Lake Zurich Brothers Cast as Villains in CLC's 'Sweeney Todd'

Lake Zurich brothers Dina and Mario Marzetti have leads in the summer musical, Sweeney Todd, which debuts July 20.

Dino, 27, and Mario, 23, have shared the stage numerous times over the years. In this musical, they both have villainous roles; Dino plays The Beedle and Mario is Adolfo Pirelli.

Although the brothers don’t share many scenes, they do get to perform the Ballad of Sweeney Todd together.

“When we sing a duet together, we’re good at listening to each other and making sure both parts are heard,” said Dino.

Dino says that Stephen Sondheim musicals are challenging.

“Sondheim is an insane composer. Nobody competes with him. There’s musicals and then there’s Sondheim,” he said.

“I love the challenging music. It’s fun to sing difficult music and it’s really good practice,” said Mario.

Mario graduated from in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in theater and English. He is pursuing acting as a career and has performed in numerous professional shows.

Dino teaches music at Nippersink Middle School in Richmond. Dino said he is not a big risk taker and decided not to pursue acting full time. He says he enjoys teaching.

“The kids enjoy the enthusiasm I bring and have a good time. I see myself as a kid; somebody will get hooked and continue. It’s all about inspiring the children,” he said.

Both brothers started acting at . Dino’s first show was Oliver in 1996, when he was 11.

“The thing about theater is that you meet people in school. There’s a certain group that auditions for everything. They became my friends and I went through high school with the same group of friends,” he said.

Both brothers were involved in St. Anne’s Community Theater in Barrington, where they had many opportunities to try different roles and to grow as actors.

At , Mario didn’t get many parts, so he decided to pursue English as a career. However, he became re-inspired when he got a lead in the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Dino said that as brothers they always have been close.

“He’s a good guy and very talented. We respect each other and there are things I’ve learned from him,” he said.

“He is really great in the show. He is perfectly cast and he cracks me up in the show every night,” Mario said.

Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street will be staged this summer by the departments of music, theatre and dance.

The show is based on a version of Sweeney Todd by Christopher Bond. Many people are familiar with the 2007 film version that starred Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. The stage show’s music and lyrics are by Stephen Sondheim, with the book by Hugh Wheeler. It is being directed by Craig Rich, with musical direction by Jean Hersey, orchestral direction by Paul Hefner and choreography by Lamaiya Lancaster.

Performance times and dates are 7:30 p.m. July 20, 21, 27 and 28, and 2 p.m. July 22 and 29.

Sweeney Todd tells the tale of an unjustly accused man transformed by grief into the murderous Demon Barber of Fleet Street. This heart-pounding, Tony Award-winning thriller has been hailed a musical masterpiece.

Tickets are available at the CLC Box Office: 847-543-2300 or online at www.clcillinois.edu/tickets.

Tickets: $16 general admission; $13 for CLC/senior/JLC subscribers.

Box office hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Prices include a $1 per ticket JLC facility fee.