Sierra Stages Opens ASSASSINS, 10/15

The groundbreaking musical "Assassins" by Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman brings the Sierra Stages 2012 season to a close with a bang! The five-time Tony award-winning musical will play from October 25 through November 17 at the intimate Off Center Stage (behind The Center for the Arts) in Grass Valley. The show features 16 amazing Nevada County actors, accompanied by an amazing four-person band, and is directed by Susan Mason, with musical direction by Ken Getz.

Using the most American of art forms - the musical, "Assassins" investigates the personalities of nine men and women who killed or attempted to kill nine American Presidents. These Presidential assassins are never glorified or celebrated, but presented by Sondheim and Weidman to explore how and why each of these outsiders stop and alter history. The show is entertaining yet thought-provoking, and at turns hilarious, jolting and heart-wrenching, as the history of these men and women unfurls across--and often without regard to--time.

Presenting "Assassins" is a bold and risky choice for Sierra Stages. "In looking at options for this fall, "Assassins" quickly rose to the top of our list because it is a brilliant American musical and gives us and our audience a unique opportunity to reflect on American society against the backdrop of a Presidential election," said Sierra Stages Board President Peter Mason. He added, "Presenting "Assassins" in the same season as "Death of a Salesman" and "The Music Man" also seemed appropriate as each show offers a markedly different take on American society and the American dream."

"Assassins" begins on October 25 and continues for four weekends through November 17. Performances are Thursdays at 7 PM, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM. For the first two performances, Thursday October 25 and Friday October 26, general admission tickets are only $15. For all other performances, general admission tickets are available at the reduced price of $20 if purchased before October 27. After that, general admission tickets will be $25 for all performances. In addition, Sierra Stages is pleased to offer reserved seating for $30. With reserved seating, audience members may select specific seat locations in advance and also provide additional financial support for the production. General Admission Tickets and Reserved Seating are available online at www.SierraStages.org, by calling Sierra Stages at 530-346-3210, and in person at the Nevada City Box Office (at the Miners Foundry) and BriarPatch Co-op. If tickets are still available, student rush (under age 18, with presentation of full-time student ID) will be available for $15 on a first-come, unreserved basis, 30 minutes prior to curtain.

The nine assassins are played by local actors Isaias Acosta (Giuseppe Zangara), Casey Burke (John Hinckley), JEd Dixon (Charles Guiteau), David Holmes (Lee Harvey Oswald), Tinley Ireland (Lynnette "Squeaky" Fromme), Danny McCammon (John Wilkes Booth), Paul Micsan (Samuel Byck), Conor Nolan-Finkel (Leon Czolgosz), and Kim Wellman (Sara Jane Moore). Rounding out the cast are Ty Baldwin, Moriah Fitzpatrick, Jessica Guise, Nancy Haffey, Kate Haight, JR Lewis, and Keith Porter.

The live band consists of Ken Getz on keyboard, Steve Nicholson on bass, Cathy Collings on synthesizer, and Kit Bailey and Gary Campus alternating on percussion. The set design is by Pamela Mengers Hodges, the lighting design is by Les Solomon, and costume design is by Eileen Beaver.

Sierra Stages is a nonprofit tax-exempt community theater that enriches the cultural life of Nevada County by providing high quality, affordable and accessible performances for everyone. This is the fourth season for the nonprofit community theatre, which has presented 14 musicals and plays since 2009. In August, the Sierra Stages productions of "Death of a Salesman" (January 2012) and "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" (July 2011) received 8 Elly Award nominations for Drama and 4 Elly Award nominations for Musical, respectively. Sierra Stages productions in previous seasons received 13 Elly Award nominations and three Elly awards. Special appreciation is given to our 2012 Season Sponsors, including the following local businesses: Pleasant Valley Veterinary Center, B&C True Value Home Center, Miners Foundry Cultural Center, The Union, KNCO, KVMR and Sierra FoodWineArt. If you are interested in becoming a Season Sponsor, please contact Sierra Stages as 530-346-3210 or by email at info@SierraStages.org.

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