Show Description

Bold, original, thought-provoking and alarmingly funny! Winner of five Tony Awards!

Assassins lays bare the lives of nine men and women who assassinated or attempted to assassinate the President of the United States. From Charles Guiteau to John Hinckley, John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald, Assassins explores the underbelly of the American Dream and our right 'to be happy.'

Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman's groundbreaking musical take us on a musical rollercoaster ride.

“Sidesplitting and sobering in equal measure, this is the most provocative musical in years.” - Los Angeles Times

Please Note: This production contains strong language, smoking, simulated gunfire and flashing lights.

Cast

Bryan Banville David Herold/Bystander

is thrilled to return to Cygnet Theatre. Bryan was most recently seen in Lambs Player’s Theatre’s smash hit Mixtape at the Horton Grand Theater in downtown San Diego.  His other San Diego theater credits include – Cygnet Theatre: Man of La Mancha (Anselmo/Multeer); The Old Globe: Anna Christie (Longshoreman); New Village Arts Theatre: Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings! (Frankie); Coronado Playhouse: 42nd Street (Billy Lawlor), and Scripps Performing Arts Academy: Little Shop of Horrors (Orin Scrivello D.D.S.).  Additional theatre credits include Once on This Island (Daniel), You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Charlie Brown) and Schoolhouse Rock Live!  He competed as a Top 16 Finalist as part of NBC’s singing competition show “The Sing Off” with his college a cappella group Extreme Measures.  He is a graduate of the University of Connecticut.

Stewart Calhoun Bystander

Assassins marks Stewart's first production with Cygnet Theatre. Recently appeared at the Diversionary Theatre as Charlie Shmaltz in the three-person musical comedy adaptation of A Christmas Carol, Scrooge in Rouge as well as Luke in Next Fall. Some of Stewart's favorite LA Theatre credits include: How Cissy Grew (LA Weekly Nomination-Best Supporting Actor), Thrill Me, The Leopold and Loeb Story (Ovation Nomination and Garland Award winner for best ensemble) and dark play or stories for boys (LA Weekly Nomination-leading male performance). Stewart has worked with South Coast Rep, Theatre @ Boston Court, Chicago Shakes, developed original site specific theatre with Nothing Without a Company and holds a BFA from the Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago.

Jacob Caltrider Balladeer/Lee Harvey Oswald

Resident Artist. For Cygnet: Parade, Little Shop of Horrors, Cabaret, Sweeney Todd, A Christmas Carol  and The History Boys. Other San Diego credits include the How the Grinch Stole Christmas!  (2011,2012) The Rocky Horror Show , Old Globe Theatre; Harmony Kansas, Twist, Yank! and The Daddy Machine, Diversionary); It's Christmas and It's LIVE Lamb's Players; The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and A Christmas Carol, North Coast Repertory Theatre.

Sandy Campbell Emma Goldman/Bystander

Resident Artist. Cygnet Theatre: Parade (Lucille),The Norman Conquests (Sarah), Communicating Doors (Ruella- Craig Noel Award), A Little Night Music (Charlotte), Noises Off (Belinda), Mauritius (Mary), and the role of Fosca in the staged concert of Passion. San Diego REP: Clybourne Park (Bev/Kathy). La Jolla Playhouse: Zhivago- the musical.  Lamb’s Players Theatre-Associate Artist: The Music Man (Marian), The Light in the Piazza (Signora Naccarelli), 1776 (Abigail).  Moonlight Stage Productions: Lost in Yonkers (Bella), She Loves Me (Amalia), The Most Happy Fella (Rosabella), Hairspray (Female Authority Figure). Starlight: Into the Woods (Cinderella). Intrepid Shakespeare Co.: A Midsummer Night’s Dream- the musical (Titania/Hippolyta).  NCRT: The Batting Cage (Juliana), Man of La Mancha (Aldonza). Diversionary: Falsettos (Cordelia).  Solo recording: Crazy World (cdbaby and itunes). Proud member of Actor’s Equity. www.performerprofiles.com/sandycampbell.

