Coronado Playhouse to Open Musical Thriller ‘Sweeney Todd’ During Spooky Season

The Coronado Playhouse invites audiences to its upcoming production of the Tony Award-winning musical thriller “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” just in time for Halloween.

Set in 19th-century London, “Sweeney Todd” tells the spine-chilling story of a vengeful barber and his partner in crime, the morally ambiguous Mrs. Lovett. Yet in this production, Director Leah Osterman shifts the focus, reframing the story through a distinctly female lens.

“This conjuring tells a horror story through female eyes,” Osterman said. “These eyes see the restrictions and societal expectations that women and people of all genders face and chafe against.”

Osterman’s direction promises a visceral, thought-provoking experience that not only immerses the audience in past horrors but also prompts reflection on their relevance today, all set against Stephen Sondheim’s eerie score, according to the playhouse.

“Our production brings back the demons of the past into our present, into the shared space of the Coronado Playhouse, for our terror, delight and reflection,” Osterman said. “Do we recognize these ghosts who were once people? Are they spirits we want to welcome into our world or are they ones we’re finally ready to put to rest?”

“Sweeney Todd” won eight Tony Awards for its Broadway premiere in 1979. The show has been revived numerous times and inspired a popular film adaptation starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. The current Broadway revival of the musical is set to tour in 2025.

The musical opens Oct. 11. Shows take place at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Tickets to “Sweeney Todd” may be purchased here. For more information contact the box office at (619) 435-4856 or email boxoffice@coronadoplayhouse.com.