The University of Memphis Department of Theatre & Dance will open its season with Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The musical thriller will run Oct. 19-21 and 26-28 on the main stage, with each performance at 8 p.m.

Written by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler, Sweeney Todd is the tale of a murderous barber bent on revenge. It provides surprises and an examination of class structure and a corrupt justice system. The musical originally opened on Broadway in 1979.

The U of M production is a collaboration between the University's Department of Theatre & Dance and the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music. It will be played with a full orchestra. Robert Hetherington, chairman of Theatre & Dance, will direct. Musical direction is by Mark Ensley, Hohenberg-Scheidt opera coach. Opera graduate student Joshua Payne will portray the title character, and Susan Boyle, a senior theatre major, will play Mrs. Lovett.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students and senior citizens. U of M students will get one free ticket with a valid ID. The box office is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday from 1-4 p.m. To reserve tickets, or for more information, call 901-678-3184.

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