'Tis the season for Sweeney Todd. With the Tim Burton-directed film in theaters across the country now and the national tour of the John Doyle-directed stage version making its way through the States, Broadway World's Beau Higgins writes: "I have come to the conclusion that Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, is certainly one of the greatest musicals ever created."

Higgins wonders whether one can truly determine a "best" among all the brilliant works Stephen Sondheim has created. Nevertheless, in reviewing the current tour of Sweeney Todd, Higgins does assert that the musical is "perhaps the finest work ever to grace any theater at any time" and indeed the composer's "truest masterpiece" and "master achievement." He writes:

The words, the actions, the thoughts of the characters, the multi-textured plot; these are simply marvels to behold ... Sondheim’s Tony-winning score is a work of genius ... a word I rarely use. Mr. Sondheim is a genius and Sweeney Todd presents the genius at the top of the world ... His work tells the story flawlessly, enticingly, humorously, thrillingly and with a multi-textured beauty unparalleled in theater scores.

The national tour is crossing the country with the version of the play director John Doyle brought to Broadway in 2005/06, the original cast recording of which is available on Nonesuch. For Higgins, Doyle's reimagining "serves this work brilliantly."

And lest you wonder whether to catch the film version at your local movie theater or the touring company on one of its many stops, fear not, there's room for both. Writes Higgins: "Sweeney is one of those shows that is better the 25th time you see if than the second time you see it."

To read Higgins's review of the national tour, visit broadwayworld.com. For tour dates and locations, visit sweeneytoddtour.com. For more information on the Broadway cast recording, click here.