Sweeney Todd to Open at Vagabond Players for 111th Season

Vagabond Players opens its 111th Season with Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, running Oct. 9 through Nov. 15, 2026 at the theater's historic home in Fells Point. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by Hugh Wheeler and an adaptation by Christopher Bond, Sweeney Todd is part musical, part gothic thriller and part dark comedy—and one of the most ambitious works in the musical theater canon.

Returning to Vagabond Players after last season's production of HAIR, director TJ Lukacsina teams up with musical theater director Stephen Foreman, who joins Vagabond Players for the first time. Together, they bring their vision to the production.

First produced on Broadway in 1979, Sweeney Todd has become one of Stephen Sondheim's most enduring works. Its combination of sweeping music, psychological drama, horror and dark humor continues to challenge the artists who bring it to the stage.

For Foreman and Lukacsina, that challenge is also an opportunity. Rather than treating Sweeney Todd simply as a grand musical spectacle, the directors are embracing the intimacy of Vagabond Players' space and looking for new ways to connect audiences with a story many may already know.

'One of the exciting opportunities with revisiting Sweeney Todd is exploring the challenge of taking something well known and beloved and looking at it through a different lens that modern audiences can appreciate,' said co-directors Stephen Foreman and TJ Lukacsina. 'Vagabond's intimate space gives us a wonderful opportunity to bring audiences closer to these characters and this story—to experience the humor, horror, passion and incredible music in a very immediate way. We're excited to explore this masterpiece together and share our take on it with Baltimore audiences.'

Sweeney Todd, an innocent barber unjustly condemned to prison by a ruthless corrupt judge returns to London seeking merciless revenge. Teaming up with the gloriously comical and ingenious Mrs. Lovett, the two devise a shocking plan to right Sweeney's wrongs and make Lovett's pie shop prosper. As Sweeney's quest for vengeance spirals out of control, the line between justice and obsession disappears. From haunting melodies and passionate love songs to rage-filled arias and devilishly comic numbers, Sondheim's score moves seamlessly between beauty, terror and dark humor. The result is a production filled with shocking twists, unforgettable characters and an ending that audiences may not see coming.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street runs Oct. 9 – Nov. 15, 2026, with performances Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. There is also a special 'Thursdays on Broadway' performance Nov. 12 at 8 p.m. when all tickets are just $18.

For tickets, cast and show info visit www.vagabondplayers.org. Special discounts and group rates are available online.

Located in the heart of Baltimore's historic Fells Point, Vagabond Players continues its tradition of intimate theater.

Opening Weekend Performances

Friday, Oct. 9 at 8 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 10 at 8 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 11 at 2 p.m.

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