That time of year has finally come around — the Spring Musical! This year’s production, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet, is a different one because it’s a thriller and a comedy. It is a 1979 musical by Stephen Sondheim.
“The infamous tale is about an exiled barber who makes his return to London hoping to exact his revenge against the judge who framed him to steal his young wife and daughter,” Musical Director David Schmiech said. “The road to revenge leads him to Mrs. Lovett, a failed pie-shop owner, whose business becomes entangled with his blood-thirst. Meanwhile, the young sailor, Anthony, who rescued Sweeney and brought him back to London finds himself in love with Sweeney’s daughter Johanna. The plot grabs you and doesn’t let go until the end.”
It is one twisted story to summarize. There is a killer, a love story, a woman who bakes human flesh into pies, and a giant plot twist.
“Seeing the reaction of the audience as they hear some of the most beautiful music composed to some seriously horrific events is what I am looking forward to,” Technical Director Bob Tozier said.
Schmiech explained that Sweeney Todd is one of the most challenging shows he and his team have produced.
“We are in the process of putting together all of the separate pieces; singing, acting, dancing, orchestra, crew, sound, lights, etc. It’s a giant puzzle and all of the pieces need to be in the right spot. We are in a great place to have a phenomenal show,” he said.
It’s a giant puzzle and all of the pieces need to be in the right spot. We are in a great place to have a phenomenal show.
— David Schmiech, Musical Director
NASH senior Sam Lopuszynski is starring as Sweeney Todd, who appears like a villain when he is first introduced. He is just a man driven mad after having his wife and daughter stolen from him and getting accused of a crime he didn’t commit. His goal is unwavering — to exact revenge on those who wronged him. And the site of his revenge plot is the show’s iconic barber’s chair.
“I really love the fact that Sweeney is extremely dark, but he is also quite simple, meticulous, and very smooth,” Lopuszynski said.
Mrs. Lovett, played by Amanda Campos, is a cheerful, but struggling baker who winds up helping Sweeney Todd’s revenge plot and also starts to develop love for him along the way.
“I absolutely adore exploring this funny yet dark side of acting,” Campos said. “She is such an interesting character to discover and make acting choices for. Also, the accent is definitely a plus.”
The show is not only complex in terms of plot and characterization. It is also a challenge from a musical perspective.
“Sondheim is known for writing gorgeous vocal scores for musicals and making incredible theater pieces. However, when running six shows in a week, my voice is definitely going to get tired, so keeping vocal health is something very important to me throughout,” Campos said.
On the other hand, the abundant time and effort put into daily rehearsals can help these challenges be less intimidating.
“Sweeney pretty much is yelling or singing the entire time, so keeping the strength in the voice is difficult,” Lopuszynski said. “But tech week is great practice for that because we get to practice the show over and over again.”
Lopuszynski is especially looking forward to the audience’s reaction to both the show’s music and visuals.
“I’m excited for people to hear some of the most iconic musical songs of all time and, at the same time, see the awesome set and all of the technical features,” he said.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street takes the NASH stage Wednesday, February 28th at 7:00 pm, Thursday, February 29th at 7:00 pm, Friday, March 1st at 7:00 pm, Saturday, March 2nd at 7:00 pm, and Sunday, March 3rd at 2:00 pm.
Tickets are for sale online.
