William Street Repertory Presents 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'

William Street Repertory's production of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" opens this Friday, Oct. 25, at the Raue Center for the Arts in Crystal Lake.

As WSP's first full-stage production of the 2013-2014 season, Sweeney Todd will run on select dates and times through Nov. 2, according to a Raue Center news release.

This Friday's show starts at 8 pm. All performances take place at the historic Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St.,  in downtown Crystal Lake. 

The show is described as "sophisticated, macabre, visceral and uncompromising."

"'Sweeney Todd' nevertheless has a great sense of fun, mixing intense drama with howlingly funny moments of dark humor: audiences find themselves laughing hysterically one moment and gasping in surprise the next," according to the Raue Center press release. 

"Sweeney Todd" is Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s chilling, suspenseful, heart-pounding "masterpiece" of murderous barber-ism and culinary crime.

The plot tells the infamous tale of the unjustly exiled barber who returns to 19th Century London seeking revenge against the lecherous judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife. 

His thirst for blood soon expands to include his unfortunate customers, and the resourceful proprietress of the pie shop downstairs soon has the people of London lining up in droves with her mysterious new meat pie recipe.

Directing the show is Mark R Mahallak. 

A regular to the stage with Williams Street Rep, Mahallak most recently was seen as Harry in "Company" and Martin in a staged reading of J.T. Rogers’ "White People" (part of WSR’s Contemporary Voices series). Amongst his various and vast directing credits are Chicago, Little Shop of Horrors, and the Chicagoland premiere of Avenue Q. Mahallak also serves as choreographer for the production.

Bringing to life the iconic pairing of Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett are Rob Scharlow and Amanda Flahive.