Only Murders in the Building and recent Olney Theatre Center The Music Man star James Caverly stars as both Tobias Ragg and Beadle Bamford in an all-ASL performance of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's Sweeney Todd at Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park July 31, part of the Summer for the City series.
Starring in the title role is Fred Beam, alongside Anne Tomasetti as Mrs. Lovett, Monique Holt as Adolfo Pirelli and the Beggar Woman, Hector Reynoso as Judge Turpin, Christopher Tester as Anthony, and Heba Toulan as Johanna. Garrett Zuercher directs with Kailyn Aaron-Lozano serving as director of Artistic Sign Language.
The performance is presented by Deaf Broadway, which offers musicals with all-Deaf and ASL-signing casts in front of a filmed performance of the musical with English subtitles. The company's past productions include Into the Woods, also at Lincoln Center last year; and streamed performances of Les Misérables, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Legally Blonde The Musical, Company, Into the Woods, and Sweeney Todd.
Considered one of the late Sondheim's masterpieces, Sweeney Todd premiered at Broadway's Uris (now Gershwin) Theatre February 6, 1979, with a cast led by Len Cariou (Sweeney) and Angela Lansbury (Mrs. Lovett), who both nabbed Tony Awards for their roles. Harold Prince directed the production, which was awarded the 1979 Tony for Best Musical. A 1989 revival at Circle in the Square Theatre featured Beauty and the Beast's Beth Fowler as Mrs. Lovett and former Evita star Bob Gunton as the man who returns to London to avenge the death of his wife.
The performance is free and open to the public, with advance registration available at LincolnCenter.org.
