On Thursday, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” began its run at Parkland College. Directed by Jeff Dare, the musical is running until April 23. On opening night, the musical received a standing ovation.

Originally created in 1979 by Hugh Wheeler, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” is a thriller musical set in Victorian England about Sweeney Todd, a murderous barber. 

With almost every seat taken, a buzzing crowd waits in the Harold and Jean Miner Theatre. Some audience members hold bouquets of flowers and others flip through their playbills before the show begins.

The lights dim and the audience falls silent as an eerie theme begins to play. The sound fills the quiet theater and audience members patiently wait for the first cast member to grace the stage.

The opening number was done well and truly brought the idea of Sweeney Todd to life before he even came on stage. With voices ranging from a deep baritone to a fluttering operatic tune, the contrasting sounds came together beautifully.

Jeff Dare, the director of this production, said the opening number is very cool. 

“The very opening number we get this really cool musical moment where we get music coming from surround sound,” Dare said. “It’s big and dramatic and scary and that’s hopefully what people are coming for.”

One character that stood out in their performance was Nicole Morgan’s portrayal of Mrs. Lovett. Her performance was lively and brought a perfect comedic relief in the miserable existence of Sweeney Todd.

Through both actions and delivery of her lines, Morgan really brought warmth to the cold London town. 

Another notable performance was Matt Hester’s portrayal of Sweeney Todd.

Ashley Kocanda, a member of the audience, said she thought Hester was very good as Todd.

“I thought the vocals were really strong in the cast,” Kocanda said. “(Hester’s) facial expressions and acting really drew me in.” 

Another great performance was given by Alex Murphy who portrayed Toby. Despite technical issues with their microphone, Murphy pulled out a great performance.

The mother-son relationship dynamic between Morgan’s and Murphy’s characters were full of great chemistry. In the song “Not While I’m Around,” the audience can see the relationship build between the two.

The supporting cast members gave dramatic performances.

Jacob Deters plays Anthony, Tina Radi plays Johanna, Michael Stern plays Judge Turpin, Bryan Goode plays The Beadle, Adrian Rochelle plays Pirelli and Caitlin Richardson plays Beggar Woman.

Director Jeff Dare’s last production was Memphis, about five years ago. Sweeney Todd had actually been in the works since 2021 and originally stopped production because of the pandemic.

“It’s been kind of an awesome journey to finally get to opening night,” Dare said. “And it’s wonderful that we were able to come back to it.”

Dare notes that a challenge he had was getting Sweeney Todd’s barber chair to work in the show. It’s an important factor to the storyline and it is one of the most notable parts of the musical, so getting it right was vital.

“The technical staff here at Parkland is absolutely amazing getting the chair coordinated with all of the other pieces like the music and lights,” Dare said. “Getting all that timing down was awesome.”

Christy Verhelst, another audience member, said before the performance that Parkland always puts on a high-quality show. 

“I think that pulling from the talent in the community and their own academic community is great,” Verhelst said. “I’m expecting that it’s going to be top notch, great acting, great costumes (and) all around awesome.” 

Verhelst also said that she’s seen the Sweeney Todd movie and loved it. 

“I love the combination between horror and sort of operatic singing,” Verhelst said. “It’s a ridiculous show, it’s an emotional show, I just love it.”

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