‘Sweeney Todd’ coming to Penn Yan

PENN YAN—The Pennsylvania Yankee Theatre Co., Penn Yan’s community theatre, is blazing a new path this summer with their production of Sweeney Todd July 25 -27.
The rare instance of a musical thriller, Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s chilling, suspenseful masterpiece of murderous barber-ism and culinary crime tells the infamous tale of the unjustly exiled barber who returns to 19th century London seeking revenge against the judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife. His thirst for blood soon expands to include his unfortunate customers, and the resourceful proprietress of the pie shop downstairs soon has the people of London lining up in droves with her mysterious new meat pie recipe.
Sophisticated, macabre, visceral and uncompromising, Sweeney Todd nevertheless has a great sense of fun, mixing drama with funny moments of dark humor: audiences find themselves laughing one moment and gasping in surprise the next.
The cast is filled with exceptional theatre, voice, and music students who bring years of training and experience to Sweeney Todd. Kimberly Camacho, Dickie Axtell and Jason Riley are familiar names to PYTCo. audiences, having all been stars of last year’s production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance. Kyle Knapton most recently starred in Geneva Theatre Guild’s productions of Rent and Avenue Q. Alex Bodine starred in Carnival several years ago for PYTCo., and both he and Amy Stuart starred in Penn Yan Academy’s Beauty and the Beast.
The Pennsylvania Yankee Theatre Co. is raising funds to renovate and reopen the Sampson Theatre, their 1910 Vaudeville/Opera house that was recently named one of the “Five to Revive” by the Landmark Society: “A highly visible anchor in Penn Yan’s village commercial district, the Sampson Theatre is one of the most important historic theaters in the Finger Lakes region. Its exceptional historic and architectural significance, combined with the on-going rehabilitation by the current owner, make it an important candidate for revitalization as a community performing arts center.”
Tax-deductable donations may be made to  “Sampson Theatre” or The PENNsylvania-YANkee Theatre Co. (PYTCo.), P.O. Box 106, Penn Yan, NY 14527.