ASSASSINS. Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Book by John Weidman Based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr.

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1 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACTS: Suzette Espinosa Fuentes Gino R. Campodonico (786) (786) The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County and Zoetic Stage present the Miami premiere of Stephen Sondheim s killer, five-time Tony Award-winning musical ASSASSINS Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Book by John Weidman Based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr. Sondheim's astonishing score takes staples of American folk, pop and ceremonial music and turns them inside out! - The New York Times Part of the Arsht Center s Theater Up Close Series and Zoetic Stage s Season January 30, 2014 Preview January 31, 2014 Opening Night through February 23, 2014 Tickets: $45* Carnival Studio Theater In the Ziff Ballet Opera House MIAMI, FL January 6, 2014 The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County and Zoetic Stage are proud to present the Miami premiere of ASSASSINS, Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman s Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning revue-style musical based on the men and women who have attempted, successfully or not, to assassinate American presidents. Playing January 30 February 23, 2014 in the intimate Carnival Studio Theater (Ziff Ballet Opera House), ASSASSINS continues the Arsht Center s highly acclaimed Theater Up Close Series which features artistic collaborations from stellar local theater ensembles and nationally acclaimed theater companies. ASSASSINS is made possible with support from Jerry and Adrianne Cohen. Tickets to ASSASSINS are $45*, and may be purchased now through the Adrienne Arsht Center box office by calling (305) or online at

2 We re thrilled to co-present Zoetic Stage s production of Sondheim s ASSASSINS a provocative way to celebrate our first Broadway musical inside our Carnival Studio Theater, said Scott Shiller, executive vice president of the Adrienne Arsht Center. It is an honor to continue our Theater Up Close season with a daring masterpiece from our greatest living musical theater composer, and we re certain Zoetic s stellar cast of acclaimed local actors and creatives will leave South Florida audiences in awe. ASSASSINS is by far one of the most daring, imaginative and darkly comedic American musicals. One of the thrills for me personally is experiencing Mr. Sondheim s music being performed live in the theater, and bringing forth these American outcasts and their passionate, contemplative stories. Our cast is a who s who of South Florida finest actors and singers. Our design team is top notch. And with Caryl Fantel as music director, it feels that all the elements are in place for an extraordinary theatrical event. I can t wait, said Stuart Meltzer, artistic director of Zoetic Stage. Winner of three 2004 Drama Desk Awards and five Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical, ASSASSINS is the show that gives new meaning to the phrase killer musical. With a stylish Stephen Sondheim score and a striking book by John Weidman, ASSASSINS brings to the stage a (shooting) gallery of some of history s most notorious players the men and women who have attempted to kill presidents of the United States of America. Directed by Zoetic Stage artistic director and Silver Palm Award winner Stuart Meltzer and featuring an all-local cast, ASSASSINS looks at the lives, loves and lunacy of nine American assassins including John Wilkes Booth (Nicholas Richberg), Charles Guiteau (Gabriel Zenone), Leon Czolgosz (Nick Duckart), Giuseppe Zangara (Henry Gainza), Lee Harvey Oswald (Chris Crawford), Samuel Byck (Chaz Mena), John Hinckley (Clay Cartland), Lynette Squeaky Fromme (Lindsey Forgey) and Sara Jane Moore (Irene Adjan). Both serious and satirical, the musical asks what hunger drove these people to their actions and what binds them all together. Following ASSASSINS, the Adrienne Arsht Center s Theater Up Close Series continues with Zoetic Stage s CLARK GABLE SLEPT HERE, March 20 - April 6, 2014, a world premiere satire from five-time Carbonell Award-winning playwright Michael McKeever; THE GREAT GOD PAN, May 22 - June 8, 2014, Amy Herzog s critically-acclaimed drama; as well as The House Theatre of Chicago s ROSE AND THE RIME, April 23 - May 18, 2014, an imaginative new myth about the ambivalence of power. About the Cast and Creatives IRENE ADJAN (Sara Jane Moore) was last seen in Zoetic Stage s world premiere production of Michael McKeever's Moscow last season. An 11-time Carbonell Award nominee, she has won the award three times for Funny Girl, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Blood Brothers. Notable appearances include See Jane Run, 1776, and Full Monty (Actors' Playhouse); Benefactors and Smell of the Kill (Palm Beach Dramaworks); In The Next Room, Adding Machine and The Dead (GableStage); Some Kind of Wonderful and Dr. Radio (Florida Stage); and Annie and Music Man (Maltz). Next up, Adjan will be seen in City Theatre's Summer Shorts 2014 at the Arsht Center. She is also chair of the South Florida Equity Liaison Committee. CLAY CARTLAND s (John Hinckley) South Florida credits include Rock Odyssey (Adrienne Arsht Center); Fox on the Fairway, Godspell (Actors' Playhouse); Good People (Gablestage); Jeffrey, Lend Me a Tenor (Stage Door); The Whole Caboodle (Parade Productions); Twentieth Century Way (Carbonell Nomination: Best Ensemble); Body Awareness (Island City Stage); and Song of the Living Dead (Carbonell Nomination: Best Supporting Actor/Silver Palm Award: Outstanding New Talent).

