Sweeney Todd to close 3 Sep 2006

Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street will close early on 3 Sep 2006, the show had been booking to 31 Dec 2006. When the show closes it will have played 349 performances and 35 previews.

Sweeney Todd began previews on 3 Oct 2005 and opened on 3 Nov 2005, at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre.

The musical opened to mostly excellent notices. The New York Times wrote "Brace yourself. They're putting on one helluva show." NewsDay said "Is it intensely musical, constantly surprising and bloody buckets of fun? Absolutely." and New York Post printed "This is an extraordinary evening: unexpected, thrilling and, in the oddest way, authentic."

The musical is based on the 19th century legend of a London barber, who is driven to crime when a malevolent judge takes his wife and child from him. His plan for revenge includes a cut-throat partnership with Mrs. Lovett, an enterprising businesswomen, who is soon producing the tastiest meat pies in London.

Sweeney Todd features music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Hugh Wheeler from an adaptation by Christopher Bond. The production is directed and designed by John Doyle, with music supervision and orchestrations by Sarah Travis.

This production of Sweeney Todd won the Drama League, Drama Desk and OuterCritics Circle Awards for Best Revival of a Musical and was awarded a Special Citation by the New York Drama Critics Circle.

The ten member ensemble features Michael Cerveris (Sweeney Todd), Patti LuPone (Mrs. Lovett), John Arbo (Jonas Fogg), Donna Lynne Champlin (Pirelli), Diana DiMarzio (Beggar Woman), Manoel Felciano (Tobias Ragg), Alexander Gemignani (The Beadle), Mark Jacoby (Judge Turpin), Benjamin Magnuson (Anthony Hope), Lauren Molina (Johanna).

Lupone and Cerveris were both nominated in the 2006 Tony Awards, Lupone for Lead Actress and Cerveris for Lead Actor in a Musical.

The announcment of the show's closure comes just five weeks after the announcement that Patti LuPone and Michael Cerveris would remain with the musical through to the 26 Nov 2006.

Sweeney Todd arrived on Broadway from a London engagement originally staged by the Watermill Theatre. The Broadway production recouped its entire $3.5 million investment just 19 weeks after opening.