Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Stephen Sonheim is one of the world’s best-known composer and lyricist with more than half a century of contributions to musical theatre.  One of his musicals is Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.  Never having seen the musical or Tim Burton’s 2007 film adaptation starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter  I was excited when TEG Like Life Company announced they were producing a reimaged 40^th anniversary concert version for a limited season of six shows only in both Sydney and Melbourne.  Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street will be performed at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne from 20 to 23 June, 2019.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is inspired by a tale serialised in Penny Dreadful in 1846-47.  It centres on the exiled barber who returns to London seeking revenge against the judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife.  On the road to vengeance Sweeney opens a barber shop above a failing pie shop in which he meets Mrs Lovett.

Anthony Warlow stars as exile barber Sweeney Todd and Mrs Lovett will be performed by Gina Riley.  Other cast members include Debra Byrne (Beggar Woman), Tod Strike (Pirelli), Genevieve Kingsford (Johanna Barker), Daniel Sumegi (Judge Turpin), Anton Berezin (Beadie Bamford) and Owen McCredie (Anthony Hope).

The full company includes Susan Ann-Walker, Carrie Barr, Darcy Carroll, Amelia Christo, Ben Colley, Andrew Dunne, Nick Eynaud, Courtney Glass, Matt Heyward, Lauren Jimmieson, Megan Kozak, Sam Roberts-Smith, Sam Skuthorp and Caroline Vercoe.

 

 

Paris – A Rock Odysessy

Australia lost one of it’s great performers in Jon English in 2016. Music Theatre Melbourne is presenting a concert production of Paris – A Rock Odyssey at the Melbourne Recital Centre from 13 to 15 July, 2017.

Featuring some of Australia’s best known entertainers including John Waters, Ben Mingay, The Whitlams’ Tim Freedman, Brian Mannix, Kerrie Anne Greenland, Cameron MacDonald, Mark Dickinson, Tod Strike, John O’May with upcoming artists Matthew Manahan and Madeleine Featherby. Jon’s son Jonathan Sora-English will feature in the Paris band.

This new chapter also features Shirley Bowen, Annie Aitken, Daniel Cosgrove, Jack O’Riley, Jordan Mahar and Caitlin Quinn.

With an ensemble cast including Kinlock Anstiss, Jess Branchflower, Simon Browne, Jesika Clark, Emily Crawford, Ned Dixon, Marissa Economo, Rosabelle Elliot, Anne Gasko, Christian Gillett, Courtney Glass, Mark Horn, Aaron Hughes, Peter Jenkins, Kaori Maeda-Judge, Sophie Loughram, Morgan Phillips, Jodi Raynes, Kate Schmildi, John Tacey, Megan Tiedermann, Isabelle Valette, Julia Walker, Sam Ward, Jaycee Waters, Lachlan Whan, Casey Withoos, Lisa Woodbrook and Michael Young.

Directed by Neil Gooding and with musical direction of Issac Hayward.

Paris began life as a soundtrack in 1990 when it sold more than 50,000 copies and winning best soundtrack at the 1991 Aria Awards. It made its amateur theatre debut in Sydney during 2003 and in Melbourne the following year. Jon was working on future plans for Paris before his death, at aged 66.

Paris – A Rock Odyssey is a love story drawn from Greek mythology that sparked Trojan Wars which inspired the creation of a giant wooden horse full of warriors to infiltrate the city of Troy.

If you would like to see some of Australia’s best entertainers, attend a performance of Paris – A Rock Odyssey when it’s staged in Melbourne for a limited season.

For further information on Music Theatre Melbourne; click here.