Sweeney Todd in a HIGH SCHOOL?!

Bradford High School in Wisconsin is opening a production of Sweeney Todd on January 13th of 2005. The group is making attempts to take the show to the International Thespain Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska. Is it possible for a highschool to handle what is considered to be the most amazing works of Stephen Sondheim and possibly the best composition for the musical theater stage of the 21st century? These must be pretty amazing kids. What do you think?

Depends on the school and the talent that exist there. It would pretty hard but not impossible. I've seen to done very badly and I've also seen a pretty good production of it.

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I was in sweeney todd at stagedoor manor and I think it came out really well but the problem with doing it at a high school that is different from theatre camp is not enough selection I mean we have about 400 experienced actors to choose from for the cast....that often is not the cast at high schools

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"If NYU couldnt pull it off then there is no way a high school could pull it off either"

I disagree. If there is an ample amount of talent than it can be done.

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We're putting it on this spring at my high school. I'm auditioning for the part of Sweeney. I think I can pull off the sound of vocal maturity, the dialect (I've been in a few London-based plays before with dialect training), and the acting requirements. My biggest problem will be keeping my voice in a healthy shape during the show. Time to load up on Thayers Throat Lozenges! The biggest problem I think we will face is pulling off the orchestra. I say we just hire professionals. Then again, that's not my choice.

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Yes, shows can work in a high school setting if the talent is there. That is often a huge, sometimes insurmountable, "IF".

As I have said before, when I hear of a high school production of a very challenging show like Sweeney, I immediately think that there is a very frustrated director there. The director sounds awfully unfulfilled.

Who is the show for?

And I imagine it can seem like a 'thespain' society. Accent on the 'pain'....

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yup! MHS did it in 97'. It was decent for a HS.

I saw a SUPERB production of this at a church with a local high school. Absolutely enthralling! I simply DEMANDED to work with the director. I think EVERY show, to have ever been written, should be done in any way. As long as there are intelligent-enough people to handle it, then let it be so :)

If you don't like it, you can always whinge about it here :)

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I don't know.....

I always "sigh" when I see a high school putting on a production of something like West Side Story, or Gypsy, or Sweeney Todd.

I just feel that these shows are just too difficult for anyone under 30 to do. When I see a production, even a high school production, I am looking for greatness not a show that "got by". Even if you have a cast of really talented people, I don't want to see an 18 year old playing Sweeney, or Mrs. Lovett, just as I don't want to see a college student playing "Hamlet". When you deal with shows that are the elite, that requires a level that I don't think a teenager can ever be at, no matter how well trained!

artsamore, high schools aren't really expecting people like you to see these shows when they put them on. They mostly expect friends, family, relatives, competing high schools, etc. They aren't going to be professional for a few more years, so I'd just have to say get over it.

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