The ‘Heartstopper’ breakout star from the sensational Netflix series has decided to make a remarkable crossover by leaping onto the grand stage of Broadway.
Joe Locke will be making his debut next month as he joins the cast of the hit Stephen Sondheim-Hugh Wheeler musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The show producers announced that Locke had been cast in the pivotal role of the young apprentice Tobias. He will be taking over the role after “Stranger Things” star Gaten Matarazzo, who played the lovable apprentice in the Broadway revival, completed his final performance last month on November 5, 2023.
After Matarazzo’s exit, the character has finally been cast with a known actor, Daniel Marconi, who is currently playing it.
It’s good to know that the show will continue and the spotlight will once again shine on this popular character, which makes the show complete by bringing the famous tale of Sweeney Todd alive on the stage. Additionally, Locke, 20, will begin performances at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Wednesday, January 31, 2024. The actor also shared the news on his Instagram with his 4.2M followers with a post captioned, “See u on Broadway 😭🥰Jan 31st🖤🔪@sweeneytoddbway.”
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Following this recent announcement, we would also like to highlight that stars Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford have also announced their exits from the show as the Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Mrs. Lovett next year on Sunday, January 14, 2024. It looks like the show has already found its new duo, which is an exciting update as it has once excited theater enthusiasts who have loved this show since its inception.
Beginning February 9, 2024, the fans will now get to witness the extraordinary talents of Aaron Tveit as Sweeney Todd and Sutton Foster as Mrs. Lovett in this dark, thrilling, and macabre musical masterpiece, which has extended its Broadway run into the spring of 2024. Actor Aaron Tveit, 40, is famous for his time on Broadway and won the 2021 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for playing Christian in Moulin Rouge.
Meanwhile, Sutton Foster was recently seen in The Music Man as Marian Paroo, and she is also set to appear in Once Upon a Mattress as Princess Winnifred. Further details about this latest casting and details about a new block of tickets for Spring 2024 will be released soon because the producers haven’t said anything in this regard. By the time Groban and Ashford leave “Sweeney Todd,” they will be concluding a 46-week run in the production.
This marks the exit of all three of the actors for the first time from the hit musical since it began previews at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre earlier this year. Also, check out the official extension announcement along with the latest casting updates, which were recently confirmed on Sweeney Todd Broadway’s Instagram handle, quote, “There’s a new deadly duo in town— Fleet Street is honored to welcome Aaron Tveit as Sweeney Todd and Sutton Foster as Mrs. Lovett beginning February 9. #AttendTheTale.”
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Sweeney Todd: About The Tale
According to the official website :
For the first time since 1980, Broadway audiences can experience Stephen Sondheim’s Tony Award–winning score as it was performed in the original production—with Jonathan Tunick’s classic 26-player orchestration on an epic scale.
Tony Award–winning director Thomas Kail (Hamilton) helms the return of this musical thriller starring Tony and Grammy nominee Josh Groban (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812) as Sweeney Todd and Tony winner Annaleigh Ashford (Sunday in the Park With George, Kinky Boots) as Mrs. Lovett. Tony winner Alex Lacamoire (Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen) reunites with Kail as Music Supervisor, and Olivier Award winner Steven Hoggett (Once, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) choreographs this new production of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Moreover, Thomas Kail (“Hamilton”‘) directed the revival with producer Jeffrey Seller, which began performances on February 26, 2023, ahead of opening night on March 26, 2023, at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. The play has been well received on Broadway, as it is regularly played to full crowds and has received eight Tony Award nominations, including recognition for Groban and Ashford. It also took home two statues for lighting and sound design.
Lastly, Sweeney Todd will launch a national tour in late winter-early spring of 2025 that will span both the 2024-25 and 2025-26 theatrical seasons. Casting, dates, and cities for the national tour will be announced at a later date.
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