'Legends of Tomorrow' superhero and Cohasset resident hits Norwell stage in 'Sweeney Todd'

NORWELL – “Is that who it looks like?” “Is that the actor from TV?” “It can’t be.” “Or is it?” “What’s he doing in Norwell?”

Any such questions murmured by audiences at The Company Theatre’s production of “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” opening October 7, will be answered when the curtain goes up on a cast that includes an up-and-coming local actor.

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Indeed, Cohasset resident Shayan Sobhian – an American-born actor of Iranian descent making his Company Theatre debut in the Stephen Sondheim musical – said he is enjoying global recognition these days.

He played not only James the Greater in season one of the streaming series “The Chosen,” which has been viewed by some 400 million people worldwide, but also Behrad Terazi on the CW series “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,” broadcast in the U.S. and internationally.

The CW series recently ended its seven-season run, but Sobhian’s fondness for his character in that time-travel series based on DC comic book characters endures.

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“From the moment I read the description of him, I knew Behrad Terazi was meant for me and that no one else could play him,” explained Sobhian by telephone from his home recently. “He was a reluctant superhero, a chill, affable stoner, and just hilarious. I’m a diligent yoga practitioner so I did the whole audition in a tree pose. The producers laughed their asses off, and I got the part.”

The Chelmsford native’s current role, as naïve young sailor Anthony Hope, is giving him the chance to do a musical he’s long loved. And being just a 20-minute drive from home is making it all the more appealing.

“I love Anthony Hope,” Sobhian said. “As Dave Lynch, another actor in this production, put it, ‘Anthony’s like a Disney prince trapped in a horror movie.’ ”

Sobhian said the Tony Award-winning 1979 musical about a vengeful barber and an enterprising baker, inspired by Victorian serials known as penny dreadfuls and based on the 1973 play of the same name by Christopher Bond, is what drew him to the Company Theatre.

“I hadn’t done a musical in nine years, but when I heard they would be doing ‘Sweeney Todd,’ I became very interested,” Sobhian said. “So I arranged a meeting and facility tour with Zoe Bradford, Sally Ashton Forrest and Michael Hammond.”

Sobhian said he was felt comfortable with the theater's co-founder, artistic director and president Bradford, vice president and associate artistic director Forrest, and managing director/development Hammond.

“I thought, ‘These are my people.’ They reminded me of being back at Chelmsford High with my theater teacher Lauren Cochran – a talented actor and director in her own right, and an amazing mentor who encouraged me to pursue a professional acting career,” he said.

He’s done that and more. Between acting assignments, Sobhian co-wrote and starred in the short film “Does Bigfoot Dream of Flowers?” which is available on YouTube. He’s also been releasing original songs on Spotify and Apple Music, and working on an original musical about a young orphan whose life changes when he joins the Pony Express.

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And while his next career goals are roles in multi-camera sitcoms, the on-the-rise actor said he is happy to have a chance to return to the theater and train for what he hopes will one day be a part in a Broadway show.

“I’ve always loved being on stage,” he said. “Chelmsford High School has an award-winning drama program, where I did ‘Phantom of the Opera,’ ‘Jekyll & Hyde,’ ‘Hello, Dolly!’ and ‘Miss Saigon.’ ”

His love of the stage led him to earn a BFA in acting from Purchase College – SUNY. Not long after, Sobhian was cast in the off-Broadway production of the Angle Project’s “Lost and Guided,” a documentary play about Syrian refugees.

“I booked the play and moved in with my grandmother on the Upper East Side in 2017. That summer, I met my future wife, Sally Meehan, at a dance club. She was also living in New York, pursuing her career as an actor.

“I quickly ascertained that Sally was not only an actor but also from Massachusetts,”  Sobhian said. “That combination was very appealing to me.”

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The smitten Sobhian soon began making plans for the future.

“I told Sally, ‘I’m going to L.A., book a TV series, and then come back and marry you,’ ” he said. “Unfortunately, we broke up for a year. When I landed ‘Legends,’ however, I moved back to New York and before long we got back together.”

As it did for almost everyone, the pandemic upended the young couple’s plans.

“I was in Vancouver filming ‘Legends’ when everything was shutting down. On March 13, 2020, Sally and I headed to Cohasset and moved in with her parents,” Sobhian said. “TV productions were on hiatus and auditions were on Zoom, so I got to spend some nice time in Cohasset getting to know Sally’s family.”

Sobhian said that when he learned he would need to return to Vancouver to resume production on “Legends” in October 2020, he decided to make a major life change before heading back to Canada.

“Sally and I both wanted to get married, so I told her we needed to do it before things got back to normal for venues, florists and caterers, and they began to clear the backlog of weddings postponed because of the pandemic.

“We chose Sept. 5, 2020, as our wedding date and were married at Sally’s parents’ house. COVID restrictions meant we were only able to have 30 guests, but it was still beautiful to celebrate with our families and close friends,” Sobhian said.

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The couple now has their own Cohasset home, and their own relationships with The Company Theatre. Sally, who, as a young person, attended the Academy of The Company Theatre, is serving as assistant director on “Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical,” which opens Nov. 25.

As for those murmuring fans, Sobhian welcomes the attention.

“My wife and I were at the Toulouse-Blagnac Airport in France recently when I was recognized by a French woman. A lot of international people watch ‘Legends’ so it wasn’t surprising. It was a nice experience."

'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'

When: Oct. 7-23

Where: The Company Theatre, 30 Accord Park Drive, Norwell

Tickets: $20-$56

Info: 781-871-2787 or companytheatre.com  

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: 'Legends of Tomorrow' superhero to star in 'Sweeney Todd' in Norwell