David Hess News

Maine State Music Theatre's third show of the 2009 season is the delightfully deceptive 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.' This Tony Award winning musical is based on the film of the same name and includes music and lyrics by David Yazbek, composer and lyricist of 'The Full Monty', and a book by Jeffrey Lane. In addition to the familiar story line, the musical boasts witty lyrics with a side of harmless adult humor.

Maine State Music Theatre continues its 2009 season with the award winning 'Crazy for You.' Winner of three Tony Awards (including Best Musical in 1992), two Drama Desk Awards and three Laurence Olivier Awards, the show dazzles audiences with spectacular dance numbers and catchy, toe-tapping songs.

Maine State Music Theatre continues its 2009 season with the award winning 'Crazy for You.' Winner of three Tony Awards (including Best Musical in 1992), two Drama Desk Awards and three Laurence Olivier Awards, the show dazzles audiences with spectacular dance numbers and catchy, toe-tapping songs.

Maine State Music Theatre will continue its 2009 season with the award winning 'Crazy for You.' Winner of three Tony Awards (including Best Musical in 1992), two Drama Desk Awards and three Laurence Olivier Awards, the show dazzles audiences with spectacular dance numbers and catchy, toe-tapping songs.

The Walnut Street Theater welcomes another American classic to round out their 200th anniversary season with 'Born Yesterday'.

The Walnut Street Theatre continues its landmark 200th anniversary season with Born Yesterday - Garson Kanin's brilliant blend of satire, comedy and laughter. Directed by Mark Clements, this all-new production starts March 10, opens March 18 and runs through April 26 on the Walnut Mainstage.

The Walnut Street Theatre continues its landmark 200th anniversary season with Born Yesterday - Garson Kanin's brilliant blend of satire, comedy and laughter. Directed by Mark Clements, this all-new production starts March 10, opens March 18 and runs through April 26 on the Walnut Mainstage.

The current national tour of the Stephen Sondheim/Hugh Wheeler musical 'Sweeney Todd' blew into the Windy City for a two-week engagement at the Cadillac Palace Theatre this week, revealing that the show is so strong as originally written that almost any style of storytelling will reveal its truths. If this fact doesn't mark the show as a true performing arts masterwork, then I don't know how anything else could. This show, and this metaphor-laden production of it, are miraculous in their revealing of the human condition.

BroadwayWorld's own James Sims recently joined actors Judy Kaye, David Hess, Lauren Molina and Edmund Bagnell in the Ahmanson lobby to discover their own visions of Sweeney Todd and understand why Sondheim's work continues to remain popular nearly 30 years since first bowing on Broadway.

The Demon Barber of Fleet Street will soon find Randolph Street when Broadway In Chicago presents the new national touring production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph St.) from April 23 - May 4, 2008. Tickets range in price from $25 - $75 and are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices, by calling (312) 902-1400, or logging onto ticketmaster.com.

The Demon Barber of Fleet Street will soon find Randolph Street when Broadway In Chicago presents the new national touring production of 'Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street' at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph St.) from April 23 - May 4, 2008.

The national touring production of Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, will begin performances at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles beginning with one preview on March 11 at 8 p.m. and is set to run through April 6.

It is indeed perhaps the finest work ever to grace any theater at any time. It is difficult to ascertain that this is even the great master, Stephen Sondheim's, truest masterpiece. It probably is. However, with the gifts of COMPANY, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, FOLLIES, INTO THE WOODS, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, PACIFIC OVERTURES, ASSASSINS, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, GYPSY, and WEST SIDE STORY among others on his resume, it takes a huge amount of thought and commitment to go out on a limb and say that SWEENEY TODD is Sondheim's master achievement.

Check out the first interactive character card, for Sweeney Todd himself!

The national company of Sweeney Todd arrived in Toronto in fine form. * * * * 1/2 (OUT OF 5)

National tour achieves all the darkness and light of John Doyle's 2005 Tony Award-winning Broadway revival

Alexander Gemignani, who treaded the dark alleys of Fleet Street as the Beadle in the Broadway revival Sweeney Todd, will portray the title role in the national tour beginning November 13, while David Hess is 'on leave from the show to recover from vocal strain,' reports the production spokespersons.

John Doyle's Tony Award-winning re-imagining of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street began its National Tour, with a pre-tour engagement at San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) on August 30, opening ACT's 41st season on September 4 with performances through September 30.

Sweeney Todd begins its National Tour, with a pre-tour engagement at San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre (ACT). Previews at ACT begin August 30.