Sweeney Todd A Complicated Success

The tale of Sweeney Todd is one of horror, craze, love, tragedy and deception. Filled with intricate characters, it is not a play one would immediately pick for a high school drama department to take on. Although, Highland High school’s drama department not only accepted this daunting challenge, but conquered it. Every role in this play was developed thoughtfully. The acting and singing in the production was performed at the same level as a professional production. Obviously well-rehearsed, every line was said with moxie, all inhibitions were left behind when these performers took the stage.

Even more impressive was the amazing job students did with the roles they were given. Many of the main parts in Sweeney Todd portray psychotic people, insanity is not an average or easy role for a teenager to embody. Along with these challenging roles, came a formidable music script that required many of the performers to be singing throughout the majority of the production. Powerful voices and convincing acting made for an entertaining production for everyone in the audience.

“I thought the actors and actresses did a good job with what they had and made it a good time for everyone,” senior Thomas Pembroke said.

The atmospheric “buzz” these performers managed to create with their animation and enthusiasm while delivering lines, packed Highland’s auditorium full of eager spectators. From supportive friends, classmates, teachers and parents, the verdict was the same; Sweeney Todd was captivating.

To create this enchanting production, the drama department involved other Highland students including the band and even Dance Company, putting them a bit out of their comfort zone when they were asked to sing along with the cast.

”Dance Company singing, what a trip, we didn’t think they were serious when they asked us to sing; we all had a lot of fun with it though,” senior Dance Company officer Caroline Emmitt said. “It’s always an interesting and exciting experience to be in the play.”

From countless hours spent performing on stage, and even more spent backstage preparing, Highland’s drama department really blew everyone away with their production of Sweeney Todd. Even the cast agreed, as they took their last bows on closing night, that this was the best production they had ever been a part of at Highland.