HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA: Hume-Fogg's Andrew Forbes

Welcome, dear ladies and gentlemen and all supporters of theater (both local and otherwise) to our freshest installment of High School Drama, in which we introduce our loyal readers to some of Music City's hardest working young actors. Living in a city made all the more unique and interesting by the creative people who live here and create art every day, we are especially to be blessed by scores of talented individuals who make a night in the theater both compelling and challenging.

Throughout Middle Tennessee, academic theater on the secondary school level is growing by leaps and bounds, challenging all manner or preconceived notions. Led by outstanding educators like Mary Ellen Smith, Matt Smith, Paula Flautt, Daron Bruce, Jenny Noel, Tony Morton, Ross Bolen, Brittany Anderson, Brenda Gregory, Tara Deason Winton, Holly Shepherd Urbanowicz and Will Butler, student actors are making their mark on the theater community, not only in academic productions but in community and professional projects, as well.

Next up for Daron Bruce's students at Hume-Fogg Academic High School (one of the nation's highest rated secondary schools) is a much-anticipated production of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, running November 5-7 at the iconic and historic high school - located on Broadway, naturally - in downtown Nashville. Taking on the challenge of portraying Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of Fleet Street, is Andrew Forbes, who is in today's High School Drama spotlight.

What is your theatrical goal in life? Like many performers, my goal would be to make it as a Broadway musical performer.

If you could play any role in a show what would you choose? Besides my number one choice of Sweeney Todd, which I'm already playing, I can really only get it down to two roles. The first is Jesus from Jesus Christ Superstar. The second is Che from Evita.

What's been your best theatrical experience to date?I would have to say probably this show. I think what really makes a show experience great is having top cooperation between roles and in this show I think we have just that.

Who are your favorite actors? Probably Meryl Streep and Heath Ledger.

What show that you've never seen would you most like to see? A year ago I almost went to see Kinky Boots, but I was sick that night and never got to, so I would probably say Kinky Boots.

ABOUT THE SHOW: Directed by 2014 First Night Honoree Daron Bruce, vocal music direction by Lisa Forbis and choreographed by 2011 First Night Honoree Pam Atha (and with a set by 2012 First Night Star Award winner Jim Manning). Sweeney Todd has become a bloody, worldwide success since being awarded eight Tony Awards (including Best Musical), for its Broadway premiere and has now been adapted for high school performers in Sweeney Todd School Edition. Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler (A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures) crafted a tasty, thrilling, theatrical treat that has simultaneously shocked, awed, and delighted audiences across the world. An infamous tale, Sweeney Todd, an unjustly exiled barber, returns to 19th century London seeking vengeance against the lecherous judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife. The road to revenge leads Todd to Mrs. Lovett, a resourceful proprietress of a failing pie shop, above which he opens a new barber practice. Mrs. Lovett's luck sharply shifts when Todd's thirst for blood inspires the integration of an ingredient into her meat pies that has the people of London lining up, and the carnage has only just begun! Reserved seats are $13 at the website; general admission seats are $10 for adults, $5 for students and are sold half an hour before curtain. This special School Edition has been masterfully adapted, working directly with Mr. Sondheim, to retain the dark wit and grand scope of the original work, with a few lyric and key changes to facilitate high school productions. At the show's core is a challenging score of epic proportion with two tasty tour de force roles in Sweeney and his comic female accomplice Mrs. Lovett. For details, go to www.hfatheatre.com.

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