Unsettling Tale Of "Sweeney Todd" Takes The Stage At Council Rock North

NEWTOWN, PA — The demon barber of Fleet Street is coming to Newtown this week, and he's hungry for vengeance.

The Council Rock North Sock 'N Buskin Club will bring Stephen Sondheim's dark musical, "Sweeney Todd," to the stage for a three-night-only performance run.

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The musical thriller follows Benjamin Barker, a barber who is wrongfully exiled to Australia by Judge Turpin. He returns to London as Sweeney Todd, believing his wife is dead and his daughter is being held by the judge. After reuniting with his razors, Todd begins a revenge plot that grows into a killing spree of "barberism" and culinary crime.

He partners with Mrs. Nellie Lovett, a struggling pie shop owner, who bakes the victims into pies to hide his hideous barber chair murders. The story is one of the darker works in musical theater, which aligns with the PG-13 rating listed for the production.

Sweeney Todd (Andrew Loudon) raises his razor in a pledge of vengeance. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Sweeney Todd (Andrew Loudon) gives Judge Turpins (Mason Ambs) a very close shave. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

One of Sweeney Todd's victims loses his head. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

"It’s a dark comedy, but it has its moments of hilarity," said director Miranda Leiggi. “It’s high drama. It’s thrilling. And the ending is heartbreaking. But it does it in a way that ties all the pieces together.”

Audiences will recognize several musical numbers, including "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd," "Pretty Women," "Not While I'm Around" and "The Worst Pies In London."

The Sock 'N Buskin production features a cast of 28, working on stage and behind the scenes to bring the complex musical to the stage.

"The kids have been working hard since January," said Leiggi. "We have some really fun technical elements that we’ve been able to pull off. We don’t have a fly system, but we’ve made things fly. I’m so proud of everyone and all their hard work," she said.

Performances are scheduled for April 30, May 1 and May 2, with a 7 p.m. curtain time at Council Rock High School North, 62 Swamp Road.

Tickets are available at crntickets.com or at the door. Tickets are $12 for students and $15 for adults. The show is rated PG-13 for its sometimes gruesome content.

The principal cast includes Andrew Loudon as Sweeney Todd and Adalae Howe as Mrs. Nellie Lovett. Kane Sienicki will appear as Anthony Hope, Macey Ludwig as Johanna, Liam McKernan as Tobias Ragg, Aislinn Leach as The Beggar Woman, Mason Ambs as Judge Turpin, Christopher Woods as The Beadle and Andrew Kempf as Adolfo Pirelli.

The three-night run gives local audiences a chance to see Council Rock North students perform one of musical theater's best-known thrillers on their home stage. All performances begin at 7 p.m., with tickets available online ahead of time or at the door.