Perseverance Theatre to Present SWEENEY TODD

Perseverance Theatre (PT) presents Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Benjamin Barker returns to London bent on revenge after serving time for a crime he did not commit. Armed with a sharp, straight razor, he sets up shop as one of the finest barbers in the city, and calls himself Sweeney Todd. When he meets Mrs. Lovett, a local pie maker who will do anything for him, Todd's plan for vengeance becomes a savory pie filling, and the blood starts flowing. With a brilliant score and unforgettable characters, this Tony Award-winning musical is one tasty piece of theatre.

Sweeney Todd features music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Sweeney Todd runs in the Discovery Theatre at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts from May 20 - 29, 2016. Tickets are available through the Centertix Box Office, online at http://centertix.net or by calling 907-263-ARTS (2787). There is a Pay-As-You-Can Previews on Thursday May 19 at 7:30 pm.

Perseverance regular Shona Osterhout will be directing the Anchorage production, based on original direction by Flordelino Lagundino. Shona is a theatre educator, director and actor, enjoys working with young people to ensure that art plays a role in their lives every day. Last season she directed Perseverance Theatre's Juneau production of Chicago, has worked as an artist-in-residence at many schools in Alaska, and has directed plays with young people and adults in Texas, California, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming and Alaska. Most of her training in theatre education came from working as the resident teaching artist at Seattle Repertory Theatre for many years.

The creative team includes Musical Director Todd Hunt of Opera to Go, Set Designer Deb O and Choreograper Hali Duran making their debuts, Lighting Designer Art Rotch (The Odd Couple), Costume Designer Paul Spadone (Chicago).

The cast includes Alaskan actors Enrique Bravo, Perseverance Theatre company member, who starred in last year's production of Chicago as Billy Flynn. Leonid Grinberg, who was last here as Curly MacClain in Oklahoma, plays Anthony Hope and Christina Apathy who's extensive list of shows at Perseverance includes Oklahoma and The Importance of Being Earnest plays the Beggar Woman. Kelly Rossberg from Anchorage makes his PT debut as Beadle. Cast Members of last season's production of Chicago include guest artist Keith McCoy, Jessica Skiba, Zebadiah Bodine, Richard Carter and Salissa Thole. Local actors Stacy Katasse, Mike Gamble and Shadow Hotch complete the ensemble. Two guest artists new to PT join the Alaskan company: Victoria Bundonis makes her Perseverance debut as Mrs. Lovett, and Tommy Schoffler was last in Alaska as a part of Generator Theatre Company's [title of show].

Stephen Joshua Sondheim, born March 22, 1930, is an American composer and lyricist known for more than a half-century of contributions to musical theatre. Sondheim has received an Academy Award; eight Tony Awards (more than any other composer,[1] including a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre); eight Grammy Awards; a Pulitzer Prize, and the Laurence Olivier Award. Described by Frank Rich of The New York Times as "now the greatest and perhaps best-known artist in the American musical theater."

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