Show Synopsis:
Sweeney Todd comes to London with Anthony, a young sailor who rescued him from a raft drifting in the ocean and meets Mrs. Lovett, a woman with a failing pie shop in his old home. She recognizes him as the former barber Benjamin Barker and gives him back his old shaving tools. Sweeney wants to avenge his wife's rape and his unlawful arrest by the lustful and powerful Judge Turpin, who has taken his daughter Joanna and raised her as his own. Anthony and Joanna begin to fall in love with each other while the Judge plots marrying Joanna himself, and they plot an elopement while Judge Turpin plans his wedding. When Judge Turpin and his Beedle discover Anthony's plans, they lock Joanna in an asylum so that she will never be able to leave the Judge. Sweeney kills his old protege when he recognizes him as Benjamin Barker, and Mrs. Lovett posits the idea that Sweeney could kill people under the guise of shaving them so that she could get some decent meat for her pies. Her shop becomes a success, especially with the help of the mentally stunted Tobias, but Toby begins to put together the facts and realize that Mr. Todd might be dangerous. Mrs. Lovett is very frustrated that Sweeney does not care for her the way she cares for him, and Sweeney is frustrated that he has not found Joanna yet. When Anthony finds her, he enlists Mr. Todd's help to get her out, and succeeds, although Joanna has to kill the warden of the asylum. Mrs. Todd locks Tobias in the cellar, where she and Sweeney keep and cook all the bodies, because he has been asking too many questions. Joanna hides in Mr. Todd's barbershop and watches her foster father get murdered in front of her. Sweeney also has to kill the Old Beggar Woman who has wandered into his shop, and Joanna runs away from Sweeny in fright, not knowing he is her father. When he goes down to the cellar to deal with the bodies, he looks at the Beggar Woman and realizes that she was his wife, who Mrs. Lovett had said died. Mrs. Lovett confesses her love to him but he kills her and himself so that he can be with the woman he truly loves. Toby's has been frightened to an even more childlike state than before because of all that has happened, and the policeman, Anthony, and Joanna arrive with the police to find him pretending to make meat pies amidst the dead bodies.

Character:
Johanna, a lovely young woman who is only just starting to understand that the sheltered life she has known is not all it seems to be; wants to explore life outside of her father's home.

Song Context:
Johanna sees a bird seller selling his birds and identifies with the birds, who clearly long to fly outside of their cages.

Fun Facts:
1) This musical was originally based on Christopher Bond's play of the same name, which was in turn based on a series of Victorian penny dreadfuls - short stories - called The String of Pearls. 
2) Sarah Rice originated the role of Johanna on Broadway in 1979, and Lauren Molina played Johanna in the 2005 Broadway revival. This role was the Broadway debut for both of them. 
3) Jayne Wisener also played Johanna in the 2007 film adaptation of the musical and made her feature film debut in this role.