Two High School Students Taken to Hospital Following SWEENEY TODD Throat-Slitting Scene

Despite taking extreme precautions and detailed safety checks, two high school students in New Zealand were injured during the school's production of the Sondheim musical SWEENEY TODD, according to The Washington Post.

The incident unfolded in front of audience members attending Wednesday's opening night at Saint Kentigern College in Auckland, New Zealand. The musical, set in Victorian London, tells the dark tale of a devious barber who slits the throats of his customers and later incorporates their bodies into his popular meat pies. During Act 2 of Wednesday night's show, two boys had their necks cut during the infamous throat-slitting scene and were taken to a local hospital.

Steve Cole, the head of Saint Kentigern College, told radio station Newstalk ZB that the razor which was used during the show was in fact real, but that several precautions were taken to ensure that no one would be injured. "It had been bound in Cellophane, bound in all sorts of things," he explained. "It was very non-sharp, blunted, and had been through all sorts of health and safety checks. It was a very unfortunate mishap."

Today's performance of the play has been canceled but the show is expected to resume tomorrow, "obviously without those particular props," said Cole.

The two male actors were released today. Both are said to be doing well. The incident is currently under investigation by local police and health-and-safety officials.