Cast of 23 takes audiences on musical journey of love, loss and vengeance
Guillermo Morales as “Sweeney Todd” and Vivienne Castillo as “Mrs. Lovett” in South Valley Civic Theatre’s production of “Sweeney Todd.” The Stephen Sondheim spell-binding musical opens April 28. Photo by Chris Foster
By Marty Cheek
Watch out for a notorious barber and his partner in crime seeking bloody vengeance against their enemies in Victorian-era London.
The dark and gripping tale of “Sweeney Todd” comes to life on stage as South Valley Civic Theatre unleashes their latest production April 28 for a four weekend run at the Morgan Hill Community Playhouse. An ensemble cast of 23 transports audiences on a thrilling journey of love, loss, and retribution in Stephen Sondheim’s spell-binding musical.
The show’s director, Megan Griffin, expressed her excitement about the chance to bring to South Valley audiences the macabre story, which she sees as a dark comedy with horror elements.
“I love the show and I really wanted to work on it,” she said. “I feel like it has really meaty content, and I don’t think most shows have as much in that way.”
Sondheim wrote the show in an operatic style that is accented by the gusto and emotions of the music and lyrics. Seeing the show as a thriller, Griffin leans into that genre in her direction with the use of lighting effects on a gritty Victorian set that contribute to building an anxious feeling in the audience.
“It’s a revenge story and kind of a cautionary tale. I won’t give any spoilers about it,” Griffin said. “But I feel our audience is ready for it. It’s definitely an ‘out-there’ story line. The music is excellent. A lot of the story is very impactful.”
Vivian Castello as Mrs. Lovett. Photo by Chris Foster
Guillermo Morales plays the titular character of “Sweeney Todd,” the ill-famed demon barber of Fleet Street” who returns home to London after 15 years of exile, seeking vengeance against the corrupt judge who ruined his life. Vivienne Castillo portrays “Mrs. Lovett,” a resourceful proprietress of a failing pie shop, above which Todd opens his new barber shop.
Griffin and co-producers Michelle Griffin and Joy Reynolds were entranced by both actors during their auditions and callbacks. The three are especially impressed with the dynamic chemistry the actors bring to the stage.
This is the first show with SVCT for both Morales and Castillo, who bring in their stagecraft the human side as well as the monster side of the lead characters, Megan said.
“The story is very out there and the characters are very out there,” she said. “I feel they were both willing to go out there as well. It can be heavy material — and they’re doing an excellent job of it.”
The show promises to be an intense experience for the audience, with special effects and ghoulish lighting contributing to the tale told with plenty of dark humor, Megan said. The lyrics provide a depth of emotion not often seen in other musicals traditionally performed by community theater groups. However, the director is confident the audience is ready for the mature level of the show and is excited to see how they react.
“I feel like a lot of the music contributes to making it feel like a thriller — and the way the book is written, too,” she said. “I really view the show as a thriller.”
For Morales, the opportunity to play the lead role of “Sweeney” is a dream come true. He has been in theater for as long as he can remember but has never before had the opportunity to play such a villainous character. He wants to make sure the audience is engrossed in the cautionary revenge story and gets lost in the dark plot full of shocking deeds done to murder victims.
“It’s a story that makes people question how they feel about things. The way that it’s told is so opposite to how normal expectations are,” Morales said. “We only follow the character of ‘Sweeney’ so we only have that character to connect with. Even though he’s doing all these horrific things, ideally his performance is such that people cheer for him and go along with the fun of the story.”
With few productions of this dark musical in the Bay Area, Morales is excited to bring this unique show to South Valley audiences. He described “Sweeney Todd” as beyond the usual Broadway musical, with demanding vocals requiring an operatic sound. He has been working hard with the vocal director to perfect his sound and enunciation, as well as his London accent.
The musical also includes modern social commentary on capitalism, exploring those in authority abusing their power and those without power looking to gain some kind of identity and make some impact on the world in their own way, Morales said.
Guillermo as Sweeney Todd. Photo by Chris Foster
Vivienne Castillo, an award-winning opera singer, discovered her love for the show in high school after hearing a friend sing Sondheim’s lyrics about killing and eating people. She was immediately intrigued and wanted to learn more about the show. With a desire to one day perform the role of “Mrs. Lovett,” she began taking singing lessons with professional opera divas. She feels she has been preparing for this role since she was a teenager.
“I love Mrs. Lovett,” she said. “Mrs. Lovett has been an iconic character for me since I was probably about 13 or 14 years old.”
Castillo described the Fleet Street baker as an “eccentric” woman who is motivated by her number one drive: money. She hopes that her portrayal of “Mrs. Lovett” will captivate audiences and allow them to see the woman’s diabolical depth.
“She’s a character who is the comic relief of the show,” she said. “She’s so unstable. She’s evil.”
Michelle Griffin described “Sweeney Todd” as a favorite among actors seeking a juicy musical role.
“It is one of the few musicals that dives deeply into character development, it dives deeply into acting, and it’s very challenging vocally,” she said. “It’s a whole advanced course in putting on musical theater. It’s a show a lot of actors have on their bucket list.”
Michelle stressed the production is not a standard community theater show. With its intricate plot and challenging vocals revealing sophisticated story-telling lyrics, it requires a team effort to bring the show to life.
“They call it Stephen Sondheim’s opera because it’s mostly done through singing. There are some acting words, but it’s mostly singing,” Michelle explained. “It’s difficult because you have to create a mood with the sets and lighting. It’s a whole challenging thing.”
For those who have never seen “Sweeney Todd,” she recommends coming to the show with an open mind.
“You’ll be introduced to a different kind of musical theater,” she said. “It’s a beautiful production, and I think people will be impressed with the level of talent we have here at South Valley Civic Theatre.”
