Patrika Darbo"

0 24 THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, ,f 991 It's murder getting to see Sondheim's 'Assassins' NEW YORK. (AP) — It's the hot- merit, which ends Fcb. 16, has long Zaks, a two-time Tony winner who Samuel Byck who in 1974 attempted test theater ticket in New York and been sold out. Each day a line forms supervised Lincoln Center Theater's to aveisai nate President Nixon by one of the most controversial. But at the boxofficc window of Play- successful revival of "Anything hijacking an airliner with the inten- what else would you expect from a wrights Horizons, the off-Broadway Goes" as well as its current hit, "Six tions of crashing the plane into the Stephen Sondheim musical called theater company presenting the Degrees of Separation." Paul Ge- White House, "Assassins," a show about the men show at its small, 140-seat theater. mignani, working in "Assassins" Even a few presidents are put on and women who have tried to kill Would-be theatergoers wait for can- with only two other musicians, has stage. There's no Lincoln or Kenne- presidents of the United States? cellations or ticket returns for the conducted all of Sondheim's most dy, but actor William Parry gets to In the past, Sondheim has provid- musical, which opens officially Sun- recent shows, including "Into the play both President James A. Gar- ed the music and lyrics for some of day night after five weeks of preview Woods," "Sunday in the Park With field, assassinated in 1881 by Broadway's most unconventional performances. George" and "Sweeney Todd." Charles Guitesu, and President Ger- and innovative musicals. Such shows On some recent afternoons, if those Sondheim has been reluctant to ald Ford, stalked by both Lynette as "Anyone Can Whistle," "Com- hopefuls had glanced through a pair of talk about the musical before it "Squeaky" Fromme and Sara Jane pany," "Follies," "Pacific Over- curtained glass doors into the lobby, opens. So has the rest of the compa- Moore in 1975. tures," "Sweeney Todd" and "Sun- they might have seen Sondheim him- ny. But some details have become The 16-member cast contains no day in the Park With George" ex- self meeting with other members of the known. The 90-minute show, per- obvious boxoffice stars but includes tended what the American musical musical production team to discuss formed without an intermission, many New York theater veterans. theater could accomplish. "Assas- changes in the show. takes as its leading characters nine Victor Garber, an alum of Sond- sins" might do the same — and de- They are a distinguished group of presidential assassins, successful and heim's original production of spite its bizarre subject matter, the participants. The book for "Assas- otherwise. "Sweeney Todd" and who played show has theater buffs clamoring to sins" was written by John Weidman, They range from the famous, such Jesus in the movie version of "God- get into the theater. Sondheim's collaborator on "Pacific as John Wilkes Booth and Lee Har- spell," stars as John Wilkes Booth. The musical's two-month engage- Overtures' The director is Jerry vey Oswald, to the obscure, like Terrence Mann, who was Broad- way's first Rum Tum Tugger in 1,07,:•17 FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION "Cats" and Javert in "Les Misera- REST SUPPORTING ACTRESS bles," appears as Leon Czolgosz, the man who killed President McKinley. Annie Golden, who appeared in the movie version of "Hair," is "The actor who comes off best is Squeaky Fromme, while Sara Jane Moore is played by Debra Monk, who appeared in and helped create PATRIKA DARBO" "Pump Boys and Dinettes" and "Oil City Symphony." _lace Alexander, LOS ANGELES TIMES son of actress Jane Alexander, has been cast in the pivotal role of Lee Harvey Oswald. The big question is what happens "Patrika Darbo steals the show... to "Assassins" after its run at Play- she is the best part of the [lima' wrights Horizons ends? Depending NOICI'll TEXAS DAILY on the reviews, the musical could transfer either to a larger theater off- Broadway or even to Broadway. I r "Her scene (with Judge Reinhold)... RCA already has expressed interest- remains both touching and ed in an original cast recording. Whatever the show's reception, "As- bilariousr sassins" certainly will have theater- LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS goers talking about it for a long, long time. Three honored at playwrights fest NEW YORK — Three new playwrights were honored Monday as winners of the 21st Century Play- wrights Festival, a group dedicated lo encouraging students to enter the field of dramatic writing. Each of the winners — Jonathan 10th Annual Inletnainnal Comedy Marc Slterman, 22; Michael Sean .11151Fentral • Dillon, 23; and Thomas G. McClel- vrrEv, lan, 34 — received a $2,100 cash S1141/1RIAM award and were sponsored for mem- bership in the Dramatists Guild. The winners, whose cash prizes were funded by a grant from the Phillip Morris Co., were selected from among 300 entries represent- ...WHO'S GOT THE WILL? ing more than 135 colleges, Sherman won for his play "Jesus In Anociation with. Atli,' Cierle Entertainment A PROPAGANDA FILMS PRODUCTION on the Oil Tank," while Dillon was Attal/VA Pitlarak Ira All %kW PinFroaf. plarChwed Uniod Star. moil Ca411.1sy sraan•• 116,ribuilm feted for "Alligators." McClellan's play was entitled "Blackout" .

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