Photos: First Look at SWEENEY TODD at Madison Lyric Stage

Madison Lyric Stage will present Stephen Sondheim's musical thriller Sweeney Todd, June 9-19, inside their brand-new deluxe tent on the grounds of Madison's Deacon John Grave House.

With music and lyrics by Sondheim and a book by Hugh Wheeler, Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a dark, yet often humorous, musical extravaganza.

Sweeney Todd, whose real name is Benjamin Barker, uses his new alias to resume work in his barber shop above Mrs. Lovett's struggling pie shop after being wrongfully sentenced to life imprisonment. After swearing vengeance against the judge that tore his family apart, Todd and Lovett plot a unique plan that leads them down a dangerous, thrilling path, with deadly consequences.

Sweeney Todd was Stephen Sondheim's tenth Broadway production. It is generally considered his masterpiece, a melodic and theatrically bold work that has been produced in theaters large and small and numerous opera houses. The original 1979 Broadway production won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It features such well-known songs as Not While I'm Around, Pretty Women and Johanna.

"We all continue to mourn the loss of the great Stephen Sondheim, who passed away late last year," said Marc Deaton, artistic director of Madison Lyric Stage. "With his legacy in mind, it is my desire to present a Sweeney Todd that is frightening and gruesome, funny and meaningful, with the highest standard of musical integrity we can muster."

Leading a cast of 18, Marc Deaton stars as the knife-wielding Sweeney Todd, with Val Moranto as the meat-pie-making Mrs. Lovett. Deaton also directs and Kelly Horsted serves as music director.

Sweeney Todd also features Ralph Buonocore as the Judge, Rebecca Ellis as the Beggar Woman, Alexis Kurtz as Johanna, Sonny Capaccio as Anthony, Matt Landry-McWilliams as Tobias, Allison Lindsay as Pirelli, and Daniel Kamalic as the Beadle.

Tickets are $55 and can be purchased by visiting www.madisonlyricstage.org or by calling 203-215-6329. The Deacon John Grave House is located at 581 Boston Post Road in Madison.

SWEENEY TODD at Madison Lyric Stage

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