Coal City’s Theatre Department presents ‘Sweeney Todd’ starting Friday

The Coal City Theatre Department at Coal City High School is opening its Spring musical “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” at 7 p.m. Friday, March 7, at 655 W. Division St., with additional shows at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 8, and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 9.

There also will be showings at 7 p.m. Friday, March 14, 7 p.m. Saturday, March 15, and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 16. Tickets are $10 per person.

Director Jack Micetich said in a Thursday news release that students selected Sweeney Todd for the spring show.

Senior Melody Kinder will play the role of Mrs. Lovett, a humorous, manipulative and opportunistic seller of meat pies who owns the shop below Sweeney Todd’s barber shop. Kinder said this role was one of her dreams to play.

“Playing Mrs. Lovett has been the most demanding yet freeing thing I have done in my entire life,” Kinder said. “I literally just get to play and be stupid on stage and I have no better word to describe this experience besides fun.”

The role of Sweeney Todd, the wrongly exiled barber returning to London for vengeance on the judge who betrayed him, will be played by junior Mason Hamilton.

The rest of the cast includes Eliana Chernesky, Alec Waliczek, Bella Byers, Aubrey Grunwald, Austin Harding, Leo McCants, Julian Micetich, Jordan Olson, Anthony Royster, Gianna Savarino, Sam Vota, Evelyn Wills, Cora Armstong, Bella Bartholomew, Ethan Donnelly, Wyatt Chase, Caroline Childers, Gavin Clubb, Kyah Hawkins, Isabella Palacios, Anastasia Papach, Kyle Odam, Jack Steinhouse, Gabby Vanduyne, Charlotte Banks, Gianna Carver, Lexi Dearth, Jolene Jones, Victorya Morales, and Brady Pierson.

The production crew includes Cade Poyner, Gavin Berger, Mason Garner, Cooper Morris, Talen Vandewerken, Gaven Vestal, Ben Watson, Hunter Gill, Abby Kodat, Bridget Feeney, Gabriel Hamilton, Jimmy Norris and Tyler Phillips.

“One thing about our program is that our students are very well rounded,” Micetich said. “Every member of our cast participates in something outside of theatre. Two of the cast members advanced to state in speech, three cast members were selected to the All-State Choir and between our cast and crew we have five students that were part of the state championship wrestling team.”

Micetich credits the students for honoring their commitments and knowing their time limits. Some students, he said, are out of their home by 6 a.m. and don’t return until 10 p.m. because of how busy they are with academics and extracurriculars.

To buy tickets, visit bit.ly/CCTheatreDept.