What: “Assassins” by Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman
When: Tuesday 21 July till Friday 24 July 2015, 7.30pm (doors open at 6.30pm)
Where: Westlake Boys Auditorium
Tickets: available now via iTicket – Adults $20; Students/Seniors $15; Family $50
In Stephen Sondheim’s 85th birthday year, Westlake Boys’ and Westlake Girls’ High Schools present Sondheim’s 1991 musical drama “Assassins”, which explores the underbelly of American political culture. The show will be staged on Tuesday 21st till Friday 24th July, 7.30pm in the Westlake Boys’ Auditorium.
In much the same way that Arthur Miller’s play “Death of a Salesman” confronted the hypocrisy of the ‘American Dream’, Sondheim & Weidman’s musical drama explores the notion of what it is to be an ‘American Patriot’ during exacting times.
“Assassins” invites us to explore a number of attempted and successful Presidential assassinations, from John Wilkes Booth shooting Abraham Lincoln (150 years ago this year) to Lee Harvey Oswald’s infamous act in 1963, against John F. Kennedy. In each instance we are asked to consider what drove nine would-be assassins, both men and women, to attempt to assassinate a President.
Stephen Sondheim is regarded as one of America’s pre-eminent dramatists, often discussed in the same breath as Arthur Miller and Eugene O’Neill, and is arguably the most important writer of musical theatre. Sondheim’s other musicals include “Sweeney Todd” (filmed with Johnny Depp), “Into The Woods” (again filmed recently with Meryl Streep), “Passion”, “Company”, “Follies” and the Pulitzer Prize winning “Sunday in the Park with George”. Sondheim also wrote the lyrics for “West Side Story”.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to the challenging themes and strong language in “Assassins” Parental Discretion is advised, and the material is not suitable for children under 14.
Cast of Characters:
John Wilkes Booth – Matthew Van Orton
Charles Guiteau – Dylan Carlyle
Leon Czolgosz – Connor Charlesworth
Giuseppi Zangara – Nick Curry
Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme – Maddie Bullock
Sara Jane Moore – Michaela Cadwgan
Sam Byck – Kelby Cai
The Balladeer – Elizabeth Anderson
Lee Harvey Oswald – Josh Aschebrock
Emma Goldman – Lina Kim
The Proprietor – Susy Park
John Hinckley – Jack Lloyd
Billy Moore – Rory Burnell
President Abraham Lincoln – Scott Telfer
President Gerald Ford – Luke Barker
President William McKinley – Monica Reid
David Herold – Melina Ariyani and Joe Jackson
The Ensemble:
Josh Aschebrock (Ensemble Captain); Dylan Sommerville; Darin Kim; Isaiah Lustre; Ina Bautista; Joe Jackson; Justine Razon; Luke Barker; Melina Ariyani; Blake Scanlen; Monica Reid; Max Bensley; Montana Lamb; Scott Telfer; Sarah Fouhy (Ensemble Captain); William Page; Victoria Skeggs; Abigail Griffin.