3 CHRIS CRAWFORD (Balladeer/Lee Harvey Oswald) is the 2007 national winner of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Irene Ryan Scholarship, as well as the Mark Twain Comedy Acting Award. He returned home to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2008 to found Playhouse Tulsa, where he served as artistic director until April Regional credits include Palm Beach Dramaworks: The Lion in Winter; American Stage: My Name is Asher Lev, The Foreigner; and freefall Theatre: John & Jen, Romeo + Juliet. Additional credits include Shakespeare Theatre Company (Washington, DC): Edward II, Tamburlaine the Great; Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Othello, The Producers, The Taming of the Shrew; TheatreSquared: Boeing Boeing, Noises Off. NICK DUCKART (Leon Czolgosz) has previously worked with LaJolla Playhouse, New York Musical Theater Festival, North Carolina Theatre, Actors Playhouse, Palm Beach Dramaworks, GableStage, Caldwell Theatre, Gulfshore Playhouse, Mosaic Theatre, Florida Stage, Arts Garage, Plaza Theatre, Broward Stage Door, City Theatre and more. He was a vocalist on Ricky Martin's album Musica +Alma+Sexo. He is a recipient of a Carbonell Award, Silver Palm Award, and the Silver Knight Award in Drama. He received a BFA from New World School of the Arts. LINDSEY FORGEY (Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme) was last seen as Melissa in Zoetic Stage's The Savannah Disputation. Originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, Lindsey has a BFA in Musical Theatre from New World School of the Arts and is a member of the Actors' Equity Association. She has worked all over South Florida in many regional theaters. When she isn't onstage, she spends her days at Insight for the Blind, helping to produce books and magazines for the blind, through the Library of Congress. HENRY GAINZA s (Giuseppe Zangara) South Florida credits include Viva Broadway, In the Heights - Piragua, Spelling Bee - William Barfee; Johnny Guitar - Trio. Off-Broadway/New York: 4 Guys Named Jose (Original Cast/Cast Album/Carbonell Nomination), Broadway Idol (New York Musical Theater Festival), Jose Limon (Symphony Space), Zapata (New Signature Theatre). International credits: Grease, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Regional: Actors Playhouse, Arena Stage, Goodspeed Opera House, Arts Garage. TV/Film credits: "Throwdown with Bobby Flay", "Saturday Night Live" and the award-winning Isabella Rico. Concept Albums: Frank Wildhorn's Wonderland and Tears of Heaven. Songwriting Honors: John Lennon Songwriting Contest, International Songwriting Contest, USA Songwriting Contest. Henry has headlined as a songwriter in the "Broadway at Birdland" concert series. He also served as Director of Entertainment for NYC's HOLA Awards in 2010/11. Henry is a cofounder of District Stage Company. CHAZ MENA s (Samuel Byck) New York credits include the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre, The Flea Theatre, Spanish Repertory, The New Georges Theatre, INTAR, The American Place Theatre, and The Cherry Lane Theatre. Regional credits include Laguna Playhouse, Baltimore s Centerstage, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cleveland Playhouse, Eugene O Neill Theatre Center, Arena Stage in D.C., San Diego Repertory Theater, Arizona Jewish Theatre in Phoenix, Theater Virginia, Coconut Grove Playhouse, American Stage in St. Petersburg, GablesStage, Florida Shakespeare, and Actors Playhouse in Miami. In addition, he is a Carbonell Award winner, and has been nominated for ACE, ALMA and Pennylvania Critics Awards for his theater work. NICHOLAS RICHBERG (John Wilkes Booth) most recently appeared in Cock by Mike Bartlett at GableStage (Silver Palm Award). At Zoetic Stage at the Arsht Center: All New People by Zach Braff (Miami New Times Best Ensemble ); Captiva by Christopher Demos-Brown. Nicholas has starred in numerous world premieres by Zoetic Stage co-founder Michael McKeeever including Melt at Actors Playhouse and Stuff at The Caldwell Theatre Company. He has more than a decade of theater credits, multiple Carbonell Award nominations, and also made Miami New Times Best Of and The Miami Herald s Top Ten lists. He s been a recurring

