The Musical Theatre Guild of Butler is sharpening the edges of its dark side as it pulls together the gory details of “Sweeney Todd.” One of the angriest and most violent musicals ever written, the play set in Victorian England weaves a haunting tale of revenge.

MTG will open the show April 8 for a three-day run at the Succop Theater at Butler County Community College.

Based on Christopher Bond's retelling of “The String of Pearls,” the Stephen Sondheim musical focuses on Sweeney Todd (Stefan Lingenfelter), a murderous barber, and his partner in crime, Nellie Lovett (Cyndi Plyler), a baker who disposes of the bodies by baking them into her pies.

As Sweeney Todd, Lingenfelter, a Butler Township resident, finds himself in a most prized role.

“As is true with many musical theater aficionados, this is my favorite musical of all time. Sweeney has been a dream role of mine for many, many years,” he said.

Once a respected London barber by the name of Benjamin Barker, Sweeney Todd was sent away and unjustly imprisoned for years by a corrupt judge who coveted his wife.

“He escapes prison and returns with a new name and a relentless drive for revenge, but this all consuming lust for vengeance eventually leads him into madness,” said Lingenfelter of his character.

Sweeney Todd is known as a difficult show to pull off, and that is what excited Lingenfelter about the prospect. “This particular show takes a great deal of work, time and dedication by all involved. I'm impressed and excited that the Butler Musical Theatre Guild had the guts to take it on,” he said.

Playing Todd's professional competitor, Adolfo Pirelli who purports to be “the King of the Barbers, the Barber of Kings,” is Tessa Flannery of Jefferson Township. She will be getting a haircut to help her in portraying a male, Italian barber, she said.

“I will have to alter my appearance in other ways as well,” Flannery noted.

Todd's partner in crime is being playing by Cyndi Plyler of Ellwood City.

“Mrs. Lovett secretly has carried a torch for Sweeney Todd for many years and his return to London is the opportunity to fulfill many of her dreams while helping him “serve up” revenge for past wrongs,” said Plyler, who has played the role before. She is hard at work mastering her London accent with the help of the Masterpiece Theatre series “Upstairs, Downstairs.”

Plyler has appeared with the Red Barn Players and was last seen in “1940s Radio Hour” in September.

Butler High School junior Laurel Wain of Center Township portrays the role of Johanna, a teenage girl who is mistreated by the judge, her guardian.

“Johanna never knew her parents and was taken in by the judge. She has known him all her life as her father, but when he falls in love with and wishes to marry her, she basically gets creeped out,” said Laurel, who saw the movie version of “Sweeney Todd” and knew she wanted this role.

For her, hitting the high notes is where her polishing strides are being made.

Johanna's savior Anthony Hope is being played by Slippery Rock University student Matthew Buzanoski of Butler.

“Anthony is a love-struck sailor and oblivious to the evil deeds being committed by his friend Sweeney,” Buzanoski said. “Anthony is one of the few characters who is gentle and innocent.”

“I am trying to find a balance between highlighting the gentle charm of Anthony, while maintaining the dark atmosphere of the show,” he added.

The nefarious character of the judge is being portrayed by Larry Smith of Pittsburgh. This is his second time in the role.

“The judge is the reason Sweeney Todd becomes the man he is,” Smith said.

“By unjustly shipping Sweeney off to prison and destroying the lives of his family, he inadvertently turns Sweeney into a man hell-bent on revenge,” he said.

His partner in justice is played by John Cooper filling the role of Beadle Bamford, the lawman and health inspector.

Jeff Carey of Butler plays the role of “young” Tobias. “He is the simple-minded guy that gets taken advantage of because he believes those exploiting him have his best interests in mind,” Carey said.

After seeing the production twice locally and being a fan, Carey was excited to audition. “You can fool people into thinking you can sing if you sell the acting and if you're loud enough,” he joked.

For this show, Carey's wife Alison is serving as the musical director for the first time with MTG.

Please note: This production contains adult content not suitable for children.

<b>WHO: </b>Musical Theatre Guild<b>WHAT: </b>“Sweeney Todd”<b>WHEN:</b> 8 p.m. April 8 and 9 and 3 p.m. April 10<b>WHERE: Succop Theater at Butler County Community College<b>TICKETS: </b>$17 for adults and $15 for students and available at May's Music Shoppe, 247 E. Jefferson St., between 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.<b>INFO:</b> 724-287-8243