ShawneeDispatch.com

Shawnee Mission Northwest High School theater director Keli Rodgers insists she didn't choose to produce "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" this year because of the Academy Award-winning movie starring Johnny Depp.

"I was a little disappointed because I found out I had to compete with the movie," she said. "We did it because we had just the right voices for it."

Northwest students will perform "Sweeney Todd" at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the high school's auditorium.

The musical tells the story of Sweeney Todd, played by Andrew Luzania, a 19th-century killer barber who uses a razor to slice his victims' throats. Mrs. Lovett, played by Alyson Golladay, acts as his partner in crime by butchering the victims' corpses and selling them in meat pies.

Rodgers said a lot came together for the school to be able to do the play.

First, she was able to get an orchestra tape to use during the show. The school orchestra usually is too busy with competitions to be able to help with the spring musical, she said. She also was able to get the rights to produce the show, even though earlier this year a professional group performed "Sweeney Todd" in Kansas City.

"This really had to be the stars all coming together," she said.

Those who have seen the movie rendition of the musical should expect to see something different, Rodgers said.

"The chorus really enhances what happens, and the movie didn't have a chorus," she said.

Show time

"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Northwest auditorium.

Tickets cost $7.