4 guest star on The Glades on A&E and the voice and face of numerous products. He is a graduate of the University of Miami. GABRIEL ZENONE (Charles Guiteau) was previously seen in Leonard Bernstein s Candide at Lincoln Center, PBS Great Performances series; Sweeney Todd and Phantom of the Opera in Los Angeles; Grand Hotel at The Pasadena Playhouse; and, most recently, as Sylvia St. Croix in the Actors Playhouse production of Ruthless! SHANE TANNER (Proprietor) was last seen in the world premiere production of Fear Up Harsh at the Adrienne Arsht Center earlier this season. He was also in Rock Odyssey at the Arsht Center; 1776 at Actors Playhouse; The Irish Curse (Silver Palm Recipient and Carbonell winner) at Mosaic Theater; She Loves Me at Caldwell Theatre; Mack & Mabel at Broward Stage Door; Jeffrey at the Byron Carlyle Theater; and Company in Concert at Palm Beach Dramaworks. He is also a Curtain Up Award winner, multiple Carbonell Award nominee, and a proud veteran of the U.S. Army. STEPHANIE WHITE (Ensemble) recently graduated salutatorian with a BFA from New World School of the Arts. She's currently touring schools with City Theatre's Shorts For Kids. Previous credits include The Brand New Kid (Ms. Kincaid/Mrs. Gasky); Cabaret (Frau Schneider); Three Sisters (Irena); Spring Awakening (Thea); Antigone (Antigone); and her original one-womanshow To Bean or Not to Bean (Jenna). KRISTIAN BIKIC s (Ensemble) past credits include a variety of children s shows at Actors Playhouse such as Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day! (Nick/Albert) and A Christmas Carol (Featured Ensemble). Other credits consist of Cabaret (Bobby) and Make Me A Song (Revue) at New World School of the Arts. STUART MELTZER (Director, Sound Design) is the artistic director and a founding member of Zoetic Stage. He returns to the Arsht Center after directing Zoetic Stage s highly successful productions of Fear Up Harsh, The Savannah Disputation, All New People, I Am My Own Wife (Carbonell Nomination, Best Director), Moscow, The SantaLand Diaries, Captiva (Carbonell Nomination, Best Director) and South Beach Babylon. This past summer, he directed the South American premiere of Wallace Shawn s La Fiebre in Lima, Peru at the Instituto Cultural Peruano Norteamericano. Previously, Stuart served as the artistic director of City Theatre in Miami, where he oversaw and expanded the Summer Shorts festival. New York credits include: Romulus Linney's Gint, Harold Pinter's One for the Road, Aristaphanes' Lysistrata, Ntozake Shange's For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf, as well as Morzek's Striptease. South Florida directing credits include: Kiss of the Spider Woman, Painted Alice, Barefoot Boy With Shoes On, Everything Will be Different and Melt. He is the proud recipient of a Silver Palm Award for his Consistent Outstanding Work as the Resident Director of Zoetic Stage. He received his MFA in Directing from the Actors Studio in 2002 and BFA from New World School of the Arts in Miami, where he currently serves as part of the faculty. STEPHEN SONDHEIM (Music and Lyrics) wrote the music and lyrics for Saturday Night (1954), A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to The Forum (1962), Anyone Can Whistle (1964), Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), The Frogs (1974), Pacific Overtures (1976), Sweeney Todd (1979), Merrily We Roll Along (1981), Sunday In The Park With George (1984), Into The Woods (1987), Assassins (1991), Passion (1994) and Road Show (2008) as well as lyrics for West Side Story (1957), Gypsy (1959) and Do I Hear a Waltz? (1965) and additional lyrics for Candide (1973). Anthologies of his work include: Side By Side By Sondheim (1976), Marry Me A Little (1981), You re Gonna Love Tomorrow (1983), Putting It Together (1993/99) and Sondheim on Sondheim (2010). He composed the scores of the films "Stavisky" (1974) and Reds (1981) and songs for Dick Tracy (1990) and the television production Evening Primrose (1966). His collected lyrics with attendant essays have been

