The old show business adage is break a leg. For singer and dancer Bobby Fox, that is exactly what appeared to happen during the opening night performance of the musical Assassins at the Sydney Opera House last night.
Bobby Fox — portraying Charles Guiteau, who assassinated US president James Garfield — was in the middle of a furious rope skipping sequence, which was getting faster and faster, when he severely twisted his ankle.
Fox immediately fell to ground and had to be dragged off the stage by cast members.
Leading man David Campbell appeared on stage a minute later to let the audience know there had been an injury and there would be an unscheduled interval.
Fox was heard screaming in pain and was taken to hospital.
After a break a cheer was heard from backstage. An associate producer volunteered to read Fox's role from a script for the rest of the performance, which went smoothly.
A spokesman for the company said the season would continue, with an extra rehearsal scheduled for this afternoon where a replacement will be given a crash course in the role.
"During last night's performance of Assassins at the Sydney Opera House, actor Bobby Fox sustained an injury to his foot. We wish Bobby a speedy recovery," the spokesman said.
"The season will continue as per the original performance timetable with Ryan Gonzalez now performing the role of Charles J Guiteau until Bobby recovers."
Assassins, by Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman, puts historical figures who have plotted to assassinate presidents of the United States into an abandoned fairground.
The season was originally staged at the Hayes Theatre and is being remounted by the Sydney Opera House.
Bobby Fox is best known for the starring role of Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys.
