By Mindy Pedlar
It was such fun watching a rehearsal for Cabrillo Stage’s upcoming production of Sweeney Todd last weekend. As Director Andrea L. Hart and Choreographer Melissa C. Wiley staged one of the comedic numbers, the talented cast was animated, convincing and perfectly in tempo — hungrily awaiting Mrs. Lovett’s pies!
I spoke with cast member David Murphy, who said he loves working with Cabrillo Stage. This year he’s playing the unscrupulous Judge Turpin, a character he describes as absolutely deplorable. In creating this villainous character, David’s been wrestling with the idea of portraying Turpin as a completely normal human being.
“Is it more terrifying when the villain doesn’t look or act like a villain every time he does something? When, from his perspective, everything he’s doing is completely normal? When the guy lusting after his adopted daughter is, in some moments, just a little funny or slightly charismatic?” he asked. “I feel like the darker moments of Turpin’s story are made that much more striking when you’re lured ever-so-gently into complacency.”
Murphy lives over the hill, but said it’s worth the traffic on Highway 17 just to be a part of (or watch!) this production. I couldn’t agree more.
Wiley, pictured with the cast, began her choreographic process with “gestural movement as a way to enhance, emphasize and punctuate the music and storytelling.” She started by having the performers show her what comes naturally to them and then uses that as inspiration, working it into the structure she’s created.
“Movement always propels a story forward and can anchor one deeper into the experience,” Wiley said. “It can engage an audience’s kinetic empathy so that they are transformed by what they see, by feeling through the performers. Dance also enhances the poetics of what’s being told – folks will leave the theater being moved in some way by the powerful performances they witnessed.”
Get your tickets and see if you appreciate the choices our creative team and actors have made.
“Audiences can expect to see the glorious spectacle of Sweeney Todd told on a grand scale: full orchestrations, sprawling sets, and voices that fill the large Crocker Theater. I couldn’t be more excited to tell this story, in this space, with the talent and creativity that spans every aspect of this production,” Murphy said.
Please note: This musical includes adult themes that may not be suitable for all audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.
•••
Sweeney Todd opens July 17 and runs through August 10: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. All performances are at the Crocker Theatre on the Cabrillo College campus, 6500 Soquel Drive in Aptos.
Tickets range from $25 – $60 and can be purchased online at www.cabrillostage.com/tickets, and at the Box Office: by phone at 831-479-6154; via walk-up sales Thursday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m., and one hour prior to each show.
There will be a special post-show discussion and Q&A with the creative team immediately following the Sunday matinee on July 27.
TOP PHOTO: The cast of Sweeney Todd, led by choreographer Melissa C. Wiley. • Photo Credit: Bari Lee