Josh Groban has landed one of his dream roles in the Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's scored musical, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, his first Broadway debut since 2016.
The titular demon barber will be played by none other than the "You Raise Me Up" singer, who has long adored the score of the show. He even had a dog named Sweeney up until 2020.
"I was not ever a song-and-dance man, so for me to have roles that were cerebral and were gritty and interesting—and baritone—these were roles I felt I could really sink my teeth into," Groban told The New York Times in an interview. "We all have these roles that we think to ourselves, 'If this were ever to happen, I would give it everything that I've got,' and this is certainly one of those roles for me."
Groban will be accompanied on stage by Tony-winning actor Annaleigh Ashford, who will play Mrs. Lovett, as the pair go on a revenge-fueled rampage that is classically known for being both absurd and gruesome.
According to the Times, the revival of Sweeney Todd was quietly in the works for several years and encouraged by Sondheim himself, who passed away in November.
"This show is full of such great scary fun. It is Grand Guignol, it is penny dreadful," said Groban.
"There is obviously a plot here that is absurd and monstrous," he added, "but then there is also an incredible backstory to this character that makes the role even more terrifying, because for all intents and purposes, this was a civilized, good man that was driven to this."
The show is expected to preview February 26, 2023, and open March 26 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in New York City.
Groban celebrated the announcement of the show on Instagram Tuesday, posting a teaser video and writing, "Attend The Tale. 02/26/23."
The production team for the revival show is also set to be top-tier. Sweeney Todd will be directed by Tony-winner Thomas Kail and produced by Jeffrey Seller, both of whom also directed and produced Hamilton.
This will be Groban's second starring role on Broadway, his first coming in 2016 in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, in which he was nominated for a Tony.
Sweeney Todd has not been on Broadway since 2005, when Michael Cerveris and Patti Lupone starred and the actors played their own instruments instead of a traditional orchestra, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In the revival, the show will use a full orchestra, something that has not been done in Sweeney Todd since 1979.
Newsweek has reached out to a Groban representative for additional comment.
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Emma Mayer is a Newsweek Culture Writer based in Wyoming. Her focus is reporting on celebrities, books, movies, and music. ... Read more
