Two locals cast in musical ‘Assassins’

Two Huntington Beach residents have been cast in lead roles in the Stephen Sondheim musical “Assassins,” which runs through April 5 at the La Habra Depot Theatre.

The musical delves into the minds of nine people who either failed or succeeded in assassinating American presidents.

Marc Montminy will play President James A. Garfield’s assassin, Charles Giteau.

He has performed in musical theater for 27 years, including at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago.

“The show doesn’t glorify the assassins, but instead shows them to be the pathetic individuals they were,” Montminy said.

“In the end, they don’t get the fame they desired — they get infamy instead.”

Jason Holland plays Lee Harvey Oswald, as well as the play’s balladeer. He helped originate a role in “Schoolhouse Rock Live, Too!” and has performed in other Sondheim works like “Into the Woods” and “Company.”

“It’s fascinating to play someone as iconic as Oswald,” Holland said. “It’s hard to understand how a high-school dropout, armed with a $12 rifle and consumed by his own warped mind, could affect the lives of so many Americans.”

Tickets are $18 for adults and $12.50 for students and seniors.

For more information, call (562) 906-9625 or visit lhdepottheatre.org.

— Candice Baker