SJU Theatre Company presents “Sweeney Todd”

The SJU Theatre Company is in preparation for its upcoming fall production of the musical “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”

The musical is a unique thriller about love and revenge that tells the story of a barber, Sweeney Todd.

“The storyline itself is different because it’s darker than other, more generic musicals,” said Jenn Tague ’20, who plays the lead female role of Mrs. Lovett.

While the show’s thriller aspects make it dark and intense, the cast members emphasized that those parts alone are not what makes the show stand out.

“There’s really no other show like this because as dark and as heart-wrenching as the story can be, it’s also intensely funny,” said Brendan McGill ’21, playing the musical’s namesake, Sweeney Todd.

Alex Velazquez ’20, who takes on the supporting role of rival barber Adolfo Pirelli, added that the show has a wide range of emotional plotlines and a strong set of characters.

“The show goes through a lot of emotions,” Velazquez said. “For me, I’m a comic relief, so I get to make people laugh. Brendan gets to scare people and Jenn does a little bit of everything.”

Another important feature of “Sweeney Todd” is the Tony Award-winning music, composed by Stephen Sondheim.

“The music with the show is definitely very challenging,” said Morgan Hayes ’18, who plays the supporting role of Beggar Woman. “We’ve done, in my time being here, two other Sondheim shows. Of the three, I think this one has been the toughest. But once you get it, it’s so rewarding, and you have so much fun with it.”

The cast agreed that Sondheim’s scores and lyrics are complex, and they take time and effort to master. While the prominent roles have difficult numbers, the ensemble also has a significant amount of songs to learn.

“Especially since it’s [my] first show [at St. Joe’s], coming into a Sondheim show is really tough,” said Lexi Mignogna ’21, a member of the ensemble. “This is probably the most ensemble-heavy show I’ve ever been in. In essence, the ensemble almost narrates the show, too, like a Greek chorus.”

On top of the difficult music, the cast has also been facing a shorter production process. According to Velazquez, the process typically begins with auditions in the spring and cast announcements in the summer, giving the actors time to prepare before beginning on the first day of classes. This year, the time frame was drastically different, as auditions were held at the beginning of the fall semester, leaving only five weeks until opening night.

“This is probably the most intense show that I’ve done and one of the shortest rehearsal times I’ve had,” McGill said. “What I’ve found to be extremely helpful, that is something that I’ve not had the resource to do before, was to reach out to our stage manager, and she helped me practice outside of rehearsal time.”

With the shortened production period, the actors have had to dedicate extra time outside of rehearsals to master the challenging music. For McGill, that meant practicing lyrics one-on-one with other cast and crew members. Since they spend a good portion of their time together, it is important to rely on one another to ease the process.

“It’s the collaborative nature of the cast, and I think of the theatre company in general,” Velazquez said. “Every part of it, from working on the set to working on the show itself.”

For McGill and Tague, as underclassmen with leading roles there have been special challenges with this show  they have not experienced in their prior theatre  experience.

“It’s definitely a lot more work that you have to do by yourself,” Tague said. “It’s a much more professional setting than being in high school. I know our director and our music director try to treat it as much as it would be taught in the professional world.”

Tague emphasized the amount of personal time all the principal performers had to put in to be able to come to rehearsals with most of the work already completed.

“The biggest transition for me has been outside work and the specificity of our director, Renee Dobson,” McGill said. “Following everything to a tee, while it takes more effort, it certainly creates a better end product.”

McGill also noted the level of professionalism expected of the actors. This, on top of the difficulties of the show itself, has been a significant change for him as a freshman who has not had any previous experience with theatre at St. Joe’s. However, he appreciates the opportunity to take on a main role in his first semester.

“It has been a bit of a journey, but I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything,” McGill said.

While McGill has had numerous leading positions in the past, this is Tague’s second main role in a musical, and her first with the SJU Company. Between “Sweeney Todd” and her ensemble performance in the spring production of “Tommy,” Tague has learned many skills in professionalism and time management.

“Our cast has done a really good job, the ensembles and principles alike, in creating characters that are relatable and that are really interesting to watch to see their development on stage,” Tague said.

The cast members urge students to see the show because of all the hard work they have given in such a short amount of time. They expect it will be a unique experience for both the actors and the audience. Not only is “Sweeney Todd” a perfect choice for the Halloween season, but it has much to offer to all kinds of people.

“Even if you’re not a huge fan of musicals, this is definitely a good introduction musical and a good way to find a musical you actually enjoy because it is so different,” Velazquez said.

“Sweeney Todd” will be performed in Bluett Theater from Oct. 25 to 29.