AJ Arts & Entertainment

December 2, 2009

‘Sweeney Todd’ onstage in Scranton

By Don McGlynn dmcglynn@theabingtonjournal.com
Reporter / Photographer

SCRANTON- With most theater companies rolling out their Christmas productions this time of year, DGM Productions has decided to offer theatergoers a little variety by presenting “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”

Opening Friday, Dec. 4, at the Providence Playhouse, Scranton, “Sweeney Todd,” the Tony award winning play, written by Stephen Sondheim, tells the story of a London barber who is driven to a life of crime after a malevolent judge takes his wife and child from him.

Sweeney takes his revenge by opening a barber shop and slitting the throats of his wealthy customers. Forming a partnership with an infamous and enterprising Mrs. Lovett, they dispose of the bodies by cooking their flesh in her meat pies.

The play has gained a lot of attention over the last few years, mainly thanks to the box office success of the 2007 film of the same name, starring Johnny Depp. But despite how familiar fans of the movie think they are with the work, the play’s director Eugene Mentz encourages them to come and check the play out for themselves, sighting many differences between the two.

“The story is the same but some of the concepts are different,” said Mentz.

“For example, the play takes place in a factory, where the ghosts of Todd’s victims recreate the tale of Sweeney Todd. In this factory they are building the story and showing the inner workings of Todd’s mind, which you don’t see in the film.”

In addition to the characters of the ghosts, several songs were cut out of the film that will appear in the stage play.

Mentz directed the play in 2005 at the playhouse for DGM Productions and felt that the material deserved to be looked at again.

“We usually all picked something we’re passionate about to put on, and I really wanted to do this play,” said Mentz. “It has a lot of different elements, it’s a comedy, thriller/murder mystery, it has romance and they’re all interconnected.”

“I wanted a chance to recreate it with a new cast.”

With the exception of Scott Santioski who will be reprising his role of Beadle, Mentz has assembled an entirely new cast of actors, ranging in age and experience from seasoned veterans all the way down to 11-year-old newcomer Kelly Krieger, who will be playing the part of Tobias, an orphan taken in by Mrs. Lovett.

“The part is written for an adult, so we had to change some of the keys to some of the songs, but I have to tell you this kid’s on par with some of the best actors in the area,” said Mentz.

“I’m thrilled with the way rehearsals are going. I hope people come to see it, this is a very different play experience than people usually see in this area due to the complexity of the material and that talent we have from all over the area.”

Sweeney Todd will run from Dec. 4 to 13 at the Providence Playhouse.

Tweet	Follow @TLnews