This year, the theater youth is turning out for the Santa Barbara high school musicals en masse, with three shows combined featuring more than 100 students in the casts and crews. Sweeney Todd (at San Marcos High School) is a dark, challenging musical with demanding vocals and heavy technical components. Santa Barbara High School turns Shakespeare favorite A Midsummer Night’s Dream into a nostalgic, music- and movement-based exploration. Dos Pueblos High School presents Curtains, a rousing murder mystery against a showbiz backdrop.
At San Marcos, theater program director Shannon Saleh chose Sondheim’s tale of murder and mayhem based on this year’s crop of students, whom she describes as “a strong cadre of singers” who can carry the show. “Sondheim is definitely a challenge,” says Saleh, “and we’re aware of the importance of coordinating vocal and instrumental music with scene work and the incredible timing that will require. We plan to spend most of April making those moments happen so we can story-tell with nuance and precision.”
[Click to zoom] San Marcos High School production of 'Sweeney Todd' | Photo: Courtesy