Josh Groban has announced that he will return to the title role in Broadway's Sweeney Todd August 24, upon testing negative for COVID-19. After calling out of the show August 18, Groban took time off to recover.
"I'm feeling a lot better, and so I am delighted to announce that I will be back on Fleet Street tomorrow, Thursday, for the 7 PM show and onward," Groban shared in an Instagram video. Standby Nicholas Christopher, who played the role of Todd in Groban's absence, is performing Wednesday August 23.
Jeanna de Waal, the standby for Mrs. Lovett, will continue performances through August 25 while Annaleigh Ashford also recovers from COVID-19.
The Sweeney Todd cast also includes Daniel Yearwood as Anthony, Gaten Matarazzo (Stranger Things) as Tobias, Tony Award winner and Laurence Olivier Award nominee Ruthie Ann Miles (The King and I) as Beggar Woman, Maria Bilbao (On Your Feet!) as Johanna, Jamie Jackson (The Last Ship) as Judge Turpin, and John Rapson (Les Misérables) as Beadle Bamford.
The ensemble includes Galyana Castillo, Jonathan Christopher, Taeler Cyrus, Timothy Hughes, Paul-Jordan Jansen, Alicia Kaori, Raymond J. Lee, Patricia Phillips, Samantha Pollino, Lexi Rabadi, Nathan Salstone, Kristie Dale Sanders, Stephen Tewksbury, Daniel Torres, Felix Torrez-Ponce, and DeLaney Westfall.
Rounding out the company are swings Dwayne Cooper, Kyrie Courter, Michael Kuhn, Megan Ort, Mia Pinero, and Hennessy Winkler.
Based on the Christopher Bond play of the same name, Sweeney Todd centers on its titular barber who seeks revenge on a corrupt judge and turns to murder, with neighbor and accomplice Mrs. Lovett ultimately discovering they can dispose of the evidence by serving up the most unsettling meat pies to the people of London.
The production features choreography by Steven Hoggett, scenic design by Mimi Lien, costume design by Emilio Sosa, lighting design by Natasha Katz, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, special effects design by Jeremy Chernick, and wig, hair, and make-up design by J. Jared Janas. Casting is by The Telsey Office, and Baseline Theatrical's Nick Lugo and James Hickey serve as general managers. Cody Renard Richard is production stage manager.
