Musical Assassins Sets Broadway Dates; Tickets on Sale Feb. 23
Playbill Online
November 18, 2003
By Ernio Hernandez

The Roundabout Theatre Company has announced dates for its upcoming revival of the Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman musical Assassins on Broadway.

Beginning previews March 19, 2004, the long-awaited staging will open at Roundabout's new musical home Studio 54, April 22, 2004.

Tickets will be made available Feb. 23, 2004 through (212) 719-1300 or online at www.roundabouttheatre.org. The Studio 54 box office will open for Assassins March 5, 2004.

Neil Patrick Harris (Proof, Cabaret) will lead the cast of the John F. Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald and the Balladeer. The two roles are being combined for the Broadway staging — the original Off-Broadway run featured Jace Alexander as Oswald and Patrick Cassidy as Balladeer.

As previously reported by PBOL, actor-comedian Mario Cantone, currently starring on Broadway in The Violet Hour, is set to star in Assassins, playing would be Nixon killer Samuel Byck. Broadway's Tommy Michael Cerveris told Playbill On-Line he is slated to play John Wilkes Booth — a role set to be played (in 2001) by Douglas Sills (Little Shop of Horrors). Raúl Esparza, who is in the new musical Taboo, meanwhile, has said he would also like to be part of the cast. He was originally scheduled to play failed FDR assassin Giuseppe Zangara.

Assassins, which debuted at Playwrights Horizons in 1990, centers on nine presidential assassins and would-be assassins. Tony Award winner Joe Mantello (Wicked, Take Me Out ) will direct. Paul Gemignani (Into The Woods, Kiss Me, Kate) will serve as musical director.

Roundabout had slated a 2001 production of the musical which was postponed in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. This staging will mark the musical's Broadway premiere.

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