By Lisa Steiner
Sweeney Todd, Community Players in Beatrice, Friday October 24, 2025
When you enter the auditorium at Community Players in Beatrice, you are instantly drawn into 19th Century London’s Fleet Street, home to Sweeney Todd’s Tonsorial Parlour and Mrs. Lovett’s Pie Shop, the setting for the tale of Sweeney Todd. As the lights go down, eerie (spooky even) organ music starts to play and we are warned that this will be a dark evening of story-telling. Certainly, a story about a razor-wielding man who will stop at nothing for vengeance does not call for much in the way of happiness and light.
Sweeney Todd follows Sweeney (Patrick Marlatt) just coming back to London as he wrestles with his past and struggles with moving on. He arrives with young Anthony (Lucas Holcombe), full of hope for his future. Sweeney meets Mrs. Nellie Lovett (Melissa Kester), owner of a small meat pie shop where it’s rumored she is using stray cats to help make ends meet. Mrs. Lovett promises to help Sweeney get a barber shop up and running to help him make his own way, all the while hoping to keep his mind off the past, including his estranged daughter, Johanna (Megan Marcella Hoffman). Johanna, Sweeney finds out, is living as a ward with Judge Turpin (Mike Fox), who becomes an immediate target. Anthony and Johanna meet by chance (with Anthony not knowing Johanna’s significance), and quickly fall for one another. Meanwhile, Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett come across a rival barber/salesman, Adolfo Pirelli (John Francis), and his helper boy, Toby (Carter Craven). Revolving around all of these are various townspeople, including a beggar woman (Missy Marlatt) and Judge Turpin’s assistant, Beadle Bamford (Marshall Tuttle).
The company had a big job with such an ambitious musical and pulled off an entertaining evening of theater. While there were a few flubs here and there with the actors and orchestra staying together, all involved were dedicated to making their efforts look easy; rehearsal time was well-spent. Stand out performances were Patrick Marlatt with a strong finish in “Epiphany,” Hoffman’s lovely “Green Finch and Linnet Bird,” the precise Kester with “By The Sea” (including her bird calls), and Tuttle’s lilting tenor in “Ladies and Their Sensitivities.” Also a fan favorite was the comedic “A Little Priest” by Patrick Marlatt and Kester. The ensemble was small yet mighty in their contributions.
Along with our cast of characters is a character within its own right, the orchestra, led by Geoffrey Driggers. Claimed to be the biggest pit orchestra Community Players has ever had, they take corner stage behind the set to accompany the cast with a robust and luscious sound. Unfortunately, as lovely as they are, they do often overpower those on stage even though everyone is miked. Hopefully this balance is adjusted for the remaining performances, because the plot of the very wordy and rhythmic lyrics by Stephen Sondheim are already tricky to the audience’s ear.
The set was I’m sure daunting for a smaller stage, but worked well for the most part. Costumes were well-done and added nicely to the production. Lighting was creative, with lights coming from the floor as well as the ceiling; shadows were cast from several angles, managing classic horror-movie looks.
Overall, I enjoyed this production and found it a perfect way to get into the spooky season. I’ve seen Sweeney Todd four or five times now at various levels of theater (regional, Broadway, community), and this production did not disappoint. Make sure to find your way to Beatrice this Halloween for a night of horror and delight.
If You Go: Sweeney Todd continues at Community Players October 25-26, and October 31-November 2, with Friday and Saturday performances at 7:30pm, and Sunday performances at 2pm. Tickets can be purchased online at beatricecommunityplayers.com or by calling the box office at 402-228-1801.
Lisa Steiner is a long-time lover of theater and the arts who enjoys performing on stage, in the pit, and filling the role of patron. She has a Bachelor of Music degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University, where she was also a staff writer, layout designer, and production editor for The Reveille newspaper. During the day, Lisa works for the Department of Health and Human Services. In her free time, Lisa enjoys trying to keep up with her two cats, Lucy and Francine.
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