Nashua's Actorsingers Presents 'Sweeney Todd' Next Weekend

NASHUA, NH — Actorsingers, the Nashua-based community theater group, will bring the work of the late composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim to the stage next week with its production of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."

The production is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Nov. 4 and 5 and 2 p.m. on Nov. 6 at the Keefe Center for the Arts, located at 117 Elm St. in Nashua. Tickets range in price from $18 to $20 and are available online or by calling (603) 204-1289.

Sweeney Todd, which won the Tony for Best Musical in 1979, is the macabre and humorous Victorian tale of a blood-thirsty, revenge-seeking London barber and his partnership with a crazed proprietress of a failing pie shop.

The Actorsingers production is directed by Angèlica Rosenthal, who is involved in her third Main Stage production for the organization. Rosenthal has picked up New Hampshire Theatre Award nominations as a director, technical director, musical director, choreographer and actor, according to the theater group.

Joe Paoni, who stars as Sweeney Todd, described his approach to playing the iconic character.

"Sweeney Todd is obviously a role that has been brought to life by many many talented actors since its creation," Paoni said. "I wouldn't say that I'm focused on making it different than those incarnations, but rather trying to make sure the humanity of Sweeney shines through where it can."

Paoni continued: "I think there are some similarities that I can see between myself and Sweeney, even just in his loyalty to family. Overall, this show is a cautionary tale in the sense that there could be a little bit of Sweeney in all of us if we were put into a similar situation."