'Assassins' musical brings multiple talents to MTG stage
Under the direction of Phil Ball, the lives of nine misfit men and women, all known for assassinations or attempts on the lives of United States presidents, unfold in a supernatural fashion in “Assassins.”
The Musical Theatre Guild will stage its production of the Steven Sondheim musical for five shows at the William A. Lehnerd Performance Hall.
The musical opens April 5 and continues for evening shows April 6, 11, 12 and 13.
The role of Lee Harvey Oswald is being played by Jud Michael Stewart of Lawrenceville. “He is perhaps best known for assassinating, or not, John F. Kennedy,” said Stewart.
“This whole play is a trip for me. I don't do musicals very often, so I'm stepping outside of my comfort zone on this one,” he noted.
Stewart said he couldn't pass up the chance to audition.
“The show is so well known and has such an intriguing subject matter and the cast are all pros,” he said.
The sheer nature of the show makes it a unique one to prepare for.
“This show is so supernatural and not really based on realism. I can't spend too much time trying to figure out what it would really be like if Oswald and Booth had an argument,” Stewart shared.
John Wilkes Booth will be portrayed by Stefan Lingenfelter of Butler Township. It's not the history text book version of Booth, though.
“This is the John Weidman/Stephen Sondheim version of John Wilkes Booth which is a bit of a caricature of the historic figure. He's not a cartoon version; he is written very three dimensionally, but larger than life and leaning into his theatrical roots as a famous actor of the time,” explained Lingenfelter.
“He has an arrogant flair for dramatics, but his conviction is sincere which gives him a dangerous aura,” he added.
Having never appeared in the popular production, Lingenfelter said he knew the role was too meaty to pass up. “Fantastic music to sing, wickedly fun dialogue, ego, teetering sanity, so much to explore and play. The role has much for an actor to sink their teeth into,” he said.
Sondheim scores are always complex and for Lingenfelter this show is no different. “Acting wise, Booth committed an unspeakably evil act, but there are elements in the show that can lend itself to sympathy for him; as an actor you want steer yourself from accenting those moments in your performance because in the end, this was not a good dude,” he said.
To prepare, Lingenfelter is revisiting the history of Booth through the book, “Manhunt” by James Swanson about the 12-day chase to catch Booth and his accomplices.
“Assassins” spans several musical styles and many decades in a dizzying series of musical and theatrical inventions that culminate in one of the most well-known presidential assassinations.
Also starring in the show are Michael Alexander, Patrick Erkman, Megan Flannery, Bob Colbert, Matt Mlynarski, Ryan Lubin, Matt Leslie, and Sarah Altomari and other ensemble players as well.
The producer is Karen O'Donnell with musical direction by Ken Smith.
WHO: Musical Theatre GuildWHAT: “Assassins” by Stephen Sondheim and John WeidmanWHEN: 7:30 p.m. April 5-6 and 11-13WHERE: MTG's William A. Lehnerd Performance Hall at the rear of Butler Memorial ParkTICKETS: $17, available at www.mtgbutler.org
