Theo Ubique's SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET Extends By Three Weeks

Theo Ubique's SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET, originally scheduled to close on April 29, has been extended and will now run through Sunday, May 20. The production earned rave reviews and has been playing to sold-out audiences since its opening on March 12. Philip Torre, Jacquelyne Jones and most of the original cast will remain with the production for the extension. Performance schedules remain unchanged, with the musical playing Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 7 pm. Tickets for the additional weeks are now on sale at www.theo-u.com.

With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Hugh Wheeler, SWEENEY TODD has been performed by countless musical theater companies, many of the world's leading opera companies and was adapted as a 2007 feature film starring Johnny Depp and directed by Tim Burton. Philip Torre, a baritone who has appeared on the stages of Lyric Opera of Chicago, New York City Opera, Boston Lyric Opera and others, will continue to perform the title role in Theo Ubique's production, directed by the company's Artistic Director Fred Anzevino, with music direction by Jeremy Ramey and choreography by James Beaudry. The production's Mrs. Lovett, Jacquelyne Jones, will also perform throughout the extension. Jones appeared earlier this season in Firebrand Theatre's acclaimed production of LIZZIE and was in the casts of Theo Ubique's HONKY TONK ANGELS as well as Kokandy Productions' HEATHERS last season.

Also remaining in the cast for the extension are Cecelia Iole as Johanna, Nathan Carroll as Anthony Hope, Frankie Leo Bennett as Tobias Ragg, John B. Leen as Judge Turpin, Kevin Webb as Beadle Bamford, and Megan Elk as the Beggar Woman. Grant Alexander Brown will take the role of Adolfo Pirelli starting May 3rd, when Anna Blanchard and Chris Furrer will join Hope Schafer and Trevor Vanderzee in the ensemble.
Courtney Crouse is Assistant Director. The design team includes Ben Lipinski (scenic design), Bill Morey (costume design), James Kolditz (lighting design), Aji Slater (props design) and R & D Choreography (fight choreography). Mina Slater is stage manager and Darren Hill is dialect coach.

SWEENEY TODD has become a bloody, worldwide success since being awarded eight Tony Awards, (including Best Musical), for its Broadway premiere. Stephen Sondheim's and Hugh Wheeler's tasty, thrilling, theatrical treat has simultaneously shocked, awed and delighted audiences across the world in venues as large as the world's great opera houses and occasionally as small as the 55-seat No Exit Café.

In the musical, Sweeney Todd, a barber unjustly convicted of a crime, escapes from prison in Australia and returns to his former home in nineteenth century London, seeking vengeance against the lecherous judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife. The road to revenge leads Todd to Mrs. Lovett, a resourceful proprietress of a failing pie shop, above which he opens a new barber practice. Mrs. Lovett's luck sharply shifts when Todd's thirst for blood inspires the integration of an ingredient into her meat pies that has the people of London lining up... and the carnage has only just begun!

To immerse the audience into the world of SWEENEY TODD, the No Exit Café has been transformed into "Mrs. Lovett's Pie Shop." Continuing Theo Ubique's tradition of offering a three-course prix fixe menu themed to the current show, the SWEENEY TODD dinner features an entrée of "Deconstructed Meat Pie" -- pork loin and bacon cooked with mixed vegetables, mustard, fresh herbs and apple cider, served on puff pastry. (Vegetarian option substitutes seitan for the pork.). The salad course is "Bloody Beet Salad" -- Warm beet salad with greens, fried rosemary, spiced cashews, finished with crumbled cheese and a citrus vinaigrette. The dessert course is vanilla sesame seed cake finished with a berry glaze. For those who elect to dine, dinners are an additional $25 above the ticket price and advance reservations are required. Cast members serve the salad and entrée courses before the show begins and serve dessert during intermission.

All performances are in the intimate No Exit Café., 6970 N. Glenwood Avenue in Rogers Park. Tickets for SWEENEY TODD, including the three-week extension, are on sale now at www.theo-u.org.

 

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