Opera Saratoga Presents SWEENEY TODD - THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET

Opera Saratoga announces updated casting and ticket information for its innovative new festival model that embraces partnerships with multiple venues across the region. The 2022 Summer Festival continues with:

SWEENEY TODD - THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET

A MUSICAL THRILLER

Wednesday, June 29 @ 7:30pm

Thursday, June 30 @ 7:30pm

Produced by Opera Saratoga in partnership with

Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

Book by Hugh Wheeler

From an adaptation by Christopher Bond

Originally Directed On Broadway by Harold Prince

Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick

Originally Produced on Broadway by Richard Barr, Charles Woodward, Robert Fryer, Mary Lea Johnson, Martin Richards in Association with Dean and Judy Manos

Sweeney Todd was first produced in 1979 on Broadway where it won eight Tony awards including Best Musical. Widely acknowledged as Stephen Sondheim's masterpiece, Sweeney Todd tells a dark tale of vengeance and murder, leavened with ghoulish humor, in Victorian London. Returning after being wrongly imprisoned, Sweeney vows revenge on the Judge who incarcerated him, and finds an unlikely ally in Mrs. Lovett, the owner of a struggling meat pie shop who finds a good use for Sweeney's victims.

Three-time Tony nominee and Drama Desk Award Winner Carolee Carmello takes the stage as Mrs. Lovett in her Opera Saratoga and SPAC debut, alongside internationally acclaimed bass baritone Craig Colclough as Sweeney Todd. Laura Bergquist, who made her debut on the SPAC stage last summer leading Opera Saratoga's critically acclaimed production of Man of La Mancha will conduct the staged concert performances, directed and choreographed by Stephen Nachami.

CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM

MRS. NELLIE LOVETT: Carolee Carmello

SWEENEY TODD / BENJAMIN BARKER: Craig Colclough

ANTHONY HOPE: Louis Tiemann

JOHANNA BARKER: Angela Yam

JUDGE TURPIN: Daniel Mobbs

TOBIAS RAGG: Morgan Mastrangelo

BEADLE BAMFORD: Arnold Livingston Geis

BEGGAR WOMAN: Maria De Conzo

ADOLFO PIRELLI: Brian Yeakley

CONDUCTOR: Laura Bergquist

DIRECTOR & CHOREOGRAPHER: Stephen Nachamie

COSTUME DESIGNER: Glenn Avery Breed

LIGHTING DESIGNER: TBA

WIG & MAKEUP DESIGNER: Sue Schaefer

Sweeney Todd is presented through special arrangement with Music Theater International (MTI). All performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com

Tickets for Summer Festival performances are currently available through Festival Passes (previously called Subscriptions); or tickets can be purchased to individual performances, which will go on sale March 21st. This season, Opera Saratoga is offering two Festival Passes, which provide significant savings, priority ticket access, and the greatest degree of flexibility:

ALL ACCESS PASS: Opera Saratoga's All Access Pass provides the best value this summer while guaranteeing the best seats for every production and concert. Benefits include: saving 20% off tickets to Sweeney Todd, Sky on Swings, The Barber of Seville, the Petite Messe Solennelle, and A Broadway Cabaret; and FREE tickets to A Juneteenth Celebration and Stars of Tomorrow. All Access Pass holders also receive a 20% discount off any additional tickets they wish to purchase.

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS PASS: Opera Saratoga's Festival Highlights Pass provides priority seating and 20% off ticketsto Sweeney Todd, Sky on Swings, and The Barber of Seville. Pass holders can then customize their Highlights Pass by adding tickets to concerts of their choice, with a 10% discount off any additional tickets purchased.

With the purchase of either Festival Pass, there is no need to deal with multiple box offices for ticket purchases, and free exchanges are available. Festival Pass holders also save on handling fees: there is a single $10 fee per order when purchasing Festival Passes; whereas there is a processing fee charged by each venue's box office on each ticket purchased that is not part of a Festival Pass.

SINGLE TICKETS: Tickets for individual events will be available online or by phone beginning March 21st, 2022through the SPAC, Proctors, and Egg Box Offices. SPAC is handling ticket sales for: Sweeney Todd (at SPAC); Stars of Tomorrow (at The Wood Theater); A Broadway Cabaret (at The Mansion of Saratoga); and performances of the Petite Messe Solennelle (at The Round Lake Auditorium). Proctors is handling tickets for: The Barber of Seville and A Juneteenth Celebration (both at Proctors); and tickets for Sky on Swings (at The Egg) will be available through The Egg. For complete details on Festival Passes and Single Tickets, visit operasaratoga.org. Opera Saratoga's 2022 Summer Festival is made possible in part with support from the National Endowment for the Arts; and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Opera Saratoga, formerly known as Lake George Opera, began with a production of Die Fledermaus at the Diamond Point Theatre on July 5, 1962, playing to an audience of 230. The Company now calls Saratoga Springs home and performs for more than 25,000 people annually. Opera Saratoga serves the communities of Saratoga Springs, the Lower Adirondack and New York State Capital areas by providing access to world-class opera through the production of an annual Summer Festival, as well as year-round activities including extensive educational programs, therapeutic music programs, mentorship of emerging operatic artists, and unique opportunities for the public to experience opera in both theaters and non-traditional venues that leverage and embrace the unique cultural, historic, and natural resources of the area. To date, the company has performed 106 different fully staged works by 66 different composers, including 42 works by American composers and 14 premiere productions. In 2014, the Board of Directors appointed Lawrence Edelson Opera Saratoga's Artistic and General Director. Edelson's leadership has marked a new chapter in the company's history, with increased emphasis on community partnerships throughout the year, diversification of the company's repertoire, and a reaffirmed commitment to both the presentation of American opera and the mentorship of emerging artists as core activities in the company's programs each season. For more information, visit www.operasaratoga.org