Blackfriars Mounts Bold Re-Imagining of Stephen Sondheim's ASSASSINS

Blackfriars Theatre opens its 2016-2017 Season with a gritty and stark 're-imagining' of the multiple Tony Award-winning theatrical tour-de-force musical Assassins. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by John Weidman and based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr. this incarnation has been tailored specifically for the Blackfriars stage!

Touted as "bold, disturbing, and alarmingly funny," Assassins lays bare the lives of nine individuals who assassinated or tried to assassinate the President of the United States. From John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald, writers Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman bend the rules of time and space, taking us on a nightmarish roller coaster ride in which assassins and would-be assassins from different historical periods meet, interact and inspire each other to harrowing acts in the name of the American Dream. The re-imagining of the piece comes in the form of the artists serving as their own orchestra. In Blackfriars production, the actors (who are traditionally supported by an offstage orchestra in a musical) will take on the role of both performer and musician and move between those roles fluidly throughout the course of the production and right in front of the eyes of the audience. Most of the actors currently play an instrument or two and many of them are learning new instruments just for this production.

"At our Season Announcement Event in March, we spoke about raising the level of expectations in both our artists and our patrons. We should expect more from our artists, challenging ourselves to raise the quality and creativity of our artistry," says the productions co-director and Blackfriars Artistic and Managing Director Danny Hoskins. "Also, our community should expect more diversity, a higher level of integrity and more challenging work from us. What better way to lay the ground work for that ideal than to have the cast not only perform as actor and storyteller, but also as their own musicians!"

"Blackfriars is known for pushing theatrical boundaries and this is no exception," adds the productions co-director Janine Mercandetti. "This production of Assassins is unlike anything our community has seen before!"

The cast features the incredible talents of Steve Cena as Sam Byck, Megan Colombo as Giuseppe Zangara, Rory Cushman as Ensemble / Lee Harvey Oswald, Jessica Kaufman as Ensemble / The Boy, Greg Gascon as Ensemble / Soldier, Lani Toyama Hoskins as Ensemble / Lee Harvey Oswald, Steven Hoskins as John Hinckley, Colin D. Pazik as John Wilkes Booth, Andy Pratt as Proprietor / Ensemble, Abby Reinhard as Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, Ann Rhody as Ensemble / Emma Goldman, Nick Rogers as Charles Guiteau, Rachel Walsh as Sara Jane Moore, Matt Wegman as Balladeer / Lee Harvey Oswald/ Ensemble and John Winter as Leon Czolgosz. The show is co-directed by Blackfriars Artistic and Managing Director Danny Hoskins and Janine Mercandetti and is musical directed by Andy Pratt.

Assassins will play at Blackfriars Theatre beginning September 2 and running through September 24. Performances are Fridays, September 2 and 9 at 8:00 pm; Saturdays, September 3, 10, 17 and 24 at 8:00 pm; Sundays, September 4, 11 and 18 at 2:00 pm and Thursdays, September 8 and 22 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $31.50-$39.50 and available in person at Blackfriars Theatre, online at www.blackfriars.org, or by calling 585-454-1260. If available, tickets can be purchased at the door beginning one-hour prior to performance. Box Office hours are Monday through Friday,10:00 am to 2:00 p.m. MasterCard, Visa, and Discover are accepted at no additional charge. Blackfriars Theatre, a professional, not-for-profit theatre is located at 795 East Main Street. Parking is available on site. Handicapped seating is available. For more information regarding Blackfriars Theatre, please visit their website at www.blackfriars.org.