5 published in two volumes: "Finishing the Hat" (2010) and "Look, I Made A Hat" (2011). In 2010, the Broadway theater formerly known as Henry Miller's Theatre was renamed in his honor. JOHN WEIDMAN (Book) wrote the book for Pacific Overtures (Tony Award nominations for Best Book and Best Musical), produced and directed on Broadway by Hal Prince. He coauthored the new book for Lincoln Center Theater s Tony Award-winning revival of Cole Porter s Anything Goes, a new production which was mounted last fall by Trevor Nunn at the National Theatre. Weidman wrote the book for Assassins, scored by Stephen Sondheim, directed Off- Broadway by Jerry Zaks and in London s West End (Drama Critics Award for Best Musical) by Sam Mendes. He wrote the book for big (Tony Award nominations, Best Book), score by Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire, directed on Broadway by Mike Ockrent, and, with director/choreographer Susan Stroman, co-created the musical Contact (Tony Award nomination, Best Book), which won the 2000 Tony Award for Best Musical. Weidman is writing the book for Bounce, score by Stephen Sondheim, direction by Harold Prince, which is currently in production at the Goodman Theater in Chicago. Since 1986, he has written for Sesame Street, receiving eleven Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing for a Children s Program. Weidman is president of the Dramatists Guild of America. ASSASSINS s creative team features musical direction by Caryl Fantel; choreography by Elizabeth Malm; costume design by Alberto Arroyo; scenic design by Zoetic Stage founding member and multiple Carbonell Award winner Michael McKeever; sound design by Stuart Meltzer; lighting design by Ron Burns; properties by Jodi Dellaventura; stage management by Monica Soderman; and production management by Natalie Taveras. CALENDAR LISTING Adrienne Arsht Center and Zoetic Stage present ASSASSINS Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Book by John Weidman Based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr. Directed by Stuart Meltzer Preview: January 30, 2014 Opening Night: January 31, 2014 Through February 23, 2014 Carnival Studio Theater Adrienne Arsht Center Tickets: $45* Sondheim's astonishing score takes staples of American folk, pop and ceremonial music and turns them inside out! - The New York Times Winner of three 2004 Drama Desk Awards and five Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical, ASSASSINS is the show that gives new meaning to the phrase killer musical. With a stylish Stephen Sondheim score and a provocative book by John Weidman, ASSASSINS brings to the stage a (shooting) gallery of some of history s most notorious players the men and women who have attempted to kill presidents of the United States of America. This striking work looks at the lives, loves and lunacy of nine American assassins, including John Wilkes Booth, John Hinckley, Lee Harvey Oswald and Lynette Squeaky Fromme. Both serious and satirical, the musical asks what hunger drove these people to their actions and what binds them all together. Is that drive what makes them quintessentially American? ASSASSINS is made possible with support from Jerry and Adrianne Cohen. Part of the Theater Up Close Series. *All programs, artists, ticket prices, availability, dates and times are subject to change without notice. Visit for up-to-date information for details and schedules.

6 Photo: Ctrl + Click Photo(s) for High-Resolution Download. Additional high-resolution photos are available at The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is made possible by the public support of the Miami-Dade County Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council and the City of Miami Omni Community Redevelopment Agency, as well as the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. The Adrienne Arsht Center also receives generous support from individuals, corporations and local, state and national foundations. Zoetic Stage is made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners. ### About the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County Set in the heart of downtown Miami and designed by world-renowned architect Cesar Pelli, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is one of the world s leading performing arts organizations and venues. Spotlighting legends and serving as a launch pad for local artists to make their mark on the international stage, the Center presents nearly 500 events each year across its eight flexible, state-of-the-art performance spaces. The Center programs 12 signature series, including the largest jazz series in South Florida, the biggest flamenco festival on the East Coast, and a robust program of new theatrical works as well as free programming for the community and an arts education program that serves nearly 30,000 children each year. Since opening in 2006, the Arsht Center, a 501C3 non-profit organization, has emerged as a leader in presenting innovative programming that mirrors South Florida s diversity as well as a catalyst for billions of dollars in new development in the downtown area. Visit for more information. About Zoetic Stage Zoetic Stage was founded in 2010, with the mission to create theatrical experiences that span a variety of cultures and styles. The company produces contemporary plays and musicals that reflect the South Florida community and resonate universally, with a strong commitment to developing new work to become part of the American stage repertoire. Zoetic Stage has been nominated for an impressive thirteen Carbonell Awards, including two for Best Production of the Year, and won three of the coveted awards including Best New Work. Zoetic Stage productions have received four Silver Palm Awards for Outstanding Achievement.

7 Zoetic Stage is an Associate Member of the National New Play Network and a member of the South Florida Theater League Visit for more information.