Geno Carr Charles Guiteau

Resident Artist. Geno is thrilled to return to Cygnet after appearances in Sweeney Todd, Little Shop of Horrors and Parade. SD credits include The Old Globe: world premiere of Allegiance and How the Grinch Stole Christmas 10’/11’; Lamb’s Players: miXtape, The Music Man and Servant of Two Masters (Critics Circle nomination); North Coast Rep: A Christmas Carol ‘08/’09 and I Love You Because; Lyric Opera SD: A Waltz Dream. He made his Off-Broadway debut in Bush Wars and was seen on the national tours of Phantom, The Buddy Holly Story and Grease. Favorite regional credits include The Producers (Leo), The Full Monty (Harold), Forever Plaid (Sparky), Peter Pan (Smee), City of Angels (Buddy), South Pacific (Billis), I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Man #2) and Thoroughly Modern Millie (Trevor Graydon). He holds an M.F.A. in Acting and Directing from Sarah Lawrence College and a dual B.A. in Music and Theatre Arts from Hartwick College. www.GenoCarr.com.

Andy Collins Proprieter/Bystander

Resident Artist. Andy has been seen on the Cygnet Theatre stage in Cabaret (Max), The Matchmaker (Ambrose), My Fair Lady (Harry) and Pageant (Miss Great Plains). Some of his other credits include Pippin (Charles), Twist (Mr. Sowerberry), Break Up Notebook (Bob), Falsettos (Mendel), The Rocky Horror Show (Brad) at Diversionary Theatre, Gypsy (Herbie), Parasite Drag (Gene) at ion Theatre, The Full Monty (Harold), Bye Bye Birdie (Maude) at San Diego Musical Theatre, Storyville at San Diego Rep and Sweeney Todd at The Fritz Theatre. Andy started performing at Junior Theatre and The School Of Creative and Performing Arts.

Manny Fernandes Samuel Byck

Resident Artist. Previously at Cygnet Theatre The Tragedy of the Commons, Private Lives, Mauritius, A Christmas Carol, Communicating Doors, Bug, Burn This, Escanaba in da Moonlight. Select San Diego Credits include Same Time, Next Year, Buried Child, Of Mice and Men (Craig Noel Award), Simpatico, The Man Who, Into the Woods, Sailor's Song, and Golden Boy (Craig Noel Award) at New Village Arts (Ensemble Member); Jeffrey, Boys in the Band, Never the Sinner, Cloud 9, Fifth of July at Diversionary Theatre; Arcadia, Moon over Buffalo, The Rivals, An American Daughter at North Coast Rep; Death of a Salesman, A Christmas Carol, Cabaret at San Diego Rep. Films include Ozark Savage and 29th and Gay. Manny studied acting at UCSD, and currently serves as Marketing Director for Cygnet Theatre. His favorite role is husband to the talented Melissa Fernandes and father to Isabella Rose and Jack Dylan.

Melissa Fernandes Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme

Resident Artist. Cygnet Theatre: Little Shop of Horrors (nominee, SD Critics Circle), Cabaret (nominee, SD Critics Circle),  A Little Night Music, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Book of Liz, It’s a Wonderful Life; A Christmas Carol. San Diego Theatre: New Village Arts (Ensemble Member):  Same Time, Next Year, The Seven Year Itch, Into the Woods (nominee, SD Critics Circle); Diversionary Theatre (Associate Artist): Falsettos, The Rocky Horror Show, Break – Up Notebook, Bunbury, 5th of July, Never the Sinner; North Coast Rep: Dancing at Lughnasa, Last Night of Ballyhoo, Holiday Memories; Moxie Theatre: Drink Me, Dog Act;  Sledgehammer: Sweet Charity; Regional: Sierra Rep: Little Shop of Horrors; La Jolla Playhouse: Harmony; Education: MFA- Musical Theatre from SDSU.

Melinda Gilb Sara Jane Moore

Resident Artist. Melinda has been a professional Actor for over 30 years. Previously at Cygnet: A Christmas Carol, Dirty Blonde, The Receptionist. Some of her other credits include: Broadway - Singin’ in the Rain (Original cast); Off Broadway - Back to Bacharach and David (Original cast), Suds (Original cast and co-author); 1st National tour – Joseph Papp’s The Pirates of Penzance.  San Diego Theatre: Old Globe: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Original Mama Who), Suds (Marge); San Diego Repertory: Walter Cronkite is Dead, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Miss Witherspoon, Always Patsy Cline; Starlight Theatre: Hello Dolly (Dolly Levi), Sweeney Todd (Mrs. Lovet, Craig Noel Award), Annie (Miss Hannigan); North Coast Rep: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Smell of the Kill; Welk Resort Theatre: Thoroughly Modern Millie (Mrs. Meers).  Melinda and Steve Show with Steve Gunderson: New York, Los Angeles and San Diego. Television: BBC-1: Featured on The Full Wax and Ruby Takes a Trip; CBS: Becker (Guest Star). Favorite role: Mama to her 9 year old son Knight.

