It’s a bloody affair on Venice Theatre’s Stage II, where Sweeney Todd began his barbarous and barber-ous run last night. A retelling of the classic tale of love and vengeance and the worst (best?) meat pies in London, Murray Chase directs this production of the eight-time Tony Award-winning Stephen Sondheim musical, Stage II-style.

Starring Chris Caswell as the eponymous slasher, Kimberly Kollar as the bizarrely upbeat Mrs. Lovett and Robert Austin as the lecherous Judge Turpin, Chase suggests a different, perhaps subtler take on an outrageous character last seen taken to its extreme by the Johnny Depp/Tim Burton machine. “You might see him as a guy you could sit down and have a beer with,” said Chase. “A guy like Ted Bundy or John Wayne Gacy. These guys got away with murder because they seemed like one of us.”

Opening last night, Sweeney Todd runs on Venice Theatre’s Stage II through Feb. 14. Tickets cost $29 for adults, $15 for college students and $13 for children.