Hugh Wheeler News

Today in 1989, the first Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd opened at the Circle inthe Square Theatre, where it ran for 188 performances. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a 1979 musical thriller with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and libretto by Hugh Wheeler. Set in 19th century England, the musical tells the story of Benjamin Barker, alias Sweeney Todd, who returns to London after 15 years' transportation on trumped-up charges. When he finds out that his wife poisoned herself after being raped by the judge who transported him, he vows revenge on the judge and, later, the whole world. He teams up with a piemaker, Mrs. Lovett, and opens a barbershop in which he slits the throats of customers and has them baked into pies.

Fra Fee, Cassidy Janson, Ben Lewis, Scarlett Strallen and David Thaxton have been cast in the Menier Chocolate Factory's Christmas musical Candide with music by Leonard Bernstein, book adapted from Voltaire by Hugh Wheeler, lyrics by Richard Wilbur and additional lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, John Latouche, Lillian Hellman, Dorothy Parker and Leonard Bernstein.

Great Lakes Theater (GLT) will commence its 2013-14 season at the Hanna Theatre, PlayhouseSquare, with a Fall Repertory that features William Shakespeare's royal epic, Richard III and Stephen Sondheim's Tony Award-winning musical thriller, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The productions will be performed in rotating repertory September 27 - November 3, 2013. Joseph Hanreddy will direct Richard III.Victoria Bussert will direct Sweeney Todd. (Sweeney Todd's music and lyrics were written by Stephen Sondheim based on a book by Hugh Wheeler and an adaptation by Christopher Bond.Sweeney Todd was originally directed on Broadway by Harold Prince with orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick. It was originally produced on Broadway by Richard Barr, Charles Woodward, Robert Fryer, Mary Lea Johnson, Martin Richards in association with Dean and Judy Manos.)

Following on from Sunday in the Park with George, Little Shop of Horrors, La Cage aux Folles, A Little Night Music, Sweet Charity, Pippinand Merrily We Roll Along, the Menier Chocolate Factory is delighted to announce that its Christmas musical will be Candide with music by Leonard Bernstein, book adapted from Voltaire by Hugh Wheeler, lyrics by Richard Wilbur and additional lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, John Latouche, Lillian Hellman, Dorothy Park and Leonard Bernstein.

Legendary stage and screen superstar Angela Lansbury discusses Stephen Sondheim & Hugh Wheeler's sumptuous summer-set musical A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC in a new video interview released in promotion of the recently released soundtrack album for the motion picture version (which, incidentally, she was not involved in, alas).

Legendary director and producer Hal Prince discusses the film upon which his iconic musical A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC is based, Ingmar Bergman's adored SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT, as well as the director's heartfelt and insightful letter to the theatrical titan remarking upon the adaptation.

Uptown Players, a professional theater group located in the Uptown area of Dallas, has announced its 2014 season at the Kalita Humphreys Theater, which will feature the regional premieres of the 2013 Tony Award winning play, Vanya, Sonia, Masha and Spike, the 2012 Tony nominated play The Lyons, the 2004 Tony award winning musical, The Boy From Oz, plus the return of an audience favorite, Pageant. Uptown Players will also present its annual fundraising performance - Broadway Our Way, which will be held in January 2014. In April, Uptown Players will join forces with the Turtle Creek Chorale for a concert version of Sweeney Todd at the City Performance Hall. As its summer bonus show, Uptown Players will present the U.S. premiere of the West End hit musical Soho Cinders.

Today in 1974, A Little Night Music closed at the Shubert Theatre, where it ran for 601 performances. A Little Night Music is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Inspired by the Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night, it involves the romantic lives of several couples. Since its original 1973 Broadway production, the musical has enjoyed professional productions in the West End, by opera companies, in a 2009 Broadway revival, and elsewhere, and it is a popular choice for regional groups. It was adapted for film in 1977, with Harold Prince directing and Elizabeth Taylor, Len Cariou, Lesley-Anne Down and Diana Rigg starring.

The soundtrack for the 1978 feature film adaptation of the celebrated romantic musical A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler is set to be released in remastered form at long last in a special early release on August 13 (nationwide on September 10) and it is now available for pre-order in either the digital download or CD-R edition.

Bucks County Playhouse (BCP) (Jed Bernstein, Producing Director) has announced the 2013 holiday show as Meet Me in St. Louis: A Live Radio Play, set in a similar fashion as last year's Bucks County holiday show It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. Performances run from Wednesday, December 4th through Sunday, December 29th at the Bucks County Playhouse (70 South Main Street in New Hope, PA). The cast will be announced shortly.

SecondStory Repertory has announced the shows for their MAINSTAGE SERIES SEASON 15. Season Subscriptions are now On Sale Now For 20% Off Regular Price.

The New York Philharmonic will present a staged production of Stephen Sondheim's Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning musical thriller Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, March 5-8, 2014. Bass-baritone Bryn Terfel will star as the title character. Sweeney Todd will be conducted by Music Director Alan Gilbert and directed by Lonny Price, who directed and produced the Philharmonic's productions of Sondheim's Company in 2011, SONDHEIM: The Birthday Concert! in 2010, and Sweeney Todd in 2000. Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

Generations, A Theatre Company's 5th Season features a re-imagining of one of the American Theatre's greatest masterpieces, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim -Libretto by Hugh Wheeler - based on the play by Christopher Bond. Since it first debuted on Broadway in 1979 this garish 'musical thriller' has delighted audiences all over the world. Generations' Artistic Director George Brock promises that the show, produced in association with Rice University's Department of Visual and Dramatic Arts and opening tonight, July 5th, 2013 at Hamman Hall, will offer a different look at this timeless tale of obsession and revenge.

Generations, A Theatre Company's 5th Season features a re-imagining of one of the American Theatre's greatest masterpieces, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim -Libretto by Hugh Wheeler - based on the play by Christopher Bond. Since it first debuted on Broadway in 1979 this garish 'musical thriller' has delighted audiences all over the world. Generations' Artistic Director George Brock promises that the show, produced in association with Rice University's Department of Visual and Dramatic Arts and opening July 5th, 2013 at Hamman Hall, will offer a different look at this timeless tale of obsession and revenge.

New Hampshire and summerstock are pretty much interchangeable. Across the Granite State, theatergoers will find incredible options for live entertainment. One night they could be in an old barn, where the floors creek and an occasional bat will make its presence known. Then the next night, you're in a brand new, modern facility with air conditioning, comfy seats and a bar.

The word 'brilliant' is the word that came to mind as I left the Arden Theatre after seeing their production of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC. Stephen Sondheim wrote the music and lyrics for this musical and Hugh Wheeler wrote the book. The Ingmar Bergman film, SMILE OF A SUMMER NIGHT, inspired this musical. Terrance J. Nolan directs this current production, and the Arden's A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC is astounding.

Arden Theatre Company closes its 25th season with A Little Night Music, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Directed Terrence J. Nolen, A Little Night Music will run on the Arden's F. Otto Haas Stage from May 23 through June 30, 2013.

According to a new interview with Theatre du Chatelet's Jean-Luc Choplin, the renown Paris theater will be taking on yet another musical by Stephen Sondheim in their upcoming 2013-14 season, none other than INTO THE WOODS.

Alex Parker brings the award-winning and critically acclaimed Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler musical A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC to the Yvonne Arnaud, in a special concert reading of the show on June 16.