Theater UnCorked Announces Cast for SWEENEY TODD IN CONCERT

Shana Dirik, Producing Artistic Director of Theater UnCorked - Boston's newest small theater company - today announced the full cast for the company's debut performance: Sweeney Todd in Concert - A Pop-Up Musical. This one-time-only benefit performance will take place on Saturday, June 2nd, 2018 at First Church in Cambridge (11 Garden St, Cambridge, MA 02138) at 7:30 pm. With the staging of Sweeney Todd, the dark tale of a barber seeking vengeance, Dirik returns to her roots on Boston's stages while launching her new collaborative venture, Theater UnCorked. With a cast of 36 and an all-female production team, Sweeney Todd in Concert will feature a full roster of regional talent.

Sweeney Todd in Concert will star Shana Dirik* as Mrs. Lovett - reprising the role that launched her career - opposite Ben DiScipio reprising his role as Sweeney Todd. The combination of Dirik and DiScipio in the 2009 Metro Stage Company production was proclaimed as "electrifying" by The Hub Review, and Beverly Creasey of Theater Mirror raved "Shana Dirik is a Mrs. Lovett to die for. She makes every rhyme pop and every intention read across her wonderfully expressive face ... Dirik and DiScipio's duet "Little Priest" is a thing of beauty." Dirik and DiScipio both earned top IRNE honors for their portrayals of the scheming meat-pie shop owner and the wrongly accused barber bent on vengeance. *Denotes member of Actors Equity Association

Additional featured performers include Paul Farwell, reprising his 2009 role as the lecherous Judge Turpin; Jordan Reynolds as the love-sick Anthony; Audrey Clark as Johanna, the young ward under the ever-watchful eye of Judge Turpin; Jason Hersom as the con-man Pirelli; Alex Boyle as Toby, Mrs. Lovett's unwitting assistant; Catherine Lee Christie as the Beggar Woman and Christopher Porth as the unsavory Beadle.

Rounding out the cast are Steven Littlehale, Michael Saenz - Quintet, Benjmin Simon, Devon Stone*, James Woodsum, Matthew Zahnzinger - Quintet (male ensemble); Rachel Belleman, Stephanie Charlton, Joan Covino, Meghan Edge, Margaret Felice - Quintet, Marie Gertje, Tylor Hilliard, Sarah Jones, Lenni Alexandra Kmiec*, Joelle Kross - Quintet, Delaney Payne, Meghan Ryan, Stefani Wood, Lydian Devere Yard (female ensemble); and Mina Belir, Erin Cesmeli, Melis Demirtas, Gbrielle Grau, Ekin Guvenc, Carla Loutfi, Lily Ramras (children's ensemble). *Denotes member of Actors Equity Association.

the company's debut is also headed by an all-female production team including IRNE nominated Director Allison Olivia Choat, Music Director Gina Naggar, Stage Manager Nicky Carbone and Producing Artistic Director Shana Dirik. Presented in collaboration with IDP.

Tickets for Sweeney Todd in Concert - A Pop-Up Musical are $30 and $40 per person. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.ticketstage.com/THEATERUNCORKED.

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by Hugh Wheeler.

Sweeney Todd is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019 Phone: 212-541-4684; Fax: 212-397-4684. www.MTIShows.com

Introducing the Featured Cast of Sweeney Todd in Concert

Sweeney 2018 :

*Denotes Member of Actors Equity Association

Shana Dirik* (Mrs. Lovett/Producing Artistic Director) Most recently seen as Mona Kent in Greater Boston Stage Company's Dames at Sea, her other credits include Miss Andrews in Mary Poppins (IRNE Nom); Wild Party Dolores; (ArtsImpulse/IRNE Nom); Kimberly Akimbo/ Debra ;(IRNE for Best Sup Actress); the Little Mermaid/Ursula;(IRNE Nom); The Little Princess/Minchen; (IRNE Nom); Annie/Miss Hannigan ; Into The Woods/Witch (NH Theater Nom), The Full Monty/Jeanette ; XANADU/Melpomone; (IRNE Nom); Nine/Mama Maddelena; Chicago/Mama Morton; Sunset Boulevard/Norma; Nunsense/Mother Superior; A Little Night Music/Charlotte; (IRNE) & Sweeney Todd/Mrs Lovett; (IRNE); The King and I/Anna and Evita/Eva.

BEN DISCIPIO (Sweeney Todd): Ben has performed all over the East Coast as an actor, soloist, conductor and pianist. Credits include performances at Lyric Stage of Boston, Gloucester Stage, Next Door Theater, Sweeney Todd (Metro Stage)/IRNE Best Actor in a Musical where he also teamed up with the amazing Shana Dirik, Billy Flynn/Chicago (Irne Nomination), Jekyll and Hyde/Jekyll and Hyde the Musical, DASH Nomination best actor, Julian Marsh/42nd Street, Rochester/Jane Eyre, the Musical. Performer with the Boston Pops and Boston Symphony/Tanglewood Festival Chorus, featured soloist /Hillyer Festival Orchestra in venues across MA.

PAUL FARWELL (Judge Turpin): Paul Farwell is delighted to be on the advisory board of Theater UnCorked and performing as Judge Turpin. A long-time actor, director and producer in the Boston area, one of Paul's favorite experiences is directing Shana Dirik in the 2009 production of Sweeney Todd (for which she won the IRNE award as Best Actress in A Musical.) Paul lives in Watertown and is Administrator of Congregation Eitz Chayim in Cambridge.

AUDREY CLARK (Johanna): Audrey received her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at UMass Amherst and a Pre-Master's Certificate in Speech Language Pathology through the University of Vermont. She has been performing in community theatre for 12 years. Credits include Eponine (Les Miserables), Inga (Young Frankenstein), Mulan (Mulan Jr.), Sarah Brown (Guys and Dolls), Wendy (Peter Pan). She currently works at Amazon Alexa Data Services as a Linguist.

JASON HERSOM (Pirelli): Jason is a resident of Natick, MA. Credits include Cain in Children of Eden, Mr. Snow in Carousel, Albert in Bye, Bye, Birdie, and Harry in Lucky Stiff. Other credits include Les Mis (Maine State Music Theater), Of Thee I Sing; On the Twentieth Century (Theater at Monmouth), and Assassins. Born and raised in Maine, he attended the Hartt School of Music for a BFA in Musical Theater. He currently serves as the Director of Admission and Financial Aid at the Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick.

JORDAN REYNOLDS (Anthony): Jordan holds a Master's Degree in Vocal Pedagogy from New England Conservatory, and a Bachelor's Degree in Vocal Performance from Brigham Young University. Credits include Jamie/The Last Five Years and Pinocchio/Shrek The Musical. Other talents include singer-songwriter with an album called "Honesty" which can be found on all major music platforms. www.jordansreynolds.com

CHRISTOPHER PORTH (Beadle): A Former "Sweeney", Christopher trades in his razors for the cutting part of "Beadle". A Resident of Concord and Music Teacher in Acton, he keeps his on-stage skills honed leading his students in writing original musicals. Credits include Archibald Craven (Secret Garden) EMACT Best Actor nomination, Smudge (Forever Plaid), Captain Corcoran (HMS Pinafore), Pilate (JCS), Jacqout (Carnival), Herman (The Most Happy Fella), Kodaly (She Loves Me) and of course, Sweeney Todd.

ALEX G. BOYLE (Toby): Credits include Jacey Squire/The Music Man (Footlight Club), Victor/Smokey Joe's Cafe (MMAS), Will Bloom/Big Fish, Oscar/Lippa's The Wild Party (The Umbrella), Horton/ Seussical (BSU-FPAC), Emcee/Cabaret, Melchior/Spring Awakening, Claude/Hair, Bobby/Urinetown (Dean College) (KCACTF National Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role). Alex is also the Honorable Distinction recipient of the Richard Maltby, Jr. Award for Musical Theatre Excellence.

Catherine Lee Christie (Beggar Woman): Catherine last appeared in The Real Inspector Hound and A Man of No Importance with Bad Habit Productions. Other local credits include My Fair Lady; Lyric Stage Company. The Importance of Being Earnest, Company; Moonbox Productions, Carousel, Me and My Girl, Into the Woods, La Cage Aux Folles; Reagle Music Theatre, Ragtime, Fiddler on the Roof, Funny Girl, A Christmas Carol; Fiddlehead Theatre, Assassins; FUDGE, Pirate Lives! The Musical! (Flat Earth Theatre), and Tartuffe; The Umbrella.

Theater UnCorked: Boston's Newest Small Theater Company

Theater UnCorked is a new venture launching Spring 2018 by Producing Artistic Director and IRNE Award winning performer, Shana Dirik. Boston's newest theater company is a collaborative effort with an 18-member Advisory Board comprised of regional performers, technicians, and business and theater professionals. From "popup" one-day musical events, to work-shopping new pieces, staged readings, comedies, dramas and theater camps for young adults, the goal of Theater UnCorked will be to produce works that not only audiences can appreciate but that artists themselves feel passionate about performing.

Theater UnCorked's inaugural 2018 season will include a benefit performance of Sweeney Todd in Concert on June 2, 2018 at First Church in Cambridge (11 Garden St, Cambridge, MA 02138), a staged reading in fall 2018, and then a full production in the spring of 2019

Tickets for Sweeney Todd in Concert - A Pop-Up Musical are $30 and $40 per person. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.ticketstage.com/THEATERUNCORKED.

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