Sweeney Todd
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Hugh Wheeler
Based on the play by Christopher Bond
Presented by Lakeside Community Theatre
Director: Sienna Riehle
Music Director: John Norine Jr.
Choreographer: Danny A. Vanegas
Stage Manager: Kyley Sanchez
Set and Lighting Designer: Benjamin Keegan Arnold
Costume Designer: Logan Coley Broker-Faught
Sweeney Todd is known by many as a tale of obsession and revenge, and an allegory for capitalism and class warfare. Though the show is set in Victorian-era London, in the midst of a very specific religiopolitical battleground, there are many events and themes that may resonate with contemporary artists and audiences.
Prior to the start of the show, Sweeney Todd, a barber, was taken from his wife and daughter upon being sentenced to life in a penal colony for a crime he did not commit. While there, he is consumed with plotting his return and bloody revenge upon London. Judge Turpin, his prosecutor, is known for using his position of power to manipulate and abuse women to the point of driving them mad. The Beggar Woman is representative of these women, driven to attempt suicide, but resulting in severe physical and mental illness, and with no personal agency or access to healthcare at this time, she finds herself homeless. The show begins with Sweeney’s return from the penal colony with the sailor he befriended, Anthony. When he reaches London, Sweeney meets Mrs. Lovett, a small businesswoman who resorts to creative (and often disturbing) measures to keep herself afloat. Soon after, Pirelli arrives on the scene, a con artist and small business purveyor himself, providing a catalyst for Sweeney’s grand attempt to avenge his family. Amidst the bleak horror affecting all of these characters, Anthony falls in love with one of the Judge’s young victims and seeks to save her from his grasp.
Both days from 7:30-10 pm
Lakeside Community Theatre
6303 Main Street
The Colony, TX 75056
Aug. 16, 2023, from 7:30-10 pm (by invitation only)
Sep. 4 – Oct. 12, 2023
Oct. 13 – Nov. 4, 2023
- No Sign-Up is required; it is an open call
- Please prepare a 30-60 second cut of music, in the style of the show (Sweeney Todd). Singing from the show is accepted and encouraged. If you do not sing from the show, please bring sheet music.
- If you choose to submit a video for your initial audition, please include an introduction. State your name, the title of your song, the show it is from or the artist/composer, and your preferred role in Sweeney Todd, if you have a preference. You may also state any roles that you would not accept. Your introduction may be recorded separately from your song, and you may record your song with an accompaniment track. Please submit your video by 10 pm on Aug. 15, to be considered for callbacks and casting.
Note: While the gender and gender roles of the characters within the show are integral to the context, the gender of the performers who play them is not.
- Sweeney Todd – Falsely charged and imprisoned for 15 years, now escaped and seeking revenge. Tenor, Baritone, or Bass, 18+ to play age 35-50, preferably a person of color.
- Mrs. Lovett – A manipulative survivalist, morally blinded by her infatuation with Sweeney and lifetime of poverty. Mezzo-Soprano, 18+ to play age 30-50.
- Judge Turpin – A revered government official, religious leader, and serial sexual predator. Baritone or Bass, 18+ to play age 40-60.
- Anthony – A kind, but naive sailor who rescues Sweeney at sea, and longs to rescue and marry Johanna. Tenor or Soprano, 18+ to play age 14-24.
- Johanna – Sweeney’s daughter and Turpin’s ward/prisoner; intuitive, though she knows nothing of the world. The performer playing Johanna doubles as her own mother in a flashback. Soprano, 18+ to play age 15/16.
- Beadle Bamford – Judge Turpin’s bootlicking, ride and/or die partner. Countertenor or Tenor, 18+ to play age 35-50.
- Beggar Woman – A physically and mentally unwell homeless woman; she is as pitiful as she is deeply unpleasant. Soprano or Mezzo, 18+ to play age 35-50.
- Pirelli – A mysterious traveling salesman, masquerading as a famous barber. Mezzo-Soprano, Countertenor, or Tenor, 18+ to play age 30-35.
- Toby – Pirelli’s young servant, hungry for affection and distrustful of men after a short lifetime of abuse. Tenor, 18+ to play age 10-24.
- Ensemble – Five storytellers who often break the fourth wall, when they are not playing a Londoner within the story. (2) soprano/mezzo/altos, two (2) tenors/baritones, one (1) baritone/bass; 18+ to play various ages.
- Stipend
