Sometimes there’s a small show in a giant space but this time it’s a giant show in a small space, Judy Russell explains her presentation of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at Vanier Hall from Friday, Nov. 15 to Sunday, Nov. 17.
The Prince George Symphony Orchestra will share the multi-level stage during the production, which is a cutting-edge approach to traditional theatre.
The 12-plus piece orchestra, including a harp, will be on the main stage with a two-foot riser on the perimeter that’s four feet wide and another up the centre stage line where the actors will perform, and of course, actors will also be on the main stage front and centre.
The background set will be on yet another elevated level and the apron of the stage will be 16 inches lower still.
Visually, it's a stunning set to complement the symphony and triple-threat performers.
“It’s going to be cool for you as audience members, not so cool for us as we navigate the stage in a whole new way,” Russell smiled.
“The conductor, Michael Hall, will be stage, and that’s where he’ll live but then at times he will have almost 40 people running around him like street rats. So it’s going to be very intense.”
Sweeney Todd is a Stephen Sondheim masterpiece, Russell said.
“The music is dark, haunting, incredible and sometimes discordant,” she added. “He’s written the evil in and it’s delightful because the evil is in and the beautiful is in, also. Some stunning, stunning music that haunts me – it wasn’t in my ear until I started to really work on it and now I can’t get it out of my head because it’s so beautiful.”
It’s a heartbreaking story of lust, lasciviousness, murder, wrong doing and vengeance, Russell added.
The cast is filled with experienced and not-so-experienced performers.
David Leach reprises the role of Sweeney Todd from 16 years ago, knowing he is coming into the part better equipped for the family-man role as he's married with a teen-aged daughter.
Shelby Meaney reprises her role of Johanna from 20 years ago, while Chase Warmerdam, 17, a Duchess Park Secondary School student, takes on the role of Tobias Ragg.
“I’ve been at Judy’s studio for four or five years now,” Warmerdam said. “It had mostly just been dance and I have done The Nutcracker with her twice now and it’s been wonderful and I’d never been in a big production like this one before.”
Chase said it’s been an honour to work with all the veteran performers who are in this musical theatre blockbuster.
“It's been challenging to expand my vocal range and Robin (Norman, music director) has been helping me with that a lot,” Chase said. “She’s helping me hit those high notes. The whole show is so different and unique – the whole staging of it – it’s not very often you see the way this show is staged with the full orchestra on stage along with the performers. I know it will be quite cool.”
Robin Norman just met Chase for the first time during rehearsals of Sweeney Todd.
“Chase is hoping to go on after he graduates and so he’s been working really hard and starting to do some serious voice training now,” Norman said. “This is his first major role. He came into this role with so much raw talent, and Sweeney Todd is such a hard sing and he’s taking on some big notes so we're working on some technical things and he’s doing great.”
Sweeney Todd goes Friday, Nov. 15 to Sunday, Nov. 17 at Vanier Hall. For more information and tickets visit www.pgso.com/concerts/Sweeney-Todd.
