The Carnegie Goes for the Jugular with SWEENEY TODD

ARMED WITH RAPIDLY GROWING AUDIENCES AND A KILLER CAST,
THE CARNEGIE GOES FOR THE JUGULAR WITH

COVINGTON, KY- On the heels of a season that saw 70% increase in attendance and a second consecutive win for “Best Musical of Year” from the League of Cincinnati Theatres, The Carnegie has joined forces again with one of its favorite collaborators for one of Broadway’s favorite musicals.

The Carnegie proudly launches its 2014-15 Theatre Series with the Tony Award winner SWEENEY TODD, playing weekends August 8 – 23, 2014 at The Carnegie in Covington, KY. Co-produced with Northern Kentucky University’s Commonwealth Theatre Company, SWEENEY TODD features local professional actors alongside the area’s most gifted collegiate talent from NKU, CCM and Wright State University, led by national tour veteran and NKU alumnus Justin Glaser. Directed by NKU Theatre Chair Ken Jones. Tickets are $21 – $28 and are available online at http://www.thecarnegie.com or by calling The Carnegie Box Office at (859) 957-1940 (open Tu – Fr, noon – 5pm).

Show Synopsis
On an errand of vengeance, a wrongfully imprisoned barber returns to 19th century London seeking blood from the men who destroyed his family. Aided by the bizarre bakeress, Mrs. Lovett, Sweeney Todd begins barbering anew, Londoners begin to disappear, and Mrs. Lovett’s meat pies are suddenly tastier than ever. But will Sweeney take his delicious revenge before his plot is discovered?

Talent That People Are Dying To See
In the title role of SWEENEY TODD is NKU alum and veteran professional actor Justin Glaser, whose impressive resume includes national tours of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (The Beast), JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR and ANNIE. He joins a pair of local pros whose day jobs are running the prestigious drama program at Walnut Hills High School in Michael Sherman (Judge Turpin) and Helen Anneliesa Raymond-Goers (Mrs. Lovett).

In a rare on-stage appearance, celebrated local director Ed Cohen makes his Theatre Series debut as Fogg, the asylum keeper. Though an experienced performer in his own right, Cohen is better known of late for helming productions across Greater Cincinnati, including PARADE and CHICAGO at The Carnegie, both “Best Musical of the Year” winners from the League of Cincinnati Theatres.

Providing the backbone of the cast is a lineup of eleven exceptional rising collegiate performers from NKU, as well as CCM and Wright State University. Mathys Herbert (Tobias Ragg) and Katilyn Sage (Johanna) each make their Carnegie Theatre Series debuts after graduating this past spring from Wright State, along with Ben Biggers (Anthony Hope) who continues in the prestigious musical theatre program at CCM this fall.

A complete cast list follows this release.

Who’s Running The Asylum?
NKU Theatre Chair Ken Jones directors the co-production of SWEENEY TODD, marking his third production (PIPPIN in 2011, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR in 2008) at The Carnegie. One of the region’s most respected directors, Jones is also a prolific writer for the stage and screen, with over 500 productions of his 27 plays and a previous tenure as head writer of Lightpoint Entertainment at Disney/MGM Studios.

“God that’s good!” – 35 Years of SWEENEY TODD
Making its Broadway debut in 1979, SWEENEY TODD featured Broadway legends Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury as Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett, each of whom were honored as part of an eight Tony Award haul that included “Best Musical” of the season. The show would receive two Broadway revivals, the most recent an innovative staging by director John Doyle that featured the cast (starring international favorites Michael Cerveris and Patti LuPone) playing their own instruments.

2007 saw an adaptation of the SWEENEY TODD musical for the big screen, directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp (Sweeney), Helena Bonham Carter (Mrs. Lovett), Alan Rickman (Judge Turpin) and Sacha Baron Cohen (Pirelli).

