SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET
music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim | book by Hugh Wheeler | from an adaptation by Christopher Bond
Directed by Brynn Tyszka
Musical Direction by Andy Pratt
Auditions: Monday, June 10th from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Callbacks: Tuesday, June 11th from 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.
THE AUDITION:
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY — please email info@blackfriars.org to schedule your appointment; scroll to the bottom for video submission information.
Initial auditions will take place in three 60-minute groups. Please arrive having read the play, and be familiar with the characters. There is a link to a PDF of the libretto at the bottom of this page.
THE NITTY-GRITTY:
We will be scheduling initial auditions in three 60-minute groups. You will be assigned to a group at the time of your appointment request—we will do our best to accommodate time constraints. For the audition, you will sing in the order in which you arrive and sign in.
Please prepare two 16-bar cuts of contrasting musical theatre songs that show range and strong character/acting choices. Come with sheet music in a binder and in the correct key. DO NOT PLAN TO SING A CAPELLA. There will not be a dance call for this audition.
Please bring a headshot/photo, resume, and your calendar to complete the rehearsal conflicts (YOU MUST FILL OUT A COMPLETE CONFLICT CALENDAR AT AUDITIONS).
THE PROCESS:
Rehearsals: begin as early as July 29, 2024; Blackfriars rehearses 4-6 times/week on nights and weekends (schedule pending cast and team conflicts)
Tech: Aug 31-Sept 5 (NO CONFLICTS)
Shows: Sept 6, 7 (two shows), 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20 21, 22
*Sundays (Sept 8, 15, & 22) are matinee performances with an additional matinee performance Saturday, Sept 7th at 2PM; hold date for possible added show is Saturday, Sept 21 at 2PM.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN: Casting 15-17 actors of varying ages/ethnicities/genders; must be comfortable with strongly suggestive content, gore and disturbing topics/language (all actors must be 18+)
SWEENEY TODD | male | any ethnicity | 40s-50s: an escaped prisoner wrongfully accused and jailed for fifteen years. Formerly a proud barber, a loving husband and a happy father, Sweeney is now consumed by loss and revenge. He has returned to London to right the wrongs committed against him, his wife, and his daughter. Sweeney is charming but hot-tempered, ferocious yet vulnerable. Strong baritone/bass who can whistle. London dialect required. Stipend: $400.00.
MRS. LOVETT: female/any ethnicity | 30s-50s: An entrepreneurial meat pie shop owner who will do whatever it takes to survive. She is in love with Todd and hopes that he’ll forget the past and build a new life with her. At first shocked by Sweeney’s bursts of violence, Lovett turns his desire for revenge into a profitable business venture. She is resourceful, ambitious, charismatic, and has great comedic timing. Mezzo with belt. Cockney accent required. Stipend: $400.00.
ANTHONY HOPE | male/any ethnicity | 20s: A youthful sailor who helps Sweeney return to London and unexpectedly falls in love with Johanna. He is idealistic, romantic and a little reckless. His passions sometimes dominate his reason and his enthusiasm sometimes makes him unintentionally comedic. Over the course of the show he awakens to the horrors around him and becomes disillusioned with London. Tenor. Standard British dialect (RP) required. Stipend: $300.00.
JOHANNA | female/any ethnicity | 20s: Todd's long-lost daughter and Judge Turpin's young ward. She has a rebellious, subversive and romantic streak and longs to escape her confinement. Johanna is aware that Judge Turpin isn’t her real father and suspects that he might be a predator. Like her father, she has experienced trauma and possesses a buried capacity for violence. Soprano. Standard British accent (RP) required. Stipend: $300.00.
TOBIAS RAGG | male/any ethnicity | 18+ to play youth: A poor youngster apprenticed first to Pirelli and then to Mrs Lovett. He is industrious and eager to please, with a good sense of humor. Uneducated, but innately clever and observant, Tobias responds quickly to the kindness of Lovett but grows increasingly suspicious of Sweeney. After a betrayal, Toby experiences the violence and terror of this world and snaps. Tenor. Cockney accent required. Stipend: $300.00.
