John Aron

Hi, Anyone know anything more about this guy. I know he played Piangi for a few years and as part of the original cast cast. I was trying to google him but nothing came up. I know he was the original Pirelli in Sweeney Todd in London but that's it. I believe he's passed away as ALW mentioned it at the 25th anniversary performance. Anyone enlighten me?

I'm almost a year late to this thread.

Unfortunately I have no more information beyond what the usual bios and I don't remember how he died. I remember hearing of it in the late 1990s/early 2000s. I think he predeceased Steve Barton, so most likely 1990s.

If you can get hold of a rare but very well-known documentary broadcast on British television in 1980 about Hal Prince's Sweeney Todd (i.e. the original London production at Drury Lane), there's some interesting footage showing him having a hissy fit with Hal Prince (for want of a better description). He is upset at Hal's decision to cut some of his part down, and tells Hal that had he known his part was going to be cut, then he wouldn't have auditioned in the first place. There follows a brief altercation between him and Hal. Obviously, this can't have been particularly serious or damaging to his relationship with Hal Prince, since Prince cast him as Piangi 6 years later.

It's probably worth contacting original cast members for more info -- perhaps some of them stayed in touch. Long shot, but maybe Rosie Ashe might know.