Rehearsals Underway for Victorian Opera's Sweeney Todd
Rehearsals are officially underway for Victorian Opera’s final instalment in its Sondheim trilogy, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – A Musical Thriller starring Teddy Tahu Rhodes as the infamous serial-killer at Arts Centre Melbourne's Playhouse from 16-25 July, 2015.
Tahu Rhodes will make his role debut as Sweeney Todd, a 19th century barber carving a bloody path of revenge through Victorian London. Joining him as his partner in crime is Victorian Opera favourite Antoinette Halloran as Mrs Lovett. Watch Tahu Rhodes and Halloran discuss their roles in a behind the scenes video here.
The multiple Tony Award-winning musical has remained one of Sondheim’s most popular works since its Broadway debut in 1979, and was immortalised on film in Tim Burton’s 2007 adaptation of the work.
The macabre musical follows Sweeney Todd upon his return to London following a wrongful conviction and transportation to a penal colony. Seeking vengeance against the judge responsible for his imprisonment and the loss of his family, Todd partners with pie-maker Mrs Lovett in bloodied relationship of convenience. The Demon Barber of Fleet Street cuts the throats of his enemies and clients while she minces them into pies.
Stuart Maunder returns to direct Sondheim’s deliciously wicked musical, completing Victorian Opera’s Sondheim trilogy following acclaimed productions of Sunday in the Park with George (2013) and Into the Woods (2014).
“The language is archaic, the musical is operatic in scale, the setting is Victorian England but in this most thrilling of musical treatments, we can make the leap… this is a tale for our times” says Maunder.
Following a sell-out season of Victorian Opera’s 2014 production of Sondheim’s Into the Woods, audiences are encouraged to book now. It would be a bloody shame to miss out!
Stephen Sondheim & Hugh Wheeler
SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET A Musical Thriller
Conductor: Phoebe Briggs
Director: Stuart Maunder
Set & Costume Design: Roger Kirk
Lighting Designer: Phil Lethlean
Sound Designer: Jim Atkins
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Previews: 16, 17
Season: 18, 21, 22, 23, 24 & 25 July 2015, 7.30pm.
1pm Matinees 22 & 25 July
Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse
CAST:
Sweeney Todd: Teddy Tahu Rhodes
Mrs Lovett: Antoinette Halloran
Judge Turpin: Phillip Rhodes
Beadle Bamford: Kanen Breen
Adolfo Pirelli: David Rogers-Smith
Tobias Ragg: Ross Hannaford
Anthony Hope: Blake Bowden
Johanna: Amelia Berry
Beggar Woman: Dimity Shepherd
Jonas Fogg/Ensemble: Jeremy Kleeman
Ensemble: Carrie Barr, Paul Batey, Paul Biencourt, Cherie Boogaart, Danielle Calder, Daniel Carison, Ben Clark, Teresa Duddy, Jerzy Kozlowski, Noni McCallum, Sophie Viskich
Orchestra Victoria
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Hugh Wheeler
From an adaptation by Christopher Bond
Originally Directed by Harold Prince
Originally produced on Broadway by Richard Barr, Charles Woodward, Robert Fryer, Mary Lea Johnson, Martin Richards
In Association with Dean and Judy Manos
By arrangement with Hal Leonard Australia Pty Ltd exclusive
agent for Music Theatre International (NY)
Photographer: Martin Philbey
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