Feb. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Composer Stephen Sondheim doesn't often mix it up with fans. So when word spread he would sign compact discs of the new Broadway cast recording of ``Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' on Tuesday night, about 1,000 people showed up at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre.

The first, Carla Parker, started a line at 5 p.m. outside the theater, after leaving work as a national-accounts manager for a New York publisher she wouldn't identify. She did disclose she's seen the three-month-old ``Sweeney'' revival three times.

``It's embarrassing that I'm here,'' she said shortly after 9 p.m., clutching hand-warmers inside her black coat. ``I'm too old for this sort of thing. But Stephen Sondheim is worth it.''

The Tuesday night performance went on at 7 p.m. At around 10 p.m., Sondheim, 75, in a crew-neck blue sweater and khakis, sat down at a long white table onstage with the 10-member cast. Parker and the others were let inside and the line snaked through the theater. Clutching gray markers, the cast and composer formed a human autograph assembly line.

Those who didn't bring CDs bought them in the lobby for $25. Patti LuPone, who plays Mrs. Lovett, signed each CD first. She handed it off to Sondheim to her left, who signed and handed it to Michael Cerveris. The bald Cerveris, who plays the obsessive, vengeful Sweeney, the demon barber, signed and handed the CD to another performer.

Another Hundred People

And so it went. Each Sondheim enthusiast walked past the table and joked with the cast and composer as the CD made its way across the signing line. By the time the promotional to-do ended at 11:20 p.m., composer and cast autographed nearly 1,100 CDs, according to Rick Miramontez, a spokesman for the show.

Sondheim's dry humor was on display. Paralegal Maureen Tracey-Mooney, 22, brought a small envelope to the signing table along with her CD.

``I wrote you a thank-you note,'' she said as she handed the envelope to Sondheim. ``It's really short.''

``It's a summons actually,'' the lyricist and composer said, while putting it in his pocket. ``Very cleverly done.''

Another fan praised LuPone for her role in ``Noises Off,'' a farce.

Sondheim overheard. ``This one's funnier,'' he said.

Later, Sondheim deflected an Andrew Lloyd Webber joke. A man came with his brother and teased Sondheim that the brother loved ``Cats.''

``Which one?'' Sondheim asked.

Good Thing Going

Steven Baruch, one of the show's producers, was gleeful himself. The 7 p.m. performance was sold out, a rarity for most shows on a Tuesday night.

He spoke backstage amid the giant lockers in which actors store their instruments. He said this small-scale ``Sweeney'' -- which has a single, simple set and actors who play their own music, without a separate pit -- may soon be profitable. ``Sweeney'' has already repaid investors about 70 percent of their money. The $3.5 million show opened Nov. 3.

Tommy Krasker produced the Nonesuch Records Inc. recording. Krasker is a founder of the non-profit PS Classics Inc., which last year put out two volumes of archival recordings called ``Sondheim Sings.''

For information about the ``Sweeney'' CD, type http://www.nonesuch.com/main.html .