CurtainUp
CurtainUp
The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features, Annotated Listings
HOME PAGE

SITE GUIDE

SEARCH


REVIEWS

REVIEW ARCHIVES

ADVERTISING AT CURTAINUP

FEATURES

NEWS
Etcetera and
Short Term Listings


LISTINGS
Broadway
Off-Broadway

NYC Restaurants

BOOKS and CDs

OTHER PLACES
Berkshires
London
California
New Jersey
DC
Philadelphia
Elsewhere

QUOTES

TKTS

PLAYWRIGHTS' ALBUMS

LETTERS TO EDITOR

FILM

LINKS

MISCELLANEOUS
Free Updates
Masthead
Writing for Us

a list of all book reviews, see our,
VALVESGate valvePRESSURE VALVESGlobe valveCHECK VALVES

A CurtainUp Review
Assassins


Lenny, save the world. Is that too much to ask?— Samuel Byck.
Assassins
James Sugg as Charles Guiteau in Stephen Sondheim's Assassins.
(Photo by John Flak)
The Arden has put together a spectacular entertainment under the direction of Terrence J. Nolen for this, the 20th anniversary of one of Philadelphia's - and the country's - best theaters. Assassins is not one of Sondheim's most popular musicals but oddly enough I think it is a perfect choice for this ambitious theater located minutes from the Liberty Bell. It is at once a celebration of the hopes and dreams of all that America stands for and a searing look at the gap between those expectations and their realization.

David P. Gordon's stunning, witty, cunning set goes a long way toward making this musical work for an audience that may at times feel put off by the material. Sondheim never celebrates the weird justification offered by these assassins, but he doesn't quite condemn them either. From the Proprirtor's (Jay Pierce) opening song "Everybody's Got the Right," we sense that Sondheim is trying to give voice to those whom most Americans would be inclined to write off as a bunch of losers.

We meet the cast of characters, an odd assortment of Presidential assassins. To begin there's the angry, articulate John Wilkes Booth, played with gusto by Jeffrey Coon. After Booth, who we see as a man possessing a political rather than a personal grievance against Lincoln, we are introduced to less-known figures: McKinley's assassin Leon Czolgosz (Christopher Patrick Mullen); Charles Guiteau (James Sugg), the assassin of President Garfield; and the failed assassin of FDR, Guiseppe Zangara (Jim Poulos).

The role of the Balladeer (Ben Dibble) functions as a kind of MC to the "entertainment," as the assassins are introduced and given their due. Later, the Balladeer takes on the role of American second most-notorious assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald. Dibble does a fine job in both roles, although each presents very different kinds of demands. The Balladeer is all-American flamboyant, while Oswald is played as an introvert.

The parts of Czogosz and Zangara seem underwritten, while that of Guiteau is given full reign, especially in the wonderfully staged "Ballad of Guiteau." James Sugg is simply stupendous as the deranged egomaniac who killed Garfield because he was refused an ambassadorship. Bug-eyed and arms flailing, Sugg is a human stick of dynamic. His grand climb to the gallows is strangely moving. (Here as elsewhere the use of projections has real dramatic purpose. Unlