Stage Coach Players (SCP) invites you to attend the parlor of Mrs. Lovett where you can enjoy a savory meat pie and then have Mr. Sweeney Todd, shave that thick scruff of hair clean off. SCP visits London for their production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. The thrilling musical opens October 14th and runs through October 24th.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is directed by Jeff Hall with vocal direction of Sandra Jozef and pit orchestra direction by Judy O’Connor. The bloody tale involves Sweeney Todd, an unjustly exiled barber, who returns to London to seek revenge on Judge Turpin who framed Todd when he was known as Benjamin Barker. Then with the help of his servant, Beadle Bamford, Turpin lured his young wife to the Judge’s home and ravages her. Todd finds lodging at a failing pie shop, owned by Mrs. Lovett, where he immerses himself in finding revenge.
Todd shows his skills as a barber after besting Pirelli, a flamboyant Italian barber in a shaving contest. Thirsting for blood, he offers Beadle a free shave. After opening his new barber practice upstairs from Mrs. Lovett’s pie shop, Pirelli comes and threatens to reveal Todd’s true identity. Todd adeptly disposes of him. Upon finding out, Mrs. Lovett suggests an unusual use for his body and soon her pie shop becomes a place where the people of London line up to eat. And the carnage has only just begun!
Sondheim has said Sweeney Todd is a story of revenge and how it consumes a vengeful person. He has asserted, “What the show is really about is obsession.” Songs from the musical include, “A Little Priest,” “Not While I’m Around,” and “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd,” and can be found on YouTube with the original cast album being accessible through Spotify.
The original Broadway production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street premiered on March 1, 1979, with Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Lovett and Len Cariou as Sweeney Todd and Victor Garber as Anthony Hope. The musical was nominated for nine Tony Awards. It won eight, including Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Actor and Actress awards for Cariou and Lansbury. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street has been revived on Broadway twice.
Performances for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street are October 14 – 16, 2021 and October 21 – 23, 2021 with a curtain time of 7:30 p.m. along with Sunday matinees on October 17 and October 24, 2021, with a curtain time of 2:00. Tickets are $20 each or $18 for seniors and children aged 13 and under. Tickets are currently on sale through the box office phone at 815-758-1940. To purchase tickets, visit our online website at www.stagecoachplayers.com. You can also call the SCP box office which opens Sunday, October 9, 2021. The phone number is 815-758-1940. This show has adult themes and violence which may not be suitable for those under the age of 13.
Thank you for being understanding as SCP navigates Covid-19 guidelines. For this production, all who attend are asked to wear masks covering both their nose and mouth. If the state of Illinois guidelines change, our guidelines will change also. Thank you for helping us keep our patrons, cast and crew safe.
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