The Rome Free Academy Musical will present SWEENEY TODD: SCHOOL EDITION April 27, 28, and 29 at 7:30pm in the RFA Auditorium.
Tickets for Sweeney Todd are $8.00 through this Thursday and $10.00 at the door. Presale tickets are currently available at Jervis Public Library, where both cash and credit cards are accepted.
Tickets will also be available at the RFA lobby box office each night during the show’s run. The box office accepts cash or checks made out to 'RFA Musical'. The box office will open at 6:30pm with the doors to the theater opening at 7:00pm. All tickets for the musical are general admission seating. Due to the subject matter, the production is rated PG-13 and is not recommended for a younger audience.
Winner of eight Tony Awards and nine Drama Desk Awards, Sweeney Todd tells the story of an unjustly exiled barber named Sweeney Todd seeking revenge in nineteenth-century London. Sweeney and failing pie shop owner Mrs. Lovett team up to save her business while taking down a few corrupt citizens along the way. Music and lyrics are by Stephen Sondheim, from an adaptation by Christopher Bond, with book by Hugh Wheeler and orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick. Sweeney Todd was originally directed on Broadway by Harold Prince.
“We are really excited to bring a Sondheim show to the RFA stage for the very first time,” says Director Jake Meiss. “Sweeney Todd is full of complexity both vocally and instrumentally, and our students are really rising to the musical challenge.”
Meiss continues, “After a couple of lighter shows the past couple of years with Newsies and Shrek, we wanted to present something completely different. Many of our cast members haven’t done something completely out of character before, and Sweeney Todd allows them to portray characters grappling with some pretty intense feelings and situations.”
“We are also thrilled to welcome a number of guest instrumentalists from throughout the area to play Sondheim’s incredible score,” Meiss adds. “Our orchestra is comprised of student musicians as well as RFA Musical alumni and local music educators. This is the largest orchestra we’ve ever had for an RFA show, with a whopping 33 players. I don’t know of ANY musicals – high school, community theatre, college, professional theatres, even Broadway – that have orchestras this full and lush.”
RFA senior Jake Cosentino plays the show’s eponymous barber, and says “Sweeney Todd is completely unique. Much of the music is like you’ve never heard before, and there are a lot of funny, sad, scary, and dramatic twists that you might not expect. For those who have never seen the show, I recommend going in blind to experience these twists for the first time.”
RFA Junior Dakota Morrison adds, “Sweeney Todd is one of the most nail-biting musicals out there, with a plot so deep that you can discover new things each time you watch the show - as well as complex music arrangements unlike anything you may have heard on the RFA stage before.”
“It’s really something special,” says RFA senior Liam Butler. “It’s in stark contrast to the more upbeat, happy shows we’ve done recently, and really provides a whole new experience for us as performers. It’s completely different tonally and gives audiences something really fresh to dig into.”
RFA senior Sydney La Salle notes, “What makes the musical so unique is the way that it seamlessly blends humor and horror in its storytelling. This show is a thrilling ride of emotions that keeps the audience on their toes from start to finish. All in all, Sweeney Todd is a musical that offers the audience an unforgettable experience that you wouldn’t want to miss!”
Sweeney Todd features Jake Cosentino as Sweeney Todd, Caitlyn Hampe as Mrs. Lovett, Liam Butler as Anthony Hope, Arwen Reddick as Johanna, Dakota Morrison as Judge Turpin, Teddy Beeman as Tobias, Sydney LaSalle as Beggar Woman, Alex Brown as Beadle Bamford, Enrique Rivera as Pirelli and Noah Dailey as Fogg.
They are joined by featured ensemble members Michaelanne Allen, Emily Cook, Abigail Cook, Noah Dailey, Alana DeJosie, Kaz Evans, Amanda Falvo, Janai Haden, Evan Lewthwaite, Robin Litts, Nolan Moore, Liz McGowan, Bryanna Pace, Elijah Pomales, Colyn Seeley, Chris Smalls, Jonathan Spaeth, Brooke Quinn, Karabrie Wiggins and Rosie Woodward.
Rounding out the cast are Ella Abdou, Julian Bess, Trinity Brindeau, Jordann Brown, Addison Burkhart, Joanna Butler, Gwendolyn Caro, Liliana Caro, Rachel Catello, Samantha Conley, Capricia Damiano, Tiana Gonzalez, Joanna Hampe, Glenn Keller, Danielle Klepadlo, Izabelle Kotary, Abbey Kubinski, Greyson LaGrange, Cameron Merritt, Isabel Moore, Mia Panasci, Cassidy Reilly, Grace Riolo, Aryanna Rosario, Gabrielle Seeley, Elaina Smaldon, Amelia Sudol, Alex Swan, Sara Swistak, Trent Taijeron, Gabrielle Taylor, Autumn Toepp, Elliot Trophia, Karl van Hoesel and Aiden Winters.
The pit orchestra features Leanna Guerrieri, Dennis van Hoesel, Liesl Froschauer, Brandon Crisan, Anna Do, Sara Picente, Erica Oshier, Anna Angaputtra, Isaac Rojas, Tracie Forbes, Emily Gillander, Millie Ruggio, Mary Hapanowicz, Caitlyn Carinci-Clark, Andrew Giotto, Rocco Jennings, Shawn DePalma, Kayleen Martelli, Stephanie Carbone Evan Griffith, Jana Hallberg, Alex Guiliano, Jack Conley, Mike Fenton, Henryk Lotyczewski, Derek Sager, Matt Donaleski, Greg Clark, Zach Swistak, Brandon Bright, Brody Smith and Aaron Decker.
Student stage crew members are Vincent Klepadlo, Ace Sorrell, and Kaiden Vaughn. They are joined by student lighting crew members Rachel Shalna, Lillian Stroich, and J’La Daniels. Student sound crew members are Nito Davis, Jolainna Sciorilli, and Wyatt Conley.
Sweeney Todd was originally produced on Broadway by Richard Barr, Charles Woodward, Robert Fryer, Mary Lea Johnson and Martin Richards in association with Dean and Judy Manos. Sweeney Todd School Edition is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).
For more information, visit the RFA Musical on Facebook and Instagram.