MILTON, DE — Wilmington native James Verderamo has returned to Delaware for his professional theater debut in his home state, taking on the title role in Milton Theatre’s production of “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” after a journey that included 10 years of active-duty service in the U.S. Air Force and the start of a second career as a professional actor.
The role brings Verderamo back to the state where he first discovered performing, more than a decade after his career and military service took him away from the area. The Stephen Sondheim musical thriller is now running at Milton Theatre, with performances continuing through Sunday, Oct. 11.
“It’s such an honor to be returning to my home state of Delaware for the first time as a theatre professional — and for it to be as the iconic role of Sweeney Todd makes it even more of a dream,” Verderamo said. “Along with most bass-baritones in the industry, it’s a role that I’ve always aspired to perform one day. To be able to make my debut as the character so close to home is amazing.”
From Wilmington to the Air Force
Verderamo grew up in Wilmington, performing in school productions at Red Lion before appearing with the Wilmington Drama League, Milburn Stone Theatre and the University of Delaware’s Harrington Theatre Arts Company.
His path eventually led far from the stage. Verderamo spent 10 years on active duty in the Air Force, serving as an aviator, instructor and linguist and traveling around the world.
Theater, however, remained part of his ambitions.
After leaving active military service, Verderamo pursued acting professionally. Now based in New York City, he has worked in regional theater, Off-Broadway productions, film and other projects and has studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute.
His return to Delaware comes after 12 years away from the area.
“It’s so nostalgic to be near places that I loved visiting while growing up, particularly the boardwalk at Rehoboth Beach and, of course, Wawa,” Verderamo said. “This is where I first fell in love with performing on stage.”
The homecoming also gives relatives who have been unable to travel to his professional performances an opportunity to see his work.
“I’ve been very fortunate to have a fruitful first two professional years post-military, with bookings at regional theatres nationwide,” he said. “It’s incredible to finally be performing so close to home because it gives many of my family members who haven’t been able to travel a chance to see me do what I love.”
Event Details
- What: “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” featuring James Verderamo in the title role
- When: Performances are underway and continue through Sunday, October 11, 2026; individual performance times vary
- Where: Milton Theatre, 110 Union Street, Milton, DE 19968
- Cost/Tickets: $43.57–$53.25
- More Info: MiltonTheatre.com
Military Lessons Follow Him to the Stage
Verderamo sees connections between his military career and the demands of professional theater. Preparation, discipline, teamwork and the ability to perform under pressure have followed him from the Air Force into rehearsals and performances.
“Acting and military service might appear to be completely different worlds, but so much of what I learned in the Air Force applies to what I do today,” Verderamo said. “You prepare. You stay disciplined. You rely on the people around you. And when it’s time to perform, you have to be ready.”
Those lessons also carry into the less visible side of an acting career: auditions, self-tapes, callbacks, continued training and rejection between bookings.
For Verderamo, that persistence has led to one of the roles he has long hoped to play.
Becoming the Demon Barber
With music and lyrics by Sondheim and a book by Hugh Wheeler, “Sweeney Todd” follows an unjustly exiled barber who returns to 19th-century London seeking revenge.
The title role requires Verderamo to navigate Sondheim’s demanding music while portraying a character consumed by grief, obsession and revenge. For the bass-baritone, the opportunity pairs a long-held professional ambition with the significance of performing it in Delaware.
The production is part of Milton Theatre’s Fall 2026 Mainstage season and places the dark musical thriller within the theater’s intimate performance environment.
For Verderamo, the role represents another turn in a life that has already moved from Wilmington stages to military service around the world and then to professional acting in New York.
This time, however, the next chapter is unfolding close to where his first one began.
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