{"id":1333,"date":"2011-06-10T16:24:05","date_gmt":"2011-06-10T16:24:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/psf.2ss.net\/?p=1333"},"modified":"2020-03-02T18:57:21","modified_gmt":"2020-03-02T18:57:21","slug":"sweeney-todd-takes-the-stage-with-broadway-stars-in-leading-roles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pashakespeare.org\/press\/sweeney-todd-takes-the-stage-with-broadway-stars-in-leading-roles\/","title":{"rendered":"Sweeney Todd Takes the Stage with Broadway Stars in Leading Roles"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival\u2019s 21st season opens Friday with\u00a0Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street<\/em><\/strong>, and features\u00a0William Michals<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Dee Roscioli<\/strong>, two prominent Broadway actors, as Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett respectively.<\/p>\n Arriving last summer directly from the Tony Award winning landmark Broadway revival of\u00a0South Pacific<\/em>\u00a0to play the same role, Emile DeBecque, at PSF, Michals returns this summer to take the title role in Sweeney Todd, the famed barber of Fleet Street. Michals’ credits include both the Beast and Gaston in the Broadway\u2019s\u00a0Beauty and the Beast<\/em>, and the national tours of\u00a0Les Miserables<\/em>\u00a0(Javert),\u00a0The Scarlet Pimpernel<\/em>\u00a0(Chauvelin), and\u00a0The Music Man<\/em>\u00a0(Harold Hill).<\/p>\n Roscioli, an Easton-area native known for her long run as Elphaba on Broadway, as well as the Chicago, San Francisco, and national touring productions of the hit musical\u00a0Wicked<\/em>, will play Mrs. Lovett, the meat pie-making accomplice of Sweeney Todd who sparks their diabolical plan. Ms.Roscioli\u2019s national tour credits also include the principal role of Grizabella in\u00a0Cats<\/em>.<\/p>\n Based on an adaptation by Christopher Bond,\u00a0Sweeney Todd<\/em>\u00a0tells the story of a barber who has returned to London after 15 years in a penal colony. Working with his\u00a0landlady, Mrs. Lovett, Sweeney plots his revenge upon the Judge who falsely convicted him and destroyed his family.\u00a0Sweeney Todd\u00a0<\/em>meshes a masterful plot of thrills and unexpected turns together with a beautiful yet haunting score to create a musical experience unlike any other.<\/p>\n Following last season\u2019s stellar production of\u00a0South Pacific<\/em>,\u00a0Dennis Razze<\/strong>\u00a0returns to direct a spectacular cast: in addition to\u00a0Michals\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Roscioli<\/strong>, Broadway veteran\u00a0Christopher Coucill<\/strong>\u00a0returns to PSF as the antagonistic Judge Turpin.\u00a0Michelle Sexton<\/strong>, who has been featured in opera and theatre companies across the country, plays the mysterious Beggar Woman.<\/p>\n The cast also features\u00a0Dave Schoonover<\/strong>\u00a0as the devious Pirelli,\u00a0Paul Louis Lessard\u00a0<\/strong>as Jonas Fogg,\u00a0Evan Harrington<\/strong>\u00a0as The Beadle, and\u00a0David Garry\u00a0<\/strong>as the Bird Seller.\u00a0Katie Wexler<\/strong>, aDeSales alumna plays Johanna, and\u00a0James Stapb<\/strong>\u00a0plays the love-struck Anthony Hope.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Vincent Trovato\u00a0<\/strong>returns to PSF as the music director and conductor of Sondheim\u2019s thrilling score.\u00a0Steve TenEyck<\/strong>\u00a0has designed the grim, London setting for the show.\u00a0Eric T. Haugen<\/strong>\u00a0is the lighting designer.\u00a0Lisa Zinni<\/strong>, whose New York credits include\u00a0Hair<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Rent<\/em>\u00a0has designed the costumes.\u00a0Martha Ruskai\u00a0<\/strong>designed wigs and make-up.\u00a0Erin Hurley\u00a0<\/strong>choreographed. The sound design has come from\u00a0Matthew Given<\/strong>, PSF\u2019s resident sound designer and production manager.\u00a0Robin Grady<\/strong>\u00a0serves as production stage manager.<\/p>\n Sweeney Todd<\/em>\u00a0previews tonight and tomorrow, opens\u00a0June 15<\/strong>\u00a0on the Main Stage of the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts on the DeSales University campus in Center Valley and continues through\u00a0July 1<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The performance times are at 7pm Tuesdays, 8pm Wednesdays through Saturdays, with matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm (excluding Saturday, June 16th). One Sunday evening performance is offered at 7:30pm on June 17.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival\u2019s 21st season opens Friday with\u00a0Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and features\u00a0William Michals\u00a0and\u00a0Dee Roscioli, two prominent Broadway actors, as Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett respectively. Arriving last summer directly from the Tony Award winning landmark Broadway revival of\u00a0South Pacific\u00a0to play the same role, Emile DeBecque, at PSF, Michals returns […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2013-season","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n