September has finally arrived, signaling the changing of seasons here in Michigan. While it’s not Fall yet, we’re already beginning to have more autumn colors and shorter days. Children are returning to school, and, most importantly, the theater season is upon us again. With theaters local and worldwide getting ready for their 2024-2025 season, we here at Cosmic Circus Broadway are gearing up for all the coverage of plays and musicals near and far! This week, Avon Players in Rochester Hills, MI is kicking off their season with Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street!
This Stephen Sondheim musical is not one to be missed, as the cast and crew have worked incredibly hard to create something magical. Our last interview from this Avon Players’ production is with Nicholas Kwiechski, Maia Fetter, and Jack Stoll, who play Anthony, Johanna, and Tobias, respectively. Here, the stars talk about their relationship with the musical before being cast, how that’s changed since joining Sweeney Todd, and how they have brought their characters alive!
[Note: The interview below may have been lightly edited for clarity. Warning for mild spoilers from Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]
Interview with Nicholas Kwiechski (Anthony)
Brian Kitson: What was your experience with Sweeney Todd before being cast in the show?
Nicholas Kwiechski: Yeah, it’s always been one of those shows that I’ve really liked ever since I first heard it. You know, I first heard it from the movie, for the most part. And then after that, I was really into the show, really excited about anything to do with the show, you know, listening to all the music and stuff like that. And, you know, I think it’s such a cool show that is very unique. I don’t think you can find another show that is necessarily like it, especially musically. And so I’ve always been a big fan of the music, right?
I know it’s hard, but there’s a lot of, like, true baritone, heavy vocal parts in the show, which, I think, is unique to a lot of music theater, which can sometimes be heavier on the tenor side of things. Yeah, I think that’s why I always liked it: because it felt like it fit well within the types of parts I could sing, and it was just a great show of great music and a fun story. It’s always fun to try to scare people.
Brian Kitson: It’s a very spooky story. So, how has your relationship changed with it since being cast?
Nicholas Kwiechski: The show has so much more in it than, I think, you initially can either hear or even like read in the script; you know, a lot of little moments, especially with Anthony. He comes in and out quite a bit, and usually comes in at the worst time. And so I think it’s very interesting to be part of the catalyst aspect of a show. You know, sometimes you’re a character that just reacts to things going on or just kind of plays along, but to kind of be like the reason, pretty much the whole second act happens is very interesting and very fun to play with. And I think that’s a unique accent, like a unique experience I’ve had with the show.
Brian Kitson: You’re kind of one of the light characters, you know, one of the characters in the show that brings light to it. You know, it’s the love story that carries this show. So, who is Anthony to you?
Nicholas Kwiechski: Well, he’s very naive. I think he represents in the show, I guess, the innocence of people coming into the world, either youthful people or things like that, people who aren’t jaded. Unfortunately, throughout the show, he learns his lesson a little bit in terms of being so naive and so overly optimistic that it really kind of breaks him down a little bit by the end of the show. Still, at the same time, he’s one of the handful of people that actually gets to live. So there is an aspect there of kind of that positivity of like… Well, they survived this story, and, you know, maybe they’ll learn something from it, learn something about the world from it, and be able to move forward from there and take that lesson out of it. So I think that’s a very interesting lesson that I’ve learned.
Brian Kitson: 100%. So, what has challenged you as an actor in this role or made you grow?
Nicholas Kwiechski: Probably the difficulty of the material to some degree. You know, his sort of big theme is the Joanna song. You know that one musically isn’t the most complex. You know, there is some very complex music, like the kiss me, part one and part two. Those have been a huge challenge, especially because they’re so fast, and you talk so fast.
And you know this also goes for other characters, like Lovett, and even a lot of the ensemble stuff as well. You’re saying it so fast, and it’s like it’s a runaway train. And, if you miss one little step, you might start tripping, and then you have to find a place to jump back on board. So, that can be a little intimidating. But when you know we pull it off, and I have full confidence in everything that we’re doing here, I think it’s going to be really cool. And that’s one of my favorite parts of the show.
