Assassins

The creators of the musical "1776" said succinctly, "God writes LOUSY theater". This is a case where they have been proven wrong. All that was needed was a book by John Weidman that twisted time into the depths of a carnival shooting gallery plus music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim to tie it all together into a neat little package called "Assassins". An example regarding Guiseppe Zangara, who attempted to assassinate president-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt:from Wikipedia:"Zangara, a poorly educated bricklayer, suffered severe pain in his abdomen, later attributed to adhesions of the gall bladder, possibly originating from an appendectomy performed in 1926. These adhesions were later cited as a cause for his increasing mental delusions. It became increasingly difficult for him to work due to both his physical and mental conditions."from the book of Assassins, Zangara is singing while strapped in the electric chair: "Ever since then, because of them I have the sickness in the stomach Which is the way I make my idea To go out and kill Roosevelt."Weidman and Sondheim definitely did their research homework.I highly recommend this book. The worst that can happen is you might learn something while being entertained.

Being a Sonheim fan, I expected to like the music, and did. You need to get the CD even if you don't like the script. It stands on its own merits. My favorite: The Gun Song, a delightful little ballad about how easy it is to shoot someone. "All you have to do is crook your little finger." The script is equally compelling, though I imagine the subject matter may make it too controversial for many community theaters. (I hope not, as I intend to suggest it for next season in our little theater here.) The play does not promote assassination, nor does it present assassins in a good light. Instead, it shows these historical figures as what they are: madmen, with all the weaknesses of other humans, but somehow flawed in their logic. Consider Charles Guiteau, who assassinated President Garfield, in part to promote the sales of his book. Superficially, as good a justification as any, but, let's face it, crazy as a bedbug. The writing is superb, and the action varies from the absolutely hilarious scene between "Squeaky" Frome and Sarah Jane Moore, to the powerful confrontation between John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald. EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT!!!

My favorite Stephen Sondheim musical. The Ballad of John Wilkes Booth taught me everything I need to know about lyrics, music, story. Powerful, compelling, dark. It is also fun to parody, sharpen your chops. Johnny Football was a handsome fellow.... I love this song and my parodies. Love Victor Garber's voice which I hear on the CD and throughout the libretto.

It's not one of Sondheim's better known musicals, but as a government teacher and a Sondheim fan, I bought the book because I was interesting in seeing how things played out.It's a great story, weaving history, imagination and music together. If our high school had a drama program, I would have recommended it.

I loved it! It stuck with me......a very good perspective.

Since I own both cast albums of this show but haven't ever gotten to see it, it's a plasure to have the libretto to read to see how everything links together. Another nice feature is the opening essay by Andre Bishop that reflects on memories of the original production. Altogether a very worthwhile read.

Good read.

Another Sondheim stab at something new. Although much of his work has originally not taken off, he is brilliant and his plays are wonderful.

Keep in mind this is the original script and there are noticeable differences from the Broadway revival. It includes an excellent foreword though and got me through an audition - come and see me play Sam Byck at the Chelsea Theatre and then at Edinburgh Fringe, August 2016 :-)

A beautiful example of theatre ingenuity, Sondheim impresses again with Assassins. The book portrays the magic of the show in written format. You definitely get a real feel of the themes and tone of the show. It combines historical fact with a surprisingly upbeat take on the assassinations of the US Presidents. I'd definitely recommend if you are interested in the show and any of Sondheim's work. In my opinion I feel as though Assassins is his best work.