Welsh baritone Bryn Terfel has canceled his concert performances of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeny Todd with the New York Philharmonic because of a recent back operation, the orchestra announced.

The concerts, which are scheduled for May 4–6 and also star Broadway singer Patti LuPone, will feature George Hearn in Terfel's place as the Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Hearn played the title role opposite Angela Lansbury in the national tour of the show, and he received an Emmy Award for that production's broadcast.

Terfel has been forced to pull out of several recent engagements because of his back problems, including productions of Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann at the Metropolitan Opera and Wagner's The Flying Dutchman at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

The singer had canceled other April bookings in the hope of keeping his New York Philharmonic commitment. But Terfel's recovery from surgery has been slower than anticipated, and doctors warned him against singing in three back-to-back performances.

The Philharmonic concerts were to mark Terfel's first time performing the role. His debut as the Demon Barber will instead take place in the Lyric Opera of Chicago's production of the Sondheim classic, which is slated for the 2002–03 season.