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UHS Presents Sweeney Todd

Date: April 26, 2017 - 7:00pm to April 30, 2017 - 2:30pm

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street will be performed at 7:00 pm April 26 – 29 and at 2:30 pm on Sunday April 30.
All performances will be in the Urbana High School Cobb Auditorium, 1002 S. Race Street.
Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults, and are available at the box office, which opens 30 minutes prior to each performance.

For more information, email tbroeker@usd116.org or ktennant@gmail.com.

Most who are familiar with the musical Sweeney Todd probably wouldn’t describe it as a “high school-appropriate” production. For starters, the show’s narrative is very dark, and from a technical perspective it’s challenging on many levels, from the Stephen Sondheim score to the mechanics of the set.

But stretching his students is exactly what UHS Director of Theatre Tim Broeker had in mind. “I try to always pick a show that has a challenge. This one is an all-encompassing beast,” Broeker said. “But it’s something the students are so excited and passionate about. They’re really rising to the occasion.”

In fact, members of the UHS cast say it’s that level of challenge, combined with the dark themes and complex characters, that makes them so passionate about the show. “This is a very hard show to do,” said senior Jackson Smart, who plays the lead role of Sweeney Todd. “I mean, Sondheim seems to write every note just to mess you up, but the genius is apparent. Every line, music, and note works with the aura of the show, creating such a dark and cynical atmosphere. It is something so different than what we usually do at UHS, and the opportunity to play such a dark and dramatic role is an awesome experience.”

Part of the challenge of getting into the role of Sweeney, Smart added, is understanding the man he used to be as well as the man he has become. “I feel for the character of Sweeney. As I've become more and more in tune with this character, I've realized he is not just a crazy murderer, he's a human too. He once was a man with a family and a bright future, but that was taken from him, and now he is hell bent on revenge.”

Although the story takes place in Victorian London, UHS junior Saskia Bakker, who plays opposite of Smart as Mrs. Lovett, said the themes addressed still resonate. “On the surface it’s a story about a serial killer, but it discusses complex ideas like good and evil, revenge, innocence, and love,” said Bakker. “It’s very relevant today in terms of issues of poverty, justice, mental illness, and the corruption of power.”

The cast of 24 students is supported by vocal music director Becky Park; a student tech crew of over 20, led by tech director Breanna Morton; and a pit orchestra comprised of UHS students and Urbana 116 teachers, under the direction of Darren Hicks. Barbara Hughes is leading the costuming for the Victorian period piece, and Susan Schuld, a faculty member in the theatre department at UIUC, led workshops on accents and dialects.

Information provided by the Urbana School District.

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Last modified:Friday, April 21, 2017 - 14:59
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