A conductor’s guide to Sweeney Todd in a community theater setting

Morganson, Cheryl

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/123038 Copy

Description

Title

A conductor’s guide to Sweeney Todd in a community theater setting

Author(s)

Morganson, Cheryl

Issue Date

2024

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Sweet, Bridget

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Gunn, Julie

Committee Member(s)

• Magee, Gayle
• Redman, Yvonne
• Tilley, Michael

Department of Study

School of Music

Discipline

Music

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

A.Mus.D. (doctoral)

Keyword(s)

• Sweeney Todd
• Stephen Sondheim
• Musicals
• Musical Theater
• Music Direction
• Music Conducting
• Community Theater

Language

eng

Abstract

Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street is an important part of the standard American musical theater canon. Created by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler in 1979, this “musical thriller” tells the story of a barber driven mad by vengeance, a baker who loves the barber, and the least-appetizing meat pies in all of London. Sweeney Todd is performed throughout the world in settings ranging from professional theaters to community settings. Despite being widely performed, the Sweeney Todd score is neither straightforward nor simple. The vocal demands on the cast are substantial, and the orchestra’s members must be skilled and well-practiced. While the dancing is not generally onerous, the acting skills required are far from trivial. The unevenness of musical experience present in the pool of community theater participants might present some issues with Sweeney Todd that would not show up in a less complicated show, and that will likely not be encountered should this production be produced professionally. I was the Music Director of Parkland College’s Sweeney Todd spring 2023 production. While this production is officially sponsored by Parkland, the cast, crew, and pit are drawn not exclusively from the college population, but instead, from the community at large. The following document details my discoveries throughout the production process, particularly in terms of problems I encountered and the solutions I created. It is presented with the hope of assisting future community theater conductors of this wonderful show.

Type of Resource

text

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2024 Cheryl Morganson

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