NewsPHOTO EXCLUSIVE: Behind the Scenes at Drury Lane's Sweeney Todd, Starring Gregg EdelmanEmily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff, two stars of Drury Lane Theatre's technically-stunning production of Sweeney Todd, offer an exclusive backstage look at the show.
By
Matthew Blank
September 28, 2011
Rohm and Wolff play Johanna and Beadle Bamford, respectively.
The pair invite Playbill.com readers to meet the company, tour the venue and view the "chair trick" in action.
Here is a first look backstage at Drury Lane Theatre's Sweeney Todd:
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PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: Behind the Scenes at Drury Lane's Sweeney Todd, Starring Gregg Edelman
PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: Behind the Scenes at Drury Lane's Sweeney Todd, Starring Gregg Edelman
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff, two stars of Drury Lane Theatre's technically-stunning production of Sweeney Todd, offer an exclusive backstage look at the show. Playbill.com readers are invited to meet the company, tour the venue and view the "chair" trick in action. Read the Playbill.com story.
34 PHOTOS
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff here at the Drury Lane Theatre. Here we are pre-show!
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
Jonah Rawitz (Tobias) disobeying the obvious sign on the door.
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
Matthew Jones arriving for his two-show day!
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
Emily has three times the fun as a blonde.
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
Gregg Edelman gets his game face, er, wig on.
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
Heidi Kettenring (Beggar Woman) pretties up, while Liz McCartney perfects her "crazy."
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
Kristen Ligeski and Missy Swanson keep us all lovely and ugly, and clean and dirty!
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
Kristen Ligeski, Jeff Rasmussen, Missy Swanson, Jonah Rawitz, John Babbo and Earl Baum focusing on a game of Text Twist.
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
Corey Goodrich entertains us all with her songwriting skills backstage.
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
Dan Solan (Sound Crew) and Beth Spencer (SM).
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
Even before the show, Ann McMann just can't get enough of them meat pies!
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
And now Emily is magically a blonde and George a brunette!
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
Travis Taylor, Liz McCartney and Ann McMann in their pre-show huddle.
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
Kristen French, Natalie Ford and Jennifer Grubb in the ladies dressing room... and Travis.
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
George Andrew Wolff... and don't ask him if he's pregnant... it's a fatsuit.
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
George with our star, Gregg Edelman.
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
A little Pirelli downtime... like 90 minutes worth!
Emily and Travis escape the fog of London for a fleeting moment.
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
The famous chair trap door from below.
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
Incoming!
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
Kevin Barthel after the fall... eighteen feet!
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
Funny, they don't look like they've been eating other humans...
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
The happy couple, David Girolmo and Heidi Kettenring.
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
Jennifer Grubb shares a treat from theatre patrons.
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
Jeff Dublinske rocks it out on the sound board.
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
John Babbo... ever ahead of his time.
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
Liz McCartney in her Act II duds and 'do.
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
The Stage Left prop table.
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
Sad Johanna!
Emily Rohm and George Andrew Wolff
Stage Left view of Emily Rohm and Patrick Gagnon singing to the birds. Well folks, that's all you get for free! If you're in the Chicago area, come see us at the Drury Lane Theatre through Oct. 9!
Four-time Tony Award nominee Gregg Edelman, who appeared in the original cast of Sondheim's Passion, the revival of Into the Woods, as well as City of Angels, Anna Karenina and 1776 on Broadway, stars in the title role of the murderous barber hell-bent on revenge, opposite Liz McCartney (Phantom of the Opera, Taboo, Thoroughly Modern Millie) as his accomplice, Mrs. Lovett. Jeff Award winner Rachel Rockwell directs and choreographs the production that began previews Aug. 11 for a run through Oct. 9. Sweeney Todd has a score by Sondheim and a book by Wheeler.
The cast also includes Kevin Gudahl as Judge Turpin, George Keating as Pirelli, Jonah Rawitz as Tobias Ragg, Emily Rohm as Johanna, Travis Taylor as Anthony, George Andrew Wolff as Beadle Bamford and Heidi Kettenring as the Beggar Woman.
The ensemble features Larry Adams, John Francis Babbo, Kevin Barthel, Sean Effinger Dean, John Finley, Natalie Ford, Kristen French, Patrick Gagnon, David Girolmo, Cory Goodrich, Jennifer Grubb, Matthew Jones, Rachel Klippel, Catherine Lord, Ann McMann, Alex Newkirk and James Rank.
Sweeney Todd has set design by Kevin Depinet, lighting design by Jesse Klug, costume design by Theresa Ham, sound design by Garth Helm and wig design by Rick Jarvie.
The original production of Sweeney Todd won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, when it premiered on Broadway in 1979 starring Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury. The 2005 Broadway revival, directed by John Doyle, featured a reduced cast, all of whom played instruments as well as their respective roles.