Regina Lyric Musical Theatre celebrates 49th season with ‘darker’, classic show

With the Regina Lyric Musical Theatre approaching its 50th year, the co-producer of the theatre’s latest production wanted to bring something different to centre stage.

Instead of a more family-friendly production, Megan Horne said the theatre’s newest production will be Sweeney Todd: The Demons Barber of Fleet Street, closing out it’s 49th season.

Horne, who is also president of the theatre, said they wanted to end this season with a darker production than in years past while also selecting something classic.

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Founded in November 1977, the theatre was originally known as the Regina Lyric Light Opera Society.

“The last couple of years for our main stage show, we’ve done family-friendly, funny shows, and we felt like it was time for something a little more serious,” Horne explained.

“Sweeney definitely takes us a little darker, but we felt like it hadn’t been done in this community for a long time, so we were ready to bring it back.”

She added this isn’t the first time they have produced a show more suited to adult audiences.

“We used to do a lot of Gilbert and Sullivan and light operas,” Horne said, “and those were probably for a little more mature audience. It’s only in the last couple of years that we’ve done a Disney show and last year we did Sister Act, which is based on the movie from the 90s.

“It’s not unusual for us to do a more adult show (because) we’re an adult theatre group.”

Sweeney Todd is returning with Regina Lyric Musical Theatre for the first time since 2003, and is being performed at Darke Hall from June 3-6.

Horne said the show’s producer, Rob Ursan, wanted to change things up in terms of how shows are normally done, with a “really solid creative vision for the show.”

“We’re not miking anybody, everyone’s voice is as natural as it is. It’s a unique experience in that many times, when you go to theatrical production in our community, especially, but almost anywhere, everything is miked, everything is very loud, and now you really have to pay attention,” she said. “It’s a more immersive experience, not to say that it’s quiet – because these people can sing – but we’re definitely making it immersive.”

Ursan started directing with Regina Lyric Musical Theatre in the 90s and has directed lots of shows for them over the last three decades. However, Sweeney Todd is the first show in the last eight years that he has directed for them.

“If people have gone to see musicals anywhere in Regina over the course of the last little while, quite honestly, almost every single one – even in high schools – not everyone’s going to have a microphone hidden on them. We’re doing this show in a wonderful acoustic space, Darke Hall, and I wanted to do a musical that we didn’t need microphones for, so everything you’re hearing is just the glory of the human voice,” Ursan said.

When asked what audiences can expect from the show, Horne said it explores mature themes.

“Sweeney Todd is a musical thriller. It’s gory, there’s murder and it’s a thrilling tale. It’s (also) spooky, and there’s a little bit of humour in there, and blood spray, and it’s gorgeous,” she said.

Horne said the show has been given an advisory warning. It’s the first time the theatre has done so.

“One of the reasons we decided to do that on the website is sort of following (what) we talked (about) as a board. Theatre is meant to challenge people and because this is based on a movie, we felt like we might get some audience that wasn’t familiar with the Broadway version as closely, so we thought, ‘Let’s cover our bases and do that sort of advisory,’” Horne said.

The warning was also put in place because of recent public backlash to a show with mature content shown at the Globe Theatre.

“It was definitely a consideration that we had,” Horne shared. “As a board, we’re watching and listening to what’s happening in our community and it was a consideration we had, but it certainly wasn’t the only consideration,” she explained.

The Globe Theatre’s show, Little Red Warrior and His Lawyer, was originally rated for 14 years and older, but when some Regina teachers took their students to see the performance, they alleged the production was mature beyond what was advertised.

At Sweeney Todd’s debut performance on Wednesday, Horne said they had a great turnout.

“I was in the lobby at intermission and afterwards, and people loved it. They were amazed by how talented our performers are and how beautiful the show is to look at.

“It’s just a spectacle from beginning to end, and I think people were really surprised that there’s so much talent here.”

Horne said with this being her first main stage show as president of the theatre, that it couldn’t have gone any better.

“The board has worked endlessly, the cast, our director, our crew, everybody has invested their lives in this,” she said. “We started rehearsals on the 29th of March (and) this is one of the most complicated musicals to learn in history. So, I’m just so incredibly proud of everyone.”