Sweeney's accomplice, Mrs. Lovett, uses the victims' flesh as a secret ingredient to turn her failing bakery into the most popular eatery in London.

A real convection oven was installed inside the theater to bake fresh apple pies, ensuring the aroma perfectly matched the show's diner setting.

Creator Lin-Manuel Miranda described this deliberate casting choice as "the story of America then, told by America now" to bridge the historical gap.

The characters seek to ascend to the Heaviside Layer, a metaphysical concept adapted from T. S. Eliot's poetry that represents heaven and reincarnation.