Sweeney Todd opened in a high school...unbelieveable!
Sweeney Todd opened in a high school...unbelieveable!
SweeneyTodd101
Swing Joined: 12/12/04
#0Sweeney Todd opened in a high school...unbelieveable!
Posted: 1/15/05 at 4:50pmI got a chance to go see "Sweeney Todd" at Bradford High School in Kenosha Wisconsin and it blew me away. I have never seen a production of Sweeney Todd like this one. The set was based off a bird painting (symbolizing the conflict that lies in the story with the character of "Johanna") by Picasso and the every lead character as well as the chorus were just powerhouse voices (and the acting was a definate equal). This director really knows what shes doing. If you get a chance to get to Kenosha, this show is amazing and worth seeing. I totally had my doubts but this was amazing. Shows are still playing January 21st/22nd at 7:30pm and 2pm on January 23rd. The webpage is Geocities.com/sweeneytoddbradford. I can't believe this, can you? How is it possible for a highschool to pull this off? ...just amazing!
#1re: Sweeney Todd opened in a high school...unbelieveable!
Posted: 1/15/05 at 4:59pmThis is great to hear. I've always found it hard to believe that Sweeney could be performed in a high school setting, but I guess I was wrong. Glad you had fun!
"The stage is where I live and come alive and act out all the things that go on in my life. It's not just what I do for a living, it's my shrink and my love affair. No one in my life has ever or ever will kiss me on the mouth like this lover called my relationship with my performance."
GypsyRoseLee
Broadway Star Joined: 7/5/04
#2re: Sweeney Todd opened in a high school...unbelieveable!
Posted: 1/15/05 at 5:09pmHigh school theatre gets a really bad rap, but it can kick some serious ass if the director knows what he or she is doing!
"This is what I trained to do, and this is what I love about theater. What I love about being an actress is being able to really look into myself and understand another human being. And out my own self, to shape and form and fashion a real human being--and to present that in such a way that people see something of themselves or their own understanding in that human being."
--Phylicia Rashad
seasons of love
Leading Actor Joined: 1/8/05
#3re: Sweeney Todd opened in a high school...unbelieveable!
Posted: 1/15/05 at 6:03pmthat's really awesome! you always assume that high school theater will be "of lesser quality", but a lot of times it can blow you away.... as you saw :) :)
"I am unfinished- I am diminished
With or without you..."
#4re: Sweeney Todd opened in a high school...unbelieveable!
Posted: 1/16/05 at 2:00amI've got auditions for Sweeney Todd at my highschool this tuesday. Most likely, I'll end up as Sweeney. Wish me luck!
"I am ready to disclaim my opinion, even of yesterday, even of 10 minutes ago, because all opinions are relative. One lives in a field of influences, one is influenced by everyone one meets, everything is an exchange of influences, all opinions are derivative. Once you deal a new deck of cards, you've got a new deck of cards."
— Peter Brook
#5re: Sweeney Todd opened in a high school...unbelieveable!
Posted: 1/16/05 at 2:09amMy high school did Sweeney Todd about four years ago. Our Sweeney gave people nightmares.
#6re: Sweeney Todd opened in a high school...unbelieveable!
Posted: 1/16/05 at 2:13amOK, talking about AMAZING high school productions...anyone heard of Hamilton Academy in Los Angeles?? My friend who understudied Sutton Foster in Millie got that part straight out of high school at age 18.... so you can imagine the amount of talent in that school (even though I'd like to think she is above and beyond, of course). And they have the $$$ to make the shows great, they charge a LOT to see their shows too!
#7re: Sweeney Todd opened in a high school...unbelieveable!
Posted: 1/16/05 at 3:33am
That's awesome. Hey, what did you think of Anthony?! 
#8re: Sweeney Todd opened in a high school...unbelieveable!
Posted: 1/16/05 at 12:29pmA year after I graduated, In 1994, my high school did a production of Sweeney Todd. It blew me away. The opening number gave me the chills. I had never liked Sweeney before, but after seeing my high school do it, I went out and bought the recording. But, then again, I went to a Performing Arts High School ,and we used to do some really great shows.
"Do you know what pledge time is, Andrew"? said the PBS Executive.
"Yes", Lloyd Webber replied. "My 50th birthday special must be one program that gets done a lot."
"No", mused the man from PBS heedlessy. "Not so much. Our Stephen Sondheim Carnegie Hall concert. That's a big one."
Spoons, forks and knives seemed suddenly to suspend their motion in horror, all around the table.
LittleBitRacist
Featured Actor Joined: 12/5/04
#9re: Sweeney Todd opened in a high school...unbelieveable!
Posted: 1/16/05 at 1:38pmyay! i love when high schools put on good shows, the school im at now did Into the Woods last year, and i was really impressed the amount of talent they had. Thats what made me chose the school!
broadwaybaby654
Featured Actor Joined: 6/21/04
#10re: Sweeney Todd opened in a high school...unbelieveable!
Posted: 1/16/05 at 1:49pmLACHSA( Los Angeles County High School for the Arts) has good shows too.
misterchoi
Stand-by Joined: 9/5/04
#11re: Sweeney Todd opened in a high school...unbelieveable!
Posted: 1/16/05 at 2:22pmCan you tell me more about the design? It sounds incredible.
"Yesterday is done. See the pretty countryside. Merrily we roll along, roll along- catching at dreams."- Merrily we roll along
"The living was the prize, the ending's not the story."- Elegies, a song cycle
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