Raul in Assassins

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 6:49pm

Who was he set to play before the production was postponed?

[QuiteSo]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 6:53pm

Zangara.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 6:53pm

Zangara

[gavrochegirl]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 7:00pm

*faints at the concept*

[Katurian2]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 7:17pm

Weird...I can NOT see that..

[boxers7]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 8:10pm

Who else was set?

[James2]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 8:28pm

I think Douglas Sills was going to play somebody.

[timote316]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 8:29pm

I can see it. I can actually see Raul as a few different characters in Assassins (Proprietor, and maybe Booth). However, Raul's talents would be greatly under-utilized as Zangara.

However, the show was canned after 9/11, meaning the show was going to open late 2001, early 2002... before Raul did much of anything on Broadway. Correct me if I'm wrong, but his only Broadway credit at that time would have been Rocky Horror. He did ttB, but was that before or after Assassins would have been?

I believe Mario Cantone and Neil Patrick Harris were set in the roles they ultimately played, but I'm not sure of the others. Was Joe Mantello still the director?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 8:39pm

The show originally was set with Roundabout to play the Booth, with Doug Sills as Booth. Then, it was moved across the street to the Music Box, with a cast that included Doug, Raul, Mario, Neil, and John Dossett as Zangara. 9/11 happened shortly after this was announced, with the show set to open November 2001. They decided to cancel this engagement. A few years later, Assassins was transferred to Studio 54 after Cabaret closed. Doug was doing Little Shop, John was doing Gypsy. I can't recall what Raul was doing that stopped him from doing the show.

Doug was replaced with Michael Cerveris, who won a Tony. It's quite ironic. A few years later, Doug was cast in Spamalot, only to quit and be replaced by Chris Sieber who was Tony nominated. Hmm.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 8:40pm

What a fine show. I would love for it to have been an open run and they could have gotten Raul in as a replacement. I don't know about hearing the vibrato though on How I Saved Roosevelt personally

[BluCat500]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 8:52pm

http://www.sondheim.com/news/something_just_broke.html

Updated On: 2/6/06 at 08:52 PM

[bdwaygirl]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 8:55pm

Timote, he had already done TTB, and I'm pretty sure he was in Cabaret at the time Assassins got cancelled.

[Becky]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 9:26pm

Timote, he had already done TTB, and I'm pretty sure he was in Cabaret at the time Assassins got cancelled.

Raul gave his notice to leave TTB for Assassins, and then they cancelled the run (they had already signed his replacement in TTB so he couldn't extend his contract). He was essentially jobless when the part of the Emcee came up, but Assassins had already been cancelled when began Cabaret.
Updated On: 2/6/06 at 09:26 PM

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 9:32pm

Though I think his talent would have not been properly showcased with him playing Zangara, my heart goes pitter-pat with the idea of Michael and Raul in a broadway show together.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 10:50pm

I remember reading in an interview with Esparza that he flat out turned down the role of Zangara when the revival was "re-planned." He wasn't unavailable--he just didn't want to do it. I love these people who are so successful that they would actually TURN DOWN a principal role in a Broadway show.

Douglas Sills WAS unavailable (he had been set to play Booth), but only because he was stupid enough to take a role in "Little Shop of Horrors" (which, ironically, flopped). I feel bad for him (Cerveris winning the Tony and all), but he really brought it upon himself.

And as for John Dossett--his contract with "Gypsy" was going to be up; he chose to extend it rather than join "Assassins."

[Jane2]

Posted: 2/6/06 at 11:14pm

When Assassins was cancelled, Raul wanted to return to TTB. However, they had already replaced him with Joey Mc Intyre. Somewhere along this time frame Raul was doing a workshop of Urban Cowboy