Sweeney Todd opens in Whitefish
Whitefish Theatre Co. presents Sondheim's classic thriller
Just in time for the Halloween season, the Whitefish Theatre Company is delighted to present the musical thriller Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. “This show has everything: love, revenge, intrigue, and surprisingly, a great deal of humor,” says Director Kim Krueger. “However, you can’t pull off this kind of volatile, satirical story without a keen understanding of human nature and delicate chemistry. Sondheim, in this masterpiece, has not only tackled the human preoccupations of obsession and personal vendettas, but societal issues of power and class as well, all with dark humor, wit, and one of the most stunning scores ever written.”
Based on 18th century tales from the “penny dreadfuls” of serial Victorian fiction, the character of Sweeney Todd has captured the imaginations of both playwrights and moviemakers for decades. Early versions of a Sweeney Todd play surfaced in the 1800s and there were two British films about the character in 1926 and 1936. The musical “Sweeney Todd” opened on Broadway in 1979 and in the West End in 1980, winning a Tony Award for Best Musical and an Olivier Award for Best New Musical.
The cast of Sweeney Todd at Whitefish Theatre Co. includes 28 actors from around the Flathead Valley. Rob Koelzer plays Sweeney Todd, Amy Spicer plays Mrs. Lovett, Mikey Winn plays Anthony Hope, Angie Green plays Johanna, Grayson Wood plays Tobias Ragg, David Reese plays Judge Turpin, Connor Donahue plays the Beadle, Amy Beth Chisholm plays the Beggar Woman, Tristen Ray Hollist plays Adolfo Pirelli, and Christoper DeJohn plays Jonas Fogg.
Other ensemble characters include Laura Jane Abernethy, Becky Rygg, Sophie Sieh, Joy James, Hunter Cripe, Jill Dieser, Lisa Calaway, Collette Strean, Valeri McGarvey, Marnie Klein, Joel Welle, Alden Lamson, Lily Strong, Cole Pickert, Adam Robinson, Kate Keith, Tucker Connell, and Courtney Coburn. Says Krueger, “This cast is amazing - some of the finest voices and actors in the valley are in this show.”
Sweeney Todd opens with a sneak preview night on Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. Performances continue on Oct. 21, 22, 27, 28, 29 and 30 at 7:30 p.m. and on Oct. 23 at 4 p.m. A matinee performance will he held on October 23 at 4:00 p.m.
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