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  Arden Theatre Company Presents SWEENEY TODD THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET For Immediate Release: May 2, 2005 Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim • Book by Hugh Wheeler • From an adaptation by Christopher Bond • Directed by Terrence J. Nolen • May 19 - June 19, 2005 Arden Theatre Company culminates the 2004/2005 season with a return to Sondheim for the much-anticipated production of Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. This multi-award-winning musical begins previews on Thursday, May 19; opens Tuesday, May 24; and runs through Sunday, June 19. Sweeney Todd, hailed by the Washington Post as "...a masterpiece of musical theater - arguably the pinnacle of the form," is co-sponsored by Harmelin Media and Commerce Bank. Sweeney Todd is supported in part by a grant from the Philadelphia Theatre Initiative, a program funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and administered by The University of the Arts. This is the Arden's second mounting of Sweeney Todd; the first was in 1993 at St. Stephen's Alley. When asked why return to this piece, Arden's Producing Artistic Director Terrence J. Nolen explained, "In part, it is because Sweeney Todd is my favorite musical. It is a Herculean achievement and a landmark piece. Even today - over a quarter century after Sweeney first premiered - the sheer audacity of this musical still astonishes me. Sondheim's revolutionary work paved the way for the American musical to tackle any subject. It is one of the American theatre's great masterworks, and, like any great masterwork, it needs to be continually explored and re-imagined. But, most of all, I have longed to return to this tale of the Demon Barber because I am drawn so powerfully to the sheer emotionality of the piece. This musical is filled with so much life - and peopled by characters consumed with passion. Passion for life, for love, for flesh, for pies, for a tale well told. With its sweeping story and magnificent score, Sweeney allows for the great contradictions of living in this world - a world that can be unbearably cruel and yet so full of possibility." Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, directed by Terrence J. Nolen, is a chilling comedy of passion, revenge, and meat pies set to brilliant music of legendary composer Stephen Sondheim. On a mission of ruthless retribution barber Sweeney Todd schemes with lovesick shopkeeper Mrs. Lovett to avenge his family in the most demented fashion. New York actor Thom Sesma will play Sweeney Todd. Sesma's Broadway credits include Man of La Mancha (2002 revival), Titanic, Search and Destroy, Nick & Nora, and Chu Chem for which he was a Drama League Honoree. The coveted role of Mrs. Lovett, Todd's bloody accomplice, will be played by Barrymore Award-winning dame Mary Martello, last seen at the Arden in Café Puttanesca. The talent-packed cast of 19 also features Bev Appleton (Proof), Ben Dibble (A Year with Frog and Toad, Baby Case), Todd A. Horman (Broadway's Urinetown), Joshua Lamon (A Year with Frog and Toad), Elisa Matthews (Café Puttanesca), James Sugg and Denise Whelan (Baby Case). Rounding out the ensemble are Michael Borton, Amanda Johnson, Shannon Lambert-Ryan, Anthony Lawton (The Underpants), Katherine Mallon-Day, Michael Philip O'Brien, Katie O'Shaughnessey, Kristin Purcell, David St. Louis, and Rob Tucker (Pacific Overtures). A 9-piece orchestra under the musical direction of Eric Ebbenga (Pacific Overtures) will accompany this gifted ensemble. Led by Barrymore Award-winning Scenic Designer David P. Gordon, the design team includes Costume Designer Marla Jurglanis (Pacific Overtures), Lighting Designer John Stephen Hoey, and Sound Designer Jorge Cousineau (The Syringa Tree, Pacific Overtures). The F. Otto Haas theatre has been transformed into the dirty dregs of London's underbelly in one of the most stunning and innovative stagings at the Arden to date. Blurring the lines between audience and performance, some patrons will be seated on stage within the action. Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street begins previews on Thursday, May 19; opens Tuesday, May 24; and runs through Sunday, June 19. Ticket prices range from $24 to $40. Half-priced tickets are available for balcony-style, seats on stage with a partially obstructed view. Tickets may be purchased online at www.ardentheatre.org, by calling the Arden Box Office at 215.922.1122, or by visiting the theatre at 40 N. 2nd Street in Philadelphia. The Arden will host College Nights on Thursdays, May 19 and May 26. College Nights feature $10 tickets for college students with valid student ID. Post-show discussions are scheduled following these performances: Wednesday, June 1 at 6:30pm; Thursday, June 2 at 8pm; Sunday, June 5 at 2pm; and Sunday, June 12 at 2pm. Discounted group rates are available through the Box Office or by calling the group sales manager directly at 215.922.8900 ext 49. The Arden is accessible to people with disabilities, including wheelchair accessibility, assisted listening devices and large print programs at every performance. Accessible seating is available by reservation. For more information call the Arden Box Office at 215.922.1122. WHERE: WHEN: REVIEWING PRESS: Invitations to opening night on Tuesday, May 24 at 7pm have been mailed. Other members of the press: Are invited to see the show during the first week of the run (May 25 - May 31) by scheduling tickets through the director of marketing and public relations at 215.922.8900 x22 or via email. WHO: 
Questions? Contact us at 215.413.7150 or info@theatrealliance.org.
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