The Demon Barber of Fleet Street came alive on the opening night of “Sweeney Todd,” Friday, Feb. 2. Over 75 students partook in the show: a mixture of cast, crew and pit musicians.
Performing Steven Sondheim’s tongue-twister lyrics was a technical challenge for the cast.
“Sweeney Todd is an extremely difficult production for a high school to put on. […] It has very difficult ensemble harmonies that were hard to learn, but it was all worth it,” sophomore Keira Hoisington, who played Joanna, said.
The production required three months of preparation and over 125 hours of rehearsing.
“I was at school 12+ hours every day for two weeks leading up to the show. It was exhausting, although I’m grateful for the intense bonding experience it provided,” ensemble member senior Casey Piston said.
In addition to the performance the cast also participated in traditions like the Senior Circle.
“Before closing night, everyone gets in a circle, and the seniors give life advice and reminisce,” senior Fletcher Anderson said. “It’s the most emotional part; everyone cries. It’s so different because in other things, like sports, you don’t have a specific end date. For theater, there is a countdown from day one, and you want to extend that time because you enjoy the people and [the] experience. We’ll never be with that specific group of people again. Everyone has a place in theater. Even though I’m not the most jaw-dropping singer, I still had a part to play and felt valued.”
Watch the behind the scenes video made by Parker Andrews in January’s GET.
