
Josh Groban fans know that he loves Stephen Sondheim, and one of his favorite musicals by the late theater legend is Sweeney Todd — so much so that Josh named his dog Sweeney. Now, Josh might return to Broadway, playing the lead role in a revival of the famously bloody 1979 musical.
Broadway Journal reports that Hamilton producer Jeffrey Seller is planning to revive Sweeney Todd on Broadway this spring, with Josh playing the title role, a barber in London in the 1800s who seeks revenge against those who unjustly imprisoned him. He murders his enemies and gives their bodies to his accomplice, Mrs. Lovett, who bakes them into — eww — meat pies.
Among the songs featured in the Tony-winning musical is “Not While I’m Around,” which Josh recorded on his 2015 album Stages and also sang at a Sondheim 90th birthday tribute. Josh made his Broadway debut in 2016, starring in Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812. Sweeney Todd would mark his return to the Great White Way.
Broadway Journal speculates whether or not the show, which might cost more than $14 million to stage, would be able to recoup its costs, even with Josh’s star power.
There’s also the question of whether there’s such a thing as too much Sondheim. A revival of his 1987 musical Into the Woods, starring Josh’s pal Sara Bareilles, is currently running on Broadway, while a revival of 1981’s Merrily We Roll Along, starring Daniel Radcliffe, is being produced for November.
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