Palmerton Area High School’s Drama Club is set to perform “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street — School Edition” from Thursday through Saturday in the high school auditorium.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m. each night. Tickets are available online at https://phsdramaclub.ludus.com or at the door.

The production marks a bold undertaking for the school’s theater program, which is bringing one of Stephen Sondheim’s most renowned works to the stage in a school-appropriate adaptation.

“Sweeney Todd was one of the first musicals I got to watch. It was one of my first moments to experience theater,” said Bill Marks, who is directing the show. “Additionally, I felt this was a great time to choose this particular piece as I felt it was a good way to remember the passing of Stephen Sondheim. It felt an honor to work with the kids in developing one of his most famous works.”

The “school edition” of Sweeney Todd has been adapted for high school performers. While it maintains the essence of the original Broadway production, the version has been modified to be more appropriate for a school setting.

“The school edition is specifically formatted to fit better content appropriate to the school setting as well as fit vocal ranges for most developing young adults,” Marks explained. “While the school edition keeps the spirit of the Broadway version, it removes some of the more adult themes in the original work.”

Known for its intricate score and intense character development, the show has posed unique challenges to the student performers and crew. According to Marks, tackling a Sondheim musical has been a complex endeavor for all involved.

“Stephen Sondheim’s works are very complex with a lot of conditional timing in its songs and imagery,” he said. “All aspects of the show have some form of challenge, whether it would be the complexity of the characters, the vocals or the stage requirements to permit the stunts needed to pull it off. This is a very complex piece that requires the entire cooperation of both the actors and the stage crew. I am proud of our talented students who managed to pull this off. I presented them with a challenge and they have exceeded it.”

The cast and crew, made up of both experienced and first-time participants, have grown significantly over the course of the rehearsal process, according to Marks.

“I have watched many in both the cast and crew that have stepped well outside their comfort zone and rose to the cause,” Marks said. “Many of them are newer students who have never had a major role/job before, and watching them grow in their area has been impressive. A lot of leadership also appeared and was something I was hoping to see.”

The show, Marks said, offers audiences a chance to see a show rarely performed at the high school level due to its dark themes and musical complexity.

“If anything, I highly encourage the community to come see this story and what the students have done,” he said. “The story talks of one man’s vengeance and the consequences of his wrath. This dark and sometimes humorous tale will leave audiences wondering what will happen next. The music is fantastic and we are looking forward to sharing the tale with everyone.”