood film scoring in order to sustain tension between musical numbers and provide clues about the drama. In 2007, the musical was adapted into a film directed by Tim Burton, and thus Sondheim�s music became a film score. Though much of the score is built upon Sondheim�s original work, new scenes required the development of new music. This article considers the role of the orchestra in both the original production of Sweeney Todd and in the film using theories of the role and function of film music and the orchestra in musical theatre.