Jaycob Hunter Giuseppe Zangara

Jaycob is thrilled to be on stage at the Cygnet Theatre for the first time.  After having been in San Diego for a few years of college, he is excited to return to his favorite city to do the thing he loves most.  He most recently acted as Jeff in [title of show] and Cliff in Cabaret.  Other credits include South Coast Repertory’s productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and A Christmas Carol.  Thank you to the cast and crew, and to the production team for this wonderful opportunity.  Thanks Mom and Dad for your love and support.

Jason Maddy Leon Czolgosz

Jason is grateful to be returning to Cygnet Theatre. San Diego Theatre credits include: The Old Globe Theatre, San Diego Repertory Theatre, Moonlight Stage Productions, North Coast Repertory Theatre, Ion Theatre Company, Welk Resort Theatre, San Diego Musical Theater, Premiere Productions and Intrepid Shakespeare Company. Other Theatre Credits include: The Utah Shakespearean Festival, Illinois Shakespeare Festival and Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival. Some favorite roles include Louis in Angels in America, Jeff in I Love You Because, Touchstone in As You Like It and his most recent three-role journey through Clybourne Park. Jason holds an MFA from the University of Illinois Urban-Champaign.

Mitzi Michaels Bystander

Mitzi is honored to be making her Cygnet Theatre debut in Assassins, written by her favorite composer, Stephen Sondheim! Mitzi received her BFA in Musical Theatre from The Boston Conservatory and recently graduated with her MFA in Musical Theatre from San Diego State University, where she also taught undergraduate Acting & Musical Theatre. Mitzi is dedicated to being a performer and educator and currently teaches Acting at USD. Previously Mitzi lived in New York City and worked for Binder Casting as a casting director for Broadway shows. Favorite credits include Sweeney Todd at Moonlight Amphitheater and Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. Thanks to Sean Murray. Love to M, D & J. www.MitziMichaels.com.

Braxton Molinaro John Wilkes Booth

Braxton is ecstatic to be joining the cast of Assassins. Most recently, he starred in A Soldier's Tale at the world-renowned Music Instrument Museum in Arizona and a concert in New York City at the Lamb's Club featuring works of new Broadway composer Jay Kuo. Since graduating college from the North Carolina School of The Arts in May 2011, Braxton has participated in developmental readings of New York productions of Bare: A Pop Opera and Allegiance (coming to Broadway this fall), as well as leading in a short film entitled Your Mother's Butt by Academy Award Winner Alan Ball.

Kürt Norby John Hinckley

Previously at Cygnet Theatre: Man of La Mancha and Sweeney Todd. World Premieres: Allegiance with Lea Salonga and George Takei (The Old Globe), Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin, and Zhivago (La Jolla Playhouse). Regional: Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (The Old Globe), Mixtape, Leaving Iowa, Room Service, Hello, Dolly!, The Voysey Inheritance and The Winslow Boy (Lamb’s Players Theatre), Evita, The Desert Song and Bye Bye Birdie (Welk Resorts Theatre), Beauty and the Beast (Moonlight Amphitheater), Suds: The Rocking ‘60s Musical Soap Opera, Urinetown, Fiddler on the Roof and The Scarlet Pimpernel (Starlight Musical Theatre) and Miss Saigon (Fullerton Civic Light Opera). His film credits include 29th & Gay, U R Pre-Approved and Rubix Cube Dinner. He received his B.A. in Drama from UC Irvine. Love to Kyle. www.kurtnorby.com.

