THE PROJECT:

SWEENEY TODD

THE CLIENT:

Noorda Center for the Performing Arts, Utah Valley University

DIRECTOR:

Tim Threfall

PRODUCER:

Stephen Pullen

  • PROJECT DETAILS:

    My good friend, Stephen Pullan (Dean of the Arts, UVU) reached out to me after I had designed Mamma Mia at the Sundance Mountain Resort in the summer of 2019. He invited me to design Sweeney Todd for UVU in conjunction with the Noorda Center as part of their inaugural opening season.


    This production would have seasoned Broadway performers, a well known and incredibly talented director, and a Broadway budget. It had to be huge and impressive.


    It was an incredible honor to be invited by the Dean and University to design my favorite musical of all time and on this new state-of-the art performance venue.

  • PROJECT ROLE:

    Scenic/Set Designer, Logo Designer, Set Painter

  • PROJECT COMPLETION/OPENING:

    Opened to rave reviews in September 2019.

  • PROJECT APPROVALS

    Stephen Pullen, Tim Threfall

PLAN & ELEVATIONS

The set consisted of a unit piece (the barber shop and pie shop) on a turntable, complete with interiors, a smoking furnace, smoking chimneys, a slide from the barbers chair on a second story that sent actors into the oven.


Two wings sat on both stage left and right, covered in painted elevations of Fleet Street. Actors climbed stairs into these 30 foot tall “buildings” that doubled as a hidden reveal from inside. Scrim created an illusion/effect that showcased the lit actors inside the buildings.

PLAN & ELEVATIONS

The set consisted of a unit piece (the barber shop and pie shop) on a turntable, complete with interiors, a smoking furnace, smoking chimneys, a slide from the barbers chair on a second story that sent actors into the oven.


Two wings sat on both stage left and right, covered in painted elevations of Fleet Street. Actors climbed stairs into these 30 foot tall “buildings” that doubled as a hidden reveal from inside. Scrim created an illusion/effect that showcased the lit actors inside the buildings.

SCENIC TREATMENT

Built by my friend Nat Reed, with the help of my associate designer/assistant, Janice Chan.

We used scaffolding for the Fleet Street buildings as our skeletal structure.

SCENIC TREATMENT

Built by my friend Nat Reed, with the help of my associate designer/assistant, Janice Chan. We used scaffolding for the Fleet Street buildings as our skeletal structure.

quotesArtboard 1 copy 2

"Entering into the theater, the set represented the gloomy London scenery of the turn of the century and the industrial era when as Todd says only a few are successful at the top and everyone else labors. Set designer Josh Steadman has done a fine job of capturing the gloomy feel that is so important to the story."

- Broadway World

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