Stephen Sondheim’s Grand Guignol masterpiece “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” is not for the faint of heart. A classic tale of revenge and obsession with a touch of cannibalism, the musical tells the story of Todd, a psychotic barber who pairs up with an unscrupulous restaurateur to wreak havoc through the streets of Victorian-era London.
With a musically complicated score, a host of morally bankrupt characters and questionable ingredients in the meat pies, the Lesley Performing Arts Club (LPAC) had their work cut out for them in taking on the Tony Award-winning behemoth this spring, running for three nights, April 6 through 8.
Ryan Livingston plays the demonic title character. (Image courtesy of Katy Hamm)
“We knew we wanted to do something big and intense in an attempt to top anything we had ever done before,” said club president Nicole Leonard, a Lesley senior art therapy major and co-director of the show. “From working with multiple companies to line up scripts and musical rights, to simpler things such as scheduling conflicts with the cast and crew, there were definitely more hurdles with this show than any we have ever done before, but I believe that only means that the payout will feel even better when we pull it off.”
Providing an outlet for passionate performers
Composed of students from freshman to graduate-level, the on-campus group is organized under the Office of Student Activities. The club puts on annual student-run shows, from classics like the “The 39 Steps” to a reinvented “Romeo and Juliet” in the style of Dr. Seuss. The group has not taken on a musical in some time.
“It’s the first musical that LPAC’s done in a while and it’s the biggest show we’ve done at least since I’ve been here,” said LPAC executive board member and senior Nicole Mello.
Most of the troupe of theater-lovers have performed in or produced shows since high school or before.
“Theater was one of my really big passions growing up and through high school. I wanted to continue that in college,” said freshman Cade Johnston, an early-childhood education major in the soprano ingénue role of Johanna, Sweeney Todd’s estranged daughter.
For transfer student Sadie O’Neill, the club provided an instant group of friends.
“This was one of the first things I saw to do, and I literally knew no one and nothing about what was going on at Lesley, so I auditioned,” she recalled. “I’ve been adopted into the LPAC family.”
Getting into character
Sophomore Kit Keown plays the crooked restaurateur, Mrs. Nellie Lovett, a role made famous by Broadway stars including Angela Lansbury and Patti LuPone.
“It’s been absolutely phenomenal getting to know the character and taking on the persona and really taking on the intricacies,” said Keown, who also serves on the club’s board. “I love the tiny little nuances between Lovett and (Sweeney) Todd. She loves him, but at the same time she’s afraid of him and she lies, but, technically, she’s just omitting the truth.”
Sophomore Kit Keown in the makeup chair as stage manager Jace White helps them get into character. (Image courtesy of Katy Hamm)
Keown wears many hats as a member of the board and a member of the cast. Most days they’re on a group chat with other board members taking care of essential tasks as opening night approaches. Other times, they’re poring over YouTube for videos on how to speak with a Cockney accent.
“I went with the classic Mrs. Lovett voice from Broadway and the movie, where it’s this high-pitched Cockney accent that’s kind of screechy,” said Keown. “I just feel it fits her. It’s so fun to find all those kinds of things that bring her character to life.”
Redeemable characters are in short supply in a show like “Sweeney Todd,” as seniors Nina Barron and Rachel Olson know very well. They portray villains Judge Turpin and Beadle Bamford, respectively.
“I get to be pretty evil and that’s usually fun, but it’s tough in this show in the sense that all of the villains are highly unlikeable,” explained Olson, an Illustration major. “Absolutely no redeeming qualities, but the judge and I do get to spend a lot of quality time together in rehearsal, so that’s pretty cool, and I have a partner in crime.”
Would Barron hang out with her character on a Saturday night?
“Oh, never. Not in a billion years. You could not pay me to do that,” Barron quipped. “But it’s fun being with the cast during rehearsal. And my henchman, the Beadle, is one of my close friends. I’ve played a lot of villain roles in the past, and usually I can do some mental think-around of how they could do what they do and this one is very hard.”
Playing for laughs and getting things done
Though the show sets a dark tone, there are light-hearted moments of comedy throughout.
Mello, a proud member of the Class of 2018, provides the laughs in the role of Mrs. Lovett’s young assistant baker, Tobias.
Nicole Mello '18 provides the comic relief. (Image courtesy of Katy Hamm)
“Comedy is my strong suit, so I like being able to play a character that’s the comic relief and I really enjoy getting laughed at,” Mello said. “People have been laughing at my scenes in rehearsal every time I do something they haven’t seen yet, so that’s a pretty good gauge.”
With so many moving pieces both onstage and off, organization is key, as stage manager Jace White is well aware.
“It’s my job to make sure things run as smoothly as possible,” explained White. “I have a really good crew. It’s a solid team and I’ll be making sure that they know what they doing and making sure that things stay organized.”
White, a junior elementary-education and history major, had experience stage managing in high school and was keen to use her skills here.
“Hands down my favorite thing is my clipboard,” said White, who also aided in set construction and costume and prop design. “I like getting things done and feeling like things are coming together. I’m most looking forward to checking things off my list.”
For her part, Leonard is interested in how the cast and audience react to one another.
“I can't wait to see how everything comes together in front of a live audience, since the audience reaction has a huge impact on the show,” she said.
Co-directors Nicole Leonard '18 and graduate student Sarah Gardner. (Image courtesy of Katy Hamm)
As she nears the end of her time at Lesley, Leonard is looking back fondly on how LPAC has influenced her college years.
“I used to be extremely shy and have learned to open up more and become very close to many of the members, new and old, throughout my time here,” she recalled. “Every year, the LPAC show is the top thing that I look forward to. The people are incredible and make every minute of it so much fun. Thanks to LPAC I decided to pick up a minor in drama, and I hope to continue stage managing productions after graduating from Lesley.”
Tickets to all performances are free, but reserving a seat is suggested. Reserve your ticket here!
The cast and crew of Lesley Performing Arts Club's "Sweeney Todd." (Image courtesy of Katy Hamm)