SWEENEY TODD is often cited as the masterpiece in the career of iconic Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim, whose unmatched output includes A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, COMPANY, FOLLIES, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE and lyrics for WEST SIDE STORY and GYPSY. His musical INTO THE WOODS will be released in a Disney film this December, starring Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and Johnny Depp, among others.

Ticketing
Tickets to The Carnegie and Commonwealth Theatre Company production of SWEENEY TODD are $21 – $28 and may be purchased online at http://www.thecarnegie.com or by calling The Carnegie Box Office at (859) 957-1940 (open Tu – Fr, noon – 5pm).

SWEENEY TODD will include nine performances over three weekends:

• Friday, August 8, 7:30pm
• Saturday, August 9, 7:30pm
• Sunday, August 10, 3pm
• Friday, August 15, 7:30pm
• Saturday, August 16, 7:30pm
• Sunday, August 17, 3pm

Friday, August 22, 7:30pm
Saturday, August 23, 2pm and 7:30pm

Single Ticket Pricing

$28 Adults
$25 Carnegie and Enjoy The Arts Members
$23 Groups of 8 or More
$21 Students

About The Carnegie
THE CARNEGIE is a multidisciplinary arts venue serving the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati community. Over the course of the past ten years The Carnegie has “morphed” from a grassroots gallery with an education component into an all-inclusive arts organization offering professional theatre, art exhibitions showcasing the best of local and regional artists, and a comprehensive arts education program.

The Carnegie is home to The Carnegie Galleries, comprised of more than 6,000 square feet of gallery space where emerging and established artists exhibit in multiple shows throughout the year; the Eva G. Farris Education Center, which provides arts education to thousands of children, many of whom are at or below the poverty level; and the newly renovated 447-seat Otto M. Budig Theatre, which offers an affordable theatre space for local, up-and-coming and established production companies and is home to The Carnegie’s Theatre Series and Carnegie in Concert series. The Carnegie is the largest arts venue in Northern Kentucky.

The Carnegie receives ongoing operating support from ArtsWave, Kenton County Fiscal Courts, the Kentucky Arts Council, the Cincinnati Wine Festival, the Greater Cincinnati Foundation and the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Jr. / US Bank Foundation.

About Commonwealth Theatre Company
Commonwealth Theatre Company began as Northern Kentucky University’s Summer Dinner Theatre and has grown into NKU’s premier professional theatre featuring the most talented regional and national performers. Commonwealth’s main season is presented on the Northern Kentucky University campus and typically features light comedies, musicals, and music revues served up with a sumptuous dinner. But keep your eyes and ears open as you never know where you will see CTC. In the Past CTC has performed at The Carnegie, Sibiu Romania and at Stage 773 in Chicago.

SWEENEY TODD Cast and Production Team List

Cast

• Sweeney Todd – Justin Glaser
• Mrs. Lovett – Helen Anneliesa Raymond-Goers
• Anthony Hope – Ben Biggers (CCM)
• Johanna –  Kaitlyn Sage (Wright State)
• Tobias Ragg – Mathys Herbert (Wright State)
• Beadle Bamford – Sean Mette
• Judge Turpin – Mike Sherman
• Pirelli – Will Reed
• Beggar Woman – Mary Kate O’Neill (Otterbein University)
• Fogg – Ed Cohen

Ensemble

• Kathryn Miller (NKU)
• Kathryn Zajac
• Kim Toft
• Melissa Cathcart (NKU)
• Cassandra Mikat (Wright State)
• Danielle Muething
• Lisa DeRoberts
• Andy Burns (NKU)
• Taylor Greatbatch (NKU)
• Brandon Bentley
• Andy Donnelly
• Andrew Simpson (NKU)

Production Team

• Director -Ken Jones
• Music Director – Jamey Strawn
• Scenic Designer – Bruce Auerbach
• Lighting Designer – Wes Calkin
• Costume Designer – Dean Walz
• Sound Designer, Engineer – Kevin Semancik
• Stage Manager – Tyler Duncan Gabbard
• Production Manager – Bleu Pellman
• Producer – Joshua Steele