The Team

Stephen Sondheim Music & Lyrics
Sondheim is a major American composer and lyricist, credited by many as reinventing the modern stage musical. He was born in New York City and raised in New York and Pennsylvania. As a teenager, his neighbor was Oscar Hammerstein II, who became Sondheim’s mentor. Sondheim graduated from Williams College, where he received the Hutchinson Prize for Music Composition. After graduation, he studied music theory and composition with Milton Babbitt. Stephen Sondheim’s works have accumulated more than sixty individual and collaborative Tony Awards. “Sooner Or Later,” from the film Dick Tracy, won the 1999 Academy Award for Best Song. Mr. Sondheim received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1984 for Sunday in the Park with George. In 1983, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters, which awarded him the Gold Medal for Music in 2006. He was the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award in the 1993 Kennedy Center Honors. Mr. Sondheim is on the Council of the Dramatists Guild, the national association of playwrights, composers, and lyricists, having served as its President from 1973 to 1981. In 1981, he founded Young Playwrights, Inc., to develop and promote the work of American playwrights aged 18 years and younger.

John Weidman Book
Weidman wrote the book for Pacific Overtures (Tony nominations, Best Book and Best Musical), with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The pair also collaborated on Bounce which was later renamed Road Show. He co-authored the new book for the revival of Cole Porter’s Anything Goes (Tony Award, Best Musical Revival; Olivier Award, Best Musical Production). He also wrote the book for Happiness, Take Flight, and Big (Tony nomination, Best Book). He co-created with choreographer/director Susan Stroman the musical Contact. Since 1986, he has written for Sesame Street, receiving more than a dozen Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing for a Children’s Program. From 1999 to 2009 he served as president of the Dramatists Guild of America.

Sean Murray Director
Mr. Murray co-founded Cygnet Theatre in 2002 along with partner Bill Schmidt. Cygnet Theatre: Man of La Mancha, Dirty Blonde, Parade, Little Shop of Horrors, Our Town, Cabaret, The Tragedy of the Commons, The Norman Conquests, Private Lives, Sweeney Todd, It’s a Wonderful Life, Noises Off, Bed and Sofa ‘09, The History Boys, A Christmas Carol, A Little Night Music (SD Critic’s Award, Best Director), The Receptionist, The Invention of Love, Bed and Sofa ‘04 (SD Critic’s Award, Best Director, Best Musical Revival), Las Meninas, Escanaba in da Moonlight (SD Critic’s Circle, Set Design), The Book of Liz, Pageant, Bug, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, St. Nicholas, The Matchmaker, Desire Under the Elms, Santaland Diaries, Firebugs, Fully Committed, Arcadia, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Little Foxes, My Fair Lady. Elsewhere: North Coast Rep: The Elephant Man (Patté Award, Direction), Man of La Mancha, The Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties; Diversionary: Never the Sinner, Love! Valour! Compassion!. Education: University of North Carolina School of the Arts (BFA). In 2000, Sean was named one of San Diego Magazine’s “50 People to Watch” and in 2005 he was named Producer of the Year by the San Diego Critic’s Circle.

Patrick Marion Music Director
Cygnet Theatre: Little Shop of Horrors, Cabaret. San Diego Theatre: Lamb’s Players Theatre (Associate Artist): miXtape, The Music Man, An American Christmas (’09 through ’12), Pump Boys and Dinettes, Godspell, Boomers; San Diego Musical Theatre: Smokey Joe’s Cafe; Diversionary Theatre: Moscow (Award for Outstanding Musical Direction, StageSceneLA); American Rose Theatre: Spring Awakening; Francis Parker: Once on This Island, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Always, Patsy Cline; Coronado Playhouse: Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party; Ariel Performing Arts: Zanna, Don’t! A Musical Fairy Tale; Regional Theatre: Temecula Valley Players: Jesus Christ Superstar.

David Brannen Choreographer
David has been an actor/director/choreographer in town for over 20 years. He choreographed Cabaret and Parade for Cygnet at the Old Town Theatre, as well as the production of My Fair Lady which was seen on Cygnet’s Rolando stage in 2006. For three years, David restaged the original choreography of How the Grinch Stole Christmas at the Old Globe Theatre. He received a San Diego Theatre Critic’s Circle Award for his choreographic work on Cabaret both at Cygnet and at North Coast Repertory Theatre. Other choreography credits include: Starlight Musical Theatre: Oklahoma!, Evita, Jekyll and Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Urinetown, Company, Sweeney Todd; Sierra Repertory Theatre: Suds, Oklahoma!, Something’s Afoot; Moonlight Theatre: Beauty and the Beast, Route 66; Pump Boys and Dinettes; Lyric Opera San Diego: Fiddler on the Roof, Babes in Arms, Iolanthe, The Merry Widow, Man of La Mancha, Blame it on the Movies, HMS Pinafore.