Tim Burton took the stage at the Frederick P. Rose Hall tonight as the guest of the Film Society of Lincoln Center for a program billed as “An Evening with Tim Burton: Cinema’s Demon Barber.” Dressed in black, with his customary late-Einstein hairstyle, the director sat with moderator Richard Pena and, with self-deprecating humor, discussed his film career from FRANKENWEENIE to SWEENEY TODD. As a grand finale, Burton showed three clips from SWEENEY TODD which he described as “Sweeney comes home, Sweeney gets pissed off,” and “Sweeney gets down to business.” For those of you with SWEENEY TODD soundtrack albums, these correspond to the songs “My Friends,” “Epiphany,” and “Johanna.” The audience roared its enthusiasm, and the critical reaction, from both professionals and non-professionals in attendance, has been nothing short of rapturous.

To read the rave reviews, click on MESSAGE BOARDS above and go to the Porch, where there is one thread carrying the critics’ reviews (see “Johnny sings! SWEENEY TODD rocks!”) and another thread carrying in-person accounts from the Zoners who attended the event (see “Zoner Reports: An Evening with Tim Burton at Lincoln Center”). We thank Scout, Mrs. Nobody, Chachacheenie, Chocolat, Deppsdebb, and FoxyOperaSinger for posting their descriptions of the evening–you really made us feel like we were there, too.

Many thanks as well to Theresa and Emma for posting all the professional reviews. This being 2007, there is an audio file of the “Johanna” clip floating around YouTube tonight (naturally), although it may not be there long, since it was obviously taped by an audience member under dubious circumstances. You can hear Jamie Campbell Bower and Johnny Depp singing, though (you hear the voices in that order), and it is indeed music to die for. –Part-Time Poet