JUDGE TURPIN | male/any ethnicity | 50s-60s: A lecherous public official who portrays himself as a sanctimonious authoritarian. He takes advantage of his position to imprison Todd, assault Lucy, and take Johanna in as his ward. He is aware that what he’s done is wrong, yet chooses to ignore or push against his conscience. He lusts after Johanna, even as he claims to keep her innocent. Bass/baritone. Standard British accent (RP) required. Stipend: $300.00.
BEADLE BAMFORD | male/any ethnicity | 30s-50s: A pompous public official who is responsible for the health and safety of London. He possesses a dry, deadpan sense of humor and enjoys wielding his power. He is deeply loyal to Turpin. The Beadle loves singing children’s nursery rhymes, which remind him of his youth. Tenor with a strong falsetto. Standard British accent (RP) required. Stipend: $300.00
ADOLFO PIRELLI | male or non-binary/any ethnicity | 20s-40s: An Irish former employee of Sweeney’s who has since developed a public persona as a flamboyant and flashy world-famous Italian barber. A charlatan who sells fake medicine and challenges other barbers to shaving contests. Pirelli is charming, calculating, and over-the-top comedic. Possess some anti-English sentiments and does not take lightly to being publicly embarrassed by Sweeney. High tenor. Italian and Irish accents required. Stipend: $300.00.
BEGGAR WOMAN/LUCY | female/any ethnicity | 30s-50s: An eerie, poor soul living on the streets of London. She supports herself by begging and prostituting herself to sailors. The Beggar Woman is Sweeney’s wife, Lucy, who lost her mind after being assaulted by Turpin and taking poison. She has occasional flashes of lucidity and distrusts Mrs. Lovett. She is the only one who sees what’s happening but no one will listen to her. Mezzo. Speaks with a Cockney or Estuary accent. Stipend $300.00.
JONAS FOGG | male or non-binary/any ethnicity | 40s-50s: The owner of Fogg's Asylum. Fogg sells the hair of inmates to wigmakers. Considers the inmates “children” and takes pleasure in showing them off to visitors. Chooses to ignore the human rights of his patients in the name of scientific progress. Any voice part. Standard British dialect (RP) required. Stipend: $300.00.
ENSEMBLE | 5-7 male, female, non-binary/all ethnicities | all ages 18+: The ensemble acts as a Greek Chorus, commenting on the action and participating in the tale. They are the show’s chief storytellers, taking on the roles of customers, townspeople, police, inmates at the insane asylum, Sweeney’s thoughts, and Sweeney’s victims. They stand in for us and there is a feeling of them always being nearby, watching. The ensemble gets ample opportunities for vocal challenges and is showcased with solos and harmonies throughout the show. Sopranos, altos, tenors, baritones, and basses. Stipend: $300.00.
There can be no conflicts during tech week or performances. If you are involved in another show that overlaps with any part of this process, please email us the conflicts at info@blackfriars.org prior to signing up for auditions. Questions? Please email us at info@blackfriars.org. Initial auditions & callbacks will take place at Blackfriars Theatre, 795 E Main St, Rochester 14605.
Blackfriars practices color-conscious and body-positive casting. There can be no conflicts during tech week or performances. If you are involved in another show that overlaps with any part of this process, please email us the conflicts at info@blackfriars.org prior to submitting for auditions. Auditions will take place at Blackfriars Theatre, 795 E Main St, Rochester 14605.
VIDEO AUDITIONS
If you cannot make auditions and wish to submit a video audition, please submit to info@blackfriars.org no later than Friday, June 7th at 5:00 p.m. (late submissions will not be considered). Please provide video of yourself singing TWO 16-bar selections from the musical theatre genre that show range, personality and strong acting choices. If you're not available for callbacks, we may request additional scenes/songs to record and send in by 8:00 p.m. on June 11th.
QUESTIONS? Visit our AUDITION FAQs page! If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for please email info@blackfriars.org.