Brian Kitson: Absolutely. That Sondheim special.
Nicholas Kwiechski: Right!
Brian Kitson: Talking faster than you should be able to. The final question is, what are three words you would use to describe Sweeney Todd?
Nicholas Kwiechski: Revenge, horror, and probably contemplation.
Interview with Maia Fetter (Joanna)
Brian Kitson: What was your experience with Sweeney Todd before the show?
Maia Fetter: Before the show, when I was in the middle school choir, I went to Hart Middle School, and we did a song from the show. We did “Not While I’m Around,” which you’d think is weird for a sixth-grade choir to be doing something from Sweeney Todd, but it’s a really sweet song. He explained the show to us, and we all thought it was so cool.
That was my first experience, and so that’s when I really got into theater, in middle school, and so I grew up on Sweeney Todd. It was, like, one of my first top-five musicals, and now it’s definitely in my top three. And so I knew all the songs, and Joanna was a dream role. So when I saw that Avon was doing Sweeney Todd, I was like, I’m auditioning. Nothing in the world can stop me, and I’m doing the show.
Brian Kitson: How excited were you when you got that role?
Maia Fetter: Oh my gosh, so excited. Like 25 other girls auditioned for Joanna and I knew a lot of them. And I’m like, “Darn, these girls are really good. I don’t know…” I made it to call back, so I’m like, oh, it’s between the three of us. And then I got the call that night. I’m so excited, like, beyond excited.
Brian Kitson: That’s awesome. So, how do you feel like your relationship with the story and the character has changed since being cast?
Maia Fetter: I feel like you get to know it much more being in the cast, and I think the “Ballad of Sweeney Todd” has always been one of my favorite songs. I think doing it, remembering it and performing it, and realizing how hard it is definitely makes me not love it less. But just how do I put this? I appreciate how hard it is now,
Brian Kitson: sure, 100%
Maia Fetter: I definitely appreciate how hard the show is now compared to before.
Brian Kitson: So who is Joanna to you?
Maia Fetter: Joanna is super fun. My typecast is a blonde who kind of gets pushed around and doesn’t know what she’s doing. I played Cosette in Les Mis in high school at Stony Creek. And Cosette is just Joanna again. And I loved playing Cosette so much. And so I’m like, “Can I do it again?” And here I am with Joanna, and it’s like Cosette, but a little bit more stage time, which makes me super happy. No one wants to be Joanna because her life is pretty awful, but it’s super fun to put yourself in that position and just be like, okay, men are taking me everywhere. I make no choices. Cool. Sounds great.
Brian Kitson: What is your process to get into character?
Maia Fetter: Um, well, reviewing my songs because I have so many words. It’s so tricky just putting your mindset into you have no control over anything, and lots of creepy men are after you, so you have to get in that mindset of, oh, I’m terrified of literally everything. Also, I’m 16, which makes it all a little bit more scary.
Brian Kitson: Yeah, it’s very daunting. It’s a tough character to be.
Maia Fetter: Oh, for sure. And it’s not easy vocally, either.
Brian Kitson: How have you handled the song? I can’t think of the one song, but the duet that happens…
Maia Fetter: Oh, “Kiss me”?
Brian Kitson: Yes, that’s the one! I’ve seen Sweeney Todd on Broadway twice now, and that song is really hard.
Maia Fetter: It’s very hard. Every day, when I’m getting ready to do my makeup and hair, I sing my song. Like I did it, I think, three times while I was getting ready today, part one and part two. It’s just repetition. You have to do it a bajillion times. Nick and I, who plays Anthony, have done that song many times. Like, even when we’re not working on act one in the rehearsal, we’ll go downstairs, and we’re like, okay, let’s just, let’s just do it again because it’s so difficult.
And when we were blocking that number, when you first learn blocking, you normally have your book in your hands. You can, like, look at your notes. We couldn’t do that because it’s so physical, and you just can’t do it with a book in your hands, so we had to memorize it on the spot. We did it 50 times during that first rehearsal. Tracy, who plays beggar woman, was downstairs at the time, and she told us, I was wondering why you guys did that song so much like, is it really that difficult? Yes, it really is that difficult.
Brian Kitson: I could only imagine. I’m excited to see that one. So, what has been challenging, surprising, or rewarding about your time on Sweeney Todd?
Maia Fetter: It has been very rewarding. I love the cast. Everyone’s so wonderful. I knew lots of people who were on the cast before I did the show; it’s just really nice to be able actually to communicate with them and not just meet them for the first time.
Brian Kitson: The final question for you is, what are three words you would use to describe this musical?
Maia Fetter: Chilling…
Brian Kitson: Absolutely.
Maia Fetter: Chilling…. I want to come up with good words.
Brian Kitson: Putting you on the spot.
Maia Fetter: Um, majestic, challenging. It’s very difficult. Very difficult.
Interview with Jack Stoll (Tobias)
Brian Kitson: What was your experience with Sweeney Todd before being cast in the show?
Jack Stoll: I grew up listening to Sondheim, especially Sweeney Todd. So I had, like, an old CD that my Mom would play in the car. She loves Sweeney Todd, and I would listen to it and learn every single word to every single song, so I knew, like, all the music coming in.
I didn’t know the story, though, until maybe a year ago because my parents got my tickets for my birthday to see it on Broadway with Annaleigh Ashford and Josh Groban. And so I went to see it for the first time. And I was like, Oh, so that’s what it’s actually about. Because with some shows you can learn all the words, but the music doesn’t always tell the whole story. And I feel like that’s kind of the case with this show, but it definitely does tell a separate story. So, I definitely had a different idea of what Sweeney Todd was before I saw it on Broadway. And when I saw it on Broadway, I immediately knew that Tobias was the role that I’ve always wanted to play.
Brian Kitson: After seeing it on Broadway and now being cast in it, how has your relationship changed?
Jack Stoll: Just to the show? I don’t know. I don’t think it’s changed. I feel like I’ve just loved it more like, I’ve been wanting to be in the show forever, grew up listening to it, like it’s been like a dream, like it’s just so surreal that I’m doing it.
Brian Kitson: Who is Tobias to you?
Jack Stoll: Honestly, I feel like we’re very, very similar. Like, I think he has a very sweet relationship with Mrs. Lovett, and I feel like I have the same kind of relationship with my mom. Kind of a momma’s boy, I would say.
Brian Kitson: So you can definitely channel that.
Jack Stoll: definitely channel that…
Brian Kitson: What’s your process to get into character?
Jack Stoll: Um… working on the accent? The accent is kind of tricky to get into, but I feel like putting on an accent for me just makes it so much more real, and it’s just so much easier and definitely just like putting myself in the situations that he finds himself in throughout the show.
Brian Kitson: What has been challenging, surprising, and rewarding for you during Sweeney Todd?
Jack Stoll: Honestly, it’s been challenging. Even though I knew it before, it’s been challenging to learn it and, like, have it come together. It’s just a pretty long show, and it goes by really fast, I feel like, especially if you’re acting in it, and it’s just, it’s tough to remember everything. Honestly, it’s so it’s so much material, it’s so many words, so much stuff.
Brian Kitson: Yeah, it’s heavy on the songs and the words. What three words would you use to describe Sweeney Todd?
Jack Stoll: I think it’s so funny, so funny. I also say it’s fast because I think a lot can go by. It’s tough to catch everything. So you should come twice to catch everything. And I also think it’s a charming show. I think it’s going to… I mean, it captured my heart. Saying to a lot of people, I mean, I know that it’s like, scary and stuff, to some people, I think it’s so good. I just think it’s fun,
