Due to popular demand, Kokandy Productions’ critically-acclaimed revival of Stephen Sondheim’s macabre masterpiece Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street has added two additional weeks of performances, extending through Sunday, November 20, 2022 at The Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. The new block of tickets go on sale Wednesday, October 19 at 10 am at bit.ly/SweeneyChicago.
This intimate, in-the-round production celebrating Kokandy’s 10th anniversary season features music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by Hugh Wheeler, direction and choreography by Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham (he/him) and music direction by Nick Sula (he/him).
The cast includes Kevin Webb and Caitlin Jackson as Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett, partners in coiffed and culinary crime. They are joined by Quinn Rigg/Andrew Lund (Adolfo Pirell/Jonas Fogg), Isabel Cecilia García (Beggar Woman), Christopher Johnson (Judge Turpin), Josiah Haugen (Beadle Bamford), Chamaya Moody (Johanna), Patrick O’Keefe (Tobias Ragg) and Ryan Stajmiger (Anthony Hope). The Fleet Street ensemble includes Joel Arreola, Brittney Brown, Ethan Carlson, Stephanie Chiodras, Christopher Johnson, Nikki Krzebiot, Charlie Mann and Daniel Rausch. Swings include Tyler DeLoatch, Nathan Kabara and Angela Yu.
Sweeney Todd has become a bloody, worldwide success since being awarded eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical for its Broadway premiere. An infamous tale, Sweeney Todd, an unjustly exiled barber, returns to nineteenth century London, seeking vengeance against the lecherous judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife. The road to revenge leads Todd to Mrs. Lovett, a resourceful proprietress of a failing pie shop. Mrs. Lovett's luck sharply shifts when Todd's thirst for blood inspires the integration of an ingredient into her meat pies that has the people of London hungry for more. Stephen Sondheim's and Hugh Wheeler's tasty, thrilling, theatrical treat has simultaneously shocked, awed and delighted audiences around the world. Just in time for Halloween, the already atmospheric Chopin Theatre basement is transformed into 19th century London, daring audiences to attend this haunting, harrowing tale!
The production team includes G "Max" Maxin IV (he/him, Scenic and Lighting Designer), Rachel Sypniewski (she/her, Costume Designer), Mike Patrick (he/him, Sound Designer), Jakob Abderhalden (he/him, Properties Designer, Scenic Décor), Jon Beal (he/him, Violence Designer), Kirsten Baity (they/them, Intimacy Choreographer), Sydney Genco (she/her, Make-Up Designer), Keith Ryan (he/him, Wig Designer), Carrie Hardin (she/her, Dialect Coach), Drew Donnelly (he/him, Stage Manager), Kendyl Meyer (they/them, Assistant Stage Manager), Andrew Lund (he/they, Assistant Director), Vivica Powell (she/her, Assistant Choreographer), Lynsy Folckomer (Sound Engineer, she/her), David Geinosky (Scenic Painter, he/him), Erik Strebig (they/them, Production Assistant), Roman Sanchez (he/him, Casting Associate), Scot Kokandy (he/him, Executive Producer) and Derek Van Barham (he/him, Producing Artistic Director).
COVID-19 safety: Patrons are required to wear a face mask when not actively eating or drinking. The theatre will no longer require proof of vaccination to attend a production.
PRODUCTION DETAILS:
Title: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Hugh Wheeler
Directed and choreographed by Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham
Music Direction by Nick Sula
Cast (in alphabetical order): Joel Arreola (he/him, ensemble, Toby u/s), Brittney Brown (she/her, ensemble, Lovett u/s), Ethan Carlson (he/him, ensemble, u/s Turpin), Stephanie Chiodras (she/her, ensemble, Beggar Woman u/s), Isabel Cecilia García (they/them, Beggar Woman), Josiah Haugen (he/him, Beadle Bamford), Caitlin Jackson (she/her, Mrs. Lovett), Christopher Johnson (he/him, Judge Turpin, Sweeney u/s), Nikki Krzebiot (she/her, ensemble, Johanna u/s), Andrew Lund (he/they, Adolfo Pirell, Jonas Fogg, November 10 – 20, 2022), Charlie Mann (he/him, ensemble, Beadle u/s), Chamaya Moody (she/her, Johanna), Patrick O'Keefe (he/him, Tobias Rigg), Daniel Rausch (he/him, ensemble, Anthony u/s), Quinn Rigg (he/him, Adolfo Pirelli, Jonas Fogg through November 6, 2022), Ryan Stajmiger (he/him, Anthony Hope) and Kevin Webb (he/him, Sweeney Todd).
Swings: Tyler DeLoatch (he/him, u/s ensemble), Nathan Kabara (he/they, ensemble u/s) and Angela Yu (she/her, ensemble u/s).
Location: The Chopin Theatre (Studio), 1543 W Division St. in Chicago
Dates: September 8 – November 20, 2022
Curtain Times: Wednesday at 7 pm (through November 2); Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7 pm; Sundays at 5 pm.
Tickets: Regular run $40. Students/senior $30. There will be a limited number of $15 tickets available for students and artists for each performance. Tickets are now on sale at bit.ly/SweeneyChicago.
About the Artists
Derek Van Barham (Director/Choreographer, he/him) is the Producing Artistic Director of Kokandy Productions. He previously served as Associate Artistic Director of Pride Films & Plays and Artistic Director of The Ruckus. Directing credits include Head Over Heels (Kokandy); The View Upstairs (Circle Theatre); Three Days of Rain (BoHo Theatre); Miracle by Dan Savage, Poseidon, Skooby Don’t (Hell in a Handbag); Hot Pink, TRASH (New American Folk); Taylor Mac’s A Walk Across America for Mother Earth (CCPA); From These Fatal Loins (The Ruckus); Homos, or Everyone in America, Perfect Arrangement, Angry Fags in Steppenwolf Garage Rep, Songs from an Unmade Bed (Jeff nomination) and PRISCILLA, Queen of the Desert (PFP). He was named one of Windy City Times 30 Under 30, recognizing individuals from Chicago's LGBTQ community. MFA: Chicago College of the Performing Arts (CCPA) at Roosevelt University. www.derekvanbarham.com IG: @dvbarham
Nick Sula (Music Director, he/him) is a pianist, arranger and award-winning music director for theater and cabaret. Music Direction credits include Ghost Quartet (Jeff nomination), Nevermore, Amour, Coraline (Black Button Eyes); Myths & Hymns, The Glorious Ones (Jeff nomination), Pippin (BoHo Theatre), His & His, Boys in Briefs, Broadway at the Broadway (Pride Films and Plays); Head Over Heels, The Pajama Game, The Pirates of Penzance (CCPA). He performs with vocalists at venues such as Davenport’s Piano Bar, Skokie Theatre, Drew’s on Halsted and the Park West, and teaches as a music director, instructor and vocal coach at the Chicago College of Performing Arts (CCPA) at Roosevelt University.
About Kokandy Productions
Founded in 2010, Kokandy Productions seeks to leverage the heightened reality of musical theater to tell complex and challenging stories, with a focus on contributing to the development of Chicago-based musical theater artists, and raising the profile of Chicago's non-Equity musical theater community.
The company's artistic staff is comprised of Derek Van Barham (Producing Artistic Director), Scot T. Kokandy (Executive Producer) and Adrian Abel Azevedo & Leda Hoffman (Artistic Associates). The Board of Directors includes Preston Cropp, Allison Hendrix, Scot T. Kokandy, and Katie Svaicer.
For additional information, visit www.kokandyproductions.com.