Capitol City Opera Company to Open Season with SWEENEY TODD, 3/7-9

Capitol City Opera Company, one of the only opera companies in the Southeast to champion local singers, will open its 2014 season with a fully staged production of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street on March 7-9, 2014 at Oglethorpe University's Conant Performing Arts Center.

Sweeney Todd will be a company premiere for Capitol City Opera Company, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this season. General admission tickets for Sweeney Todd at $40 each and senior/student/military tickets at $30 each are available now by visiting ccityopera.org. The company is offering a special 2-for-the price-of-1 deal on the purchase of general admission tickets until midnight, Sunday, Feb. 16.

In what Capitol City Opera Company Artistic Director Michael Nutter calls "our most ambitious production to date," Sweeney Todd will be a Steampunk version depicting a gritty world reminiscent of the19th-century factory era in which everything runs on steam.

Sets, costumes and stage direction will juxtapose Steampunk elements against the psychotic characters brought to the musical stage by Sondheim and originally created by Hugh Wheeler. Sweeney Todd tells the infamous tale of an unjustly exiled barber who returns to London, seeking revenge against the lecherous judge who framed him, ravaged his young wife, and stole his infant daughter.

Capitol City Opera Company's Sweeney Todd will feature a cast of local singers headlined by baritone Shane Desmond-Williams performing the title role, and mezzo-soprano Heather Witt performing the role of Mrs. Lovett. Nutter will provide stage direction. Catherine Giel will provide musical direction, and a nine-piece musical ensemble will be conducted by Michael Giel.

Those in the community who have Steampunk costumes are encouraged to wear them to the performances. Meat pies will be available at the concession stand before the performance begins and during intermission.

The approximate running time for Sweeney Todd is two hours 30 minutes with one intermission.

Sweeney Todd is co-sponsored by Arts and Ideas at Oglethorpe University.

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