MCCC Explores The Nightmares Of The American Dream In ASSASSINS At Kelsey Theatre 7/24-8/2

Cheng/Ferrara Productions explores the nightmarish underbelly of the American dream in "Assassins" at Mercer County Community College's Kelsey Theatre. Dates and show times for this Tony Award winning musical are: Fridays, July 24 and 31 at 8 p.m., Saturdays, July 25 and Aug. 1 at 8 p.m., and Sundays, July 26 and Aug. 2 at 2 p.m. Kelsey Theatre is located on the college's West Windsor campus at 1200 Old Trenton Road. A reception with the cast and crew follows the opening night performance on July 24.

With Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman combining forces on a compelling musical score, the show explores the history of presidential assassins in America, dramatizing the troubling notion that our most infamous killers are as much a product of our culture as the leaders they seek to harm. The revue-style musical sets a sinister tone from its opening number, "Everybody's Got the Right," with a carnival barker encouraging the crowd to step up and kill one of the presidents depicted on his revolving wheel.

Freely mixing past and present, characters range from John Wilkes Booth and his assassination of Lincoln, to Squeaky Fromme's attempt on Gerald Ford and John Hinckley Jr.'s attempt on Ronald Reagan. In the climactic scene, this band of miscreants implores Lee Harvey Oswald to assassinate President Kennedy in a futile effort to justify its own meaningless acts of violence.

First opening Off-Broadway in 1991, where it played for 73 performances, "Assassins" debuted on Broadway in 2004 in a Roundabout Theater Company production. The show won five Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical and Best Direction of a Musical. "Assassins" also won three 2004 Drama Desk awards.

The cast includes: Tom Bessellieu of Lawrenceville as Samuel Joseph Byck; Jennifer Devenio of Monroe as Sara Jane Moore; Sean Downing of Mt. Laurel as Leon Frank Czolgosz; Hilary Goldman of Princeton as Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme; Williams Kamps of Burlington as John Wilkes Booth; Kyrus of Hamilton as the Balladeer; Paul Lasky of New Egypt as John Hinckley Jr.; Jacob Porter of Richboro, Pa., as Giuseppe Zangara; Andrew Young of Old Bridge as the Proprietor; and John Zimmerman of Bensalem, Pa., as Charles Julius Guiteau. The show is directed by Frank Ferrara, with musical direction by Nick Cheng and choreography by Jill Potash.

Tickets for "Assassins" are $16 for adults, $14 for seniors, and $12 for students and children. Free parking is available next to the theater. Tickets may be purchased online at www.kelseytheatre.net or by calling the Kelsey Box Office at 609-570-3333. Kelsey Theatre is wheelchair accessible and provides assisted listening devices upon request.

 

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