Slice and sing: Sweeney Todd the musical comes to Corvallis

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Contributed by Mark Hoffman

Gregory Brumfield (left) stands opposite to Jocelyn Adams Eisenlohr. Respectively, two play Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett in the show opening Friday.

Sweeney Todd — the dark, witty thriller musical — is all set to go on stage Friday at The Majestic Theater in downtown Corvallis. 

The opening day has a “Meat” & Greet with the Directors before the show, a reference to the meat pie shop in the musical. It will consist of wine and meat sponsored by The Corvallis Meat Pie Shop. 

The musical, which won the 1979 Tony Award for Best Musical, is described by a Majestic Theater press release as “The chill-inducing story of Benjamin Barker, an unjustly exiled man who returns to London as ‘Sweeney Todd’ to seek vengeance against the corrupt judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife.”

The show is directed by Ruth Mandsager, along with music director Jim Martinez. Mandsager, who holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts in theater from Western Oregon University, said that her performance in Sweeney Todd was in 2016, when she played the role of Mrs. Lovett, a character in the musical, at Albany Civic Theater. 

This was, by no means, the end of her relationship with the musical.

“One such discovery was that performing the role did not satisfy my obsession with the show. It simply poured fuel on the fire,” Mandsager said. “So, here I am finally directing this amazing show and taking a deep dive into all the characters and nuances that Stephen Sondheim has provided.”

Sweeney Todd is playing from April 28 through May 21. 

  • Matinee Performances (2:30 p.m.): April 30, May 7, 14 and 21
  • Evening Performances (7:30 p.m.): April 28 and 29, May 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20

Tickets cost $17 for seniors/students and $19 for adults. The show is rated PG-13 for violence and adult themes.

Book your tickets here.

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