[Capdist-auditions] Auditions for RPI Players spring musical "Assassins"

[Eugene W. Kosarovich]

==========================
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT:
RPI Players
RPI Union
110 8th Street
Troy, NY 12180
Phone: 518-276-6503
Fax: 518-276-6920
rpi-players at rpi.edu
www.players.rpi.edu

RPI Players to hold auditions for the dark musical comedy Assassins

Troy, NY - January 14, 2009 - The RPI Players are holding auditions for
their scheduled spring musical, Assassins, on Tuesday, January  20 and
Wednesday, January 21, 7PM to 10PM (Signup starting at 6:45PM.).  Callbacks
will be Thursday, January 22, 7PM to 10PM.

The January 20th audition will be in West Hall room WH 323.

The January 21th audition and January 22th callbacks will be in West Hall
Auditorium.

West Hall is located on the RPI campus on Sage Ave., above the intersection
with 9th St.



Assassins (written by Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman) is a musical that
explores the motives and circumstances surrounding noted presidential
assassins and would-be presidential assassins throughout the course of U.S.
History. The show starts under the premise of a shooting gallery at a
carnival, encouraged by a Proprietor to "shoot a president" since
"everybody's got the right to their dreams". With a guiding and taunting
Balladeer (effectively the narrator), each assassin is spotlighted in a
sympathetic, horrifying, and comical light making Assassins one of the more
intriguing and introspective musicals in recent history. Character
descriptions are below:



+ The BALLADEER
Vocal: A folk-style tenor.
He keeps the show flowing, goading the assassins for their attempts while
being the analyst for each assassin's situation.

+ JOHN WILKES BOOTH (1838-1865)
Vocal: Baritone.
Committed the infamous assassination of President Abraham Lincoln during a
play on April 14, 1865, essentially jump-starting the idea of assassinating
presidents to make a statement.

+ CHARLES GUITEAU (1841-1882)
Vocal: Baritone/Tenor.
Assassinated President James Garfield while the latter was waiting for a
train on July 2, 1881. A very charming man with an incredibly unrealistic
and psychotic sense of self.

+ LEON CZOLOGOSZ (1873-1901)
Vocal: Baritone/Bass.
Assassinated President William McKinley at the Pan American Exposition in
Buffalo, N.Y. on September 6, 1901. He is an impoverished man who is
motivated to kill by his blight of being part of the working class poor, and
perhaps was influenced by a young radical woman at the time.

+ GIUSEPPE ZANGARA (1900-1933)
Vocal: Tenor (must hold an A; Zangara may be cast as a woman due to height
and vocal range)
Attempted to assassinate President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt in Miami on
February 15, 1933. He is a very angry, heavily-accented Italian immigrant
who is driven over the edge by his metaphorical and literal stomach-ache.

+ SAMUEL BYCK (1930-1974)
Vocal: Not applicable; has two large monologues and sings with the assassins
during the opening and finale.
Attempted to assassinate President Richard Nixon by attempting to hijack a
plane to crash into the White House on February 22, 1974. Byck is a
hysterically irate and off-balanced nobody in a Santa Claus suit.

+ LYNETTE "SQUEAKY" FROMME  (1948- )
Vocal: Mezzo.
Attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford on September 5, 1975. She is
a brainwashed hippie in love with Charles Manson.

+ SARA JANE MOORE  (1930- )
Vocal: Mezzo.
Attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford on September 22, 1975. She is
a multi-divorcee/housewife who lacks common sense and social grace. She is
attracted to power and obtaining a higher social status.

+ JOHN HINCKLEY  (1955- )
Vocal: Pop-like tenor.
A depressed college student who attempted to assassinate President Ronald
Reagan on March 30, 1981 in hopes of winning the affection of his lustful
obsession, actress Jodie Foster. Should be able to play guitar.

+ EMMA GOLDMAN
Vocal: N/A.
Turn-of-the-century Anarchist agitator and feminist.

+ THE PROPRIETOR (of a shooting gallery at a carnival)

+ DAVID HEROLD
Vocal: N/A
One of John Wilkes Booth's confederates; aided Booth in his attempted
escape.

+ BILLY
Vocal: N/A
Sara Jane Moore's 10 year old son.

+ LEE HARVEY OSWALD
Vocal: N/A; sings with assassins ensemble during finale
Committed the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, TX on
November 22, 1963.

+ ENSEMBLE of 5-10 voices
All ensemble members will double on other roles, as well as have songs.



Interested parties are asked to prepare 16 bars of a solo part of a Broadway
show tune in their vocal range and bring sheet music, as an accompanist will
be provided.

Assassins will be directed by John Peterson and music directed by Franklin
Leavitt; show dates for Assassins are April 17, 18, 23, 24, 25 at 8PM and
April 19 at 2PM. Performances will be held in the RPI Playhouse on 15th
Street in Troy.

The RPI Players is a student run community theater.  While RPI students are
the primary participants in the organization, auditions and production roles
are open to all community members.

For more information visit http://players.union.rpi.edu or
Phone: 518-276-6503
Email: rpi-players at rpi.edu

---
Eugene W. Kosarovich
Producer
RPI Players "Assassins"