Monthly Archives: April 2016

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Assassins Audition Details

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New Stage Theatreworks will be holding auditions on May 15 & 16 at 7:00pm at Theatre Tallahassee, located at 1861 Thomasville Road for its second show of the 2015-2016 season, Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s musical masterpiece “Assassins“. Roles are available for 11 men, 6 women and one young boy.

  • Please prepare 16 bars of a song that best shows your range and bring your sheet music.
  • An accompanist will be provided.
  • A resume will save you time with the audition form as well.
  • You may be asked to read from the script.
  • Callbacks will be held by invitation only on Tuesday, May 17.
“Assassins” will be performed July 8-10 and 15-17 at Theatre Tallahassee, 1861 Thomasville Rd Tallahassee, FL 32301.
Rehearsals are projected to start May 23 and typically be held weeknights from 7:00 – 10:00pm, but not everyone will be expected to be at every rehearsal in the early part of the process.
Directed by: Krystof Kage
Music Direction by: Michael Norris

The Assassins

John Wilkes Booth (1838-1865) – Assassinated President Abraham Lincoln during a performance at Ford’s Theater in Washington D.C. on April 14, 1865. Foreman and inspirational celebrity to the other assassins.
Male (25-35) – Bass/Baritone (F2-G4)
Charles Guiteau (1841-1882) – Assassinated President James Garfield in the waiting room of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station, Washington, D.C., on July 2, 1881. Dashing but a little off-kilter.
Male (35-45) – Baritone (A2-Ab4)
Leon Czologosz (1873-1901) – Assassinated President William McKinley at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, N.Y. on September 6, 1901. A young poverty-worn radical.
Male (25-30) – Bass/Baritone (G#2-G4)
Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme (1948- ) – Attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford at the Capitol Park in Sacramento, CA on September 5, 1975. A pixie hippie in love with Charles Manson.
Female (25-30) – Alto (A3-G5)
Sara Jane Moore (1930- ) – Attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, CA, on September 22, 1975. A frazzled housewife with little sense.
Female (40-45) – Contralto (F3-Eb5)
Giuseppe Zangara (1900-1933) – Attempted to assassinate President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt as he greeted well-wishers in Bayfront Park, Miami, FL on February 15, 1933. Heavily-accented immigrant with a very upset stomach.
Male (30-35) – Tenor (B2-A4)
Samuel Byck (1930-1974) – Attempted to assassinate President Richard Nixon by hijacking a commercial jetliner. Hilariously disgrunted schlep in a Santa Claus suit.
Male (40-45) – Baritone (D3-G4)
John Hinckley (1955- ) – Attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan as he left the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. on March 30, 1981. A love-obsessed, nerdy and depressed college student.
Male (25-30) – Tenor (A2-G4)
Lee Harvey Oswald* (1939-1963) – Assassinated President John F. Kennedy from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas, TX on November 22, 1963. A suicidal, dejected shipping clerk.
Male (20-25) – Tenor (C3-G4)

The Country

Balladeer* – A folk singer and the narrator of the show. The voice of America.
Male (25-30) – Tenor (C3-G4)
The Proprietor** – A mysterious man who runs the shooting gallery at a carnival…and so much more…
Male (30-50) – Bass (Gb2-F4)
Emma Goldman (1869-1940) – Turn-of-the-century Anarchist agitator and feminist. Terse and stubborn. An inspiration to Czolgosz.
Female (30-40) – Vocally Flexible
David Herold (1842-1865) – One of John Wilkes Booth’s confederates. Aided Booth in his attempted escape.
Male (20-25) – Vocally Flexible
Billy – Sara Jane Moore’s whiny son.
Male (6-12)
Ensemble (2m, 3f)
Bystanders; Tourists; Reporters; Photographers
Vocally Flexible
* Yes, these two roles are combined
** Yes, I will be using the revival version of this character

ASSASSINS

Music and Lyrics by STEPHEN SONDHEIM

Book by JOHN WEIDMAN

Assassins is based on an idea by Charles Gilbert Jr.

Playwrights Horizons, Inc. – New York City
Produced ASSASSINS Off-Broadway in 1990

ASSASSINS is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized materials are also supplied by MTI.
www.MTIShows.com

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Presenting “Assassins” July 8-17 2016

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In a strong bid to provide provocative theatre that’s culturally relevant and contemporary, New Stage Theatreworks will join the 2016 political frenzy by mounting Stephen Sondheim’s “Assassins” – a bold, stunning musical with strong commentary on the American Dream and the culture of celebrity, political or otherwise. New Stage Theatreworks, launched in 2015 with two productions, “The Last Five Years” and “Murder Ballad”, was founded to transform and enlighten the Tallahassee region with fresh, artistic and bold theatre.

This new production of “Assassins” is a theatrical and thoroughly original tour-de-force, combining Sondheim’s signature blend of intelligent lyrics and stunning music, performed by 9 historical figures who attempted (or succeeded) in the assassination of a U.S. President. Auditions will be held May 15 and 16 at Theatre Tallahassee at 7:00 p.m., and the show will be performed July 8-17 on the MainStage at Theatre Tallahassee.

“Assassins” will feature 10 primary characters who sing and act, as well as an ensemble.

The cast calls for adult males and females, and one young boy age 7-12. The show will be directed by the Artistic Director of New Stage Theatreworks (and legendary Tallahassee artist) Krystof Kage, who has a long Tallahassee directing resume across multiple theatre companies. “Assassins” being his second directorial outing for NST. Krystof agrees that the timing is perfect for a show with this political context. He notes, “the current election will be reaching fever pitch this summer, and the future narrative is anyone’s guess at this point. Launching a disturbing, funny and challenging show that’s about the assassination of U.S. presidents will not only be a strong commentary on the political landscape and the power of celebrity, but a bold move to put New Stage Theatreworks into the conversation.”

“Assassins” has music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by John Weidman. In Sondheim’s usual style of lyrical intricacy and fluid composition, the show’s music varies to reflect the eras depicted. It was launched Off-Broadway in 1990 and revived for Broadway in 2004, winning five Tony Awards. The Tallahassee production will be a canvas for the community’s best singers and actors, and New Stage Theatreworks is proud to mount a show that’s truly the embodiment of its mission.

Auditions for “Assassins” will take place May 15-16 at Theatre Tallahassee 1861 Thomasville Rd Tallahassee, FL at 7:00 p.m.

Follow us on Facebook or see Auditions for Assassins May 15-16 for more information, including audition detail. Tickets for “Assassins” will be available at www.newstagetheatreworks.org/tickets or at the box office during the show’s run.

ASSASSINS

Music and Lyrics by STEPHEN SONDHEIM

Book by JOHN WEIDMAN

Assassins is based on an idea by Charles Gilbert Jr.

Playwrights Horizons, Inc. – New York City
Produced ASSASSINS Off-Broadway in 1990

ASSASSINS is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com