'Sweeney Todd' Tour Slices into ACT San Francisco 8/30

After an impressive Broadway run, director/designer John Doyle's Tony Award-winning re-imagining of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is set to begin its National Tour, with a pre-tour engagement at San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre (ACT).  Previews at ACT begin August 30, opening ACT's 41st season on September 4.  The production, nominated for 2006 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, won Tony Awards for Doyle (Best Direction of a musical) and orchestrator and music supervisor Sarah Travis (Best orchestrations).

Alongside David Hess, who will play Sweeney, Broadway legend Judy Kaye will play the key role of Mrs. Lovett in San Francisco. Hess and Kaye will be joined onstage by many members of the Tony Award-winning Broadway cast including Benjamin Magnuson (Anthony), Lauren Molina (Johanna), Diana DiMarzio (Beggar Woman) and John Arbo (Mr. Fogg); joined by Benjamin Eakeley (Beadle), Keith Buterbaugh (Judge Turpin), Katrina Yaukey (Pirelli) and Edmund Bagnell (Tobias Ragg).

"An irrepressibly witty musical revenge fantasy, Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd tells the tale of a master barber whom a corrupt judge has unjustly exiled to Australia," state press notes, "Sweeney returns to London with vengeance on his mind-and a well-honed razor in his hands. Doyle's production, in an exclusive engagement at ACT before it embarks on a national tour, features a multi-talented cast of actors playing all their own instruments...

"Perhaps the most innovative aspect of Doyle's production is the impressive combination of skills the director/designer demands from his actors on-stage. In Doyle's 'all hands on deck' method of staging, the actors not only carry the musical score themselves, they do so without the benefit of a conductor-an almost unheard-of feat in contemporary musical theater.

Sweeney Todd features music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by Hugh Wheeler and adaptation by Christopher Bond.  The design team for Sweeney Todd includes Richard G. Jones (lighting), Dan Moses Schreier (sound), Paul Huntley (wig/hair) and Angelina Avallone (makeup).

Director and designer John Doyle won a 2006 Tony Award nomination, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award for this production of Sweeney Todd.  His revival of Sondheim's Company won this year's Tony Award for best revival of a musical.

Previews are August 30 – September 2.  Opening Night is September 4 with performances through September 30.  Performances times are Tuesdays – Saturdays at 8PM (except September 11 at 7PM); Wednesdays, Saturdays & Sundays at 2PM (except no matinee on September 12 & 26). Plus Sundays September 7 & 16 at 7PM.

Tickets are $30-$82 (or $22-$62 previews). Tickets are available through A.C.T. Ticket Services, 405 Geary Street at Mason, 415-749-2228, and online at www.act-sf.org.  The American Conservatory Theatre is located at 415 Geary Street, San Francisco.

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