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272. Opening Night for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at Raue Center for the Arts by lizluby October 25, 2013

It’s opening night for cast and crew of musical thriller Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the Raue Center for the Arts in Crystal Lake. My cousin Elise LaBarge plays a leading role in this production which the Raue calls a “chilling, suspenseful, heart-‐pounding masterpiece of murderous barber-‐ism and culinary crime.”

Sweeney Todd Dress Rehearsal – Courtesy of Raue Center for the Arts

A 1979 Tony award-‐winning Broadway musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler, Sweeney Todd is sure to set the stage for a particularly haunting Halloween week. It’ll also be the Raue’s resident theater company Williams Street Repertory’s first full-‐stage production of the 2013/2014 season.


My cousin Elise is one of 16 actors in the cast, led by director, Mark Mahallak. She is playing the role of Johanna, Sweeney Todd’s daughter who has been been locked up for her whole life and is dying to find an escape as her father seeks revenge on her captor.

Elise LaBarge as Johanna in Sweeney Todd – Courtesy of Raue Center for the Arts

I asked Elise to share her take on Sweeney Todd, the performance they have in store and the theater in general and here’s how she describes everything, in her own words…

What is Sweeney Todd about, in a nutshell?

“Simply put, it’s about obsession, revenge and escape.”

“Sweeney Todd is a barber who returns to London after a long and unwelcome exile to find his wife gone and his daughter captive. He moves in with a less-‐than-‐honest pie maker, and goes about seeking revenge, using his very sharp razors.”


“In the meantime, Sweeney’s daughter finds her escape through a handsome young sailor, a young boy escapes his cruel employer, a bunch of inmates escape an asylum, and a nasty Judge doesn’t realize he needs to escape until it’s too late.

They all find themselves in the same basement at the end of the show…and some are still alive.”


What can the audience expect when they come to see the show?

“A REALLY big and dark set. I spend the first act going up and down stairs to and from my 16 foot perch, and I have it easy compared to some. It’s the biggest set the company has had to date, and it has been great fun to watch it grow into its final enormity.”


“It’s a dark story, so the stage and costumes are dark, but our director Mark has done a fabulous job finding moments of comedy to lighten the mood. The composer, Steven Sondheim, helps to lighten the mood, too, with his witty and bizarre lyrics and melodies. So, the audience can expect a creepy show with exceptional music, peppered with humor.”


Why is this a great time of year to see this particular musical?

“Oh, I don’t know. Throat-‐slitting and insane asylums seem so very Halloween to me. What do you think?”

Are there any highlights from the show that you’re most excited about?

“The music is a highlight in and of itself. Selfishly, I’m really excited to sing Johanna’s song in the first act. It’s the kind of song that could be in a contemporary American opera, and in fact, this is a show oftentimes done by opera companies because the music is that complex and fascinating.

I absolutely love how Sondheim introduces Johanna and her soon-‐to-‐be lover Anthony with the first really beautiful music in the show. Anthony gets the best tune, and I wait to hear it every night. Chris Davis is playing Anthony, and even weeks and weeks into rehearsals, I still get goosebumps when he starts in on ‘Johanna’.”


What has it been like playing the part of Johanna?

“Johanna is one of those characters that is talked about the entire show, but doesn’t spend all that much time on stage! It’s perfect, because I sing this great solo near the top of the show and then a terribly fun duet, and then I pop on and off stage the rest of the show, in between naps and snacks.”

What do you love about the Raue Center for the Arts?

“The theatre itself is, of course, gorgeous. But really, the people end up being what makes or breaks a company, like in most cases. With William Street Rep and the Raue, everyone is so very excited to be creating theatre together that the focus is truly on the performance and the team.

It’s a happy group of people, from the founding artistic director Richard Kuranda on down, and though the company very much has its roots in the community, it welcomes outsiders like myself with open arms. WSR is programming a nice mix of traditional shows and works that push their audience ever so slightly out of its comfort zone. In essence, they’re doing what every company hopes to do, and with a positive attitude.”

Sweeney Todd Opens Tonight at the Raue Center for the Arts in Crystal Lake

Bringing to life the iconic pairing of Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett are Rob Scharlow and Amanda Flahive.

Additional cast members inlclude Matthias Austin (The Beadle), Christopher Davis (Anthony), Ryan Dooley (Pirelli), Amy Ferraro (Lucy/Beggar Woman), Frank Gaughan (Judge Turpin) and Dominic Rescigno (Tobias).

For a closer look at the cast, check out this fun video called The Sweeney Bunch with appearances by all of the actors…

Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street runs from October 25th through November 2nd at Raue Center for the Arts in Crystal Lake. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased at the theater box office, by phone at 815-‐356-‐9212 or online at RaueCenter.org.

You’ll find the theater at 26 N. Williams Street in Crystal Lake, IL.

Raue Center for the Arts

Raue Center is a 501(c)3 non-‐profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of all through the arts in a painstakingly restored, 1920ʹ′s regional showcase theatre named after its benefactor, Lucile Raue. For 11 years, they have provided quality programming – striving to make it pertinent, available and affordable to all. Named on the League of Historic American Theaters, Raue Center has attracted the finest stars, Broadway shows, musicians and artists.

Raue Center for the Performing Arts in Crystal Lake – RaueCenter.org

After the final curtain falls on Sweeney Todd, upcoming Williams Street Repertory productions at the Raue Center include It’s a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play (November/December 2013), She Loves Me (February 2014) and Barefoot in the Park (May 2014). The company will also continue its monthly reading series, Get Lit(erary), as well as their newly staged playwright series, Contemporary Voices. For more information on the Raue’s in-‐house theater company, visit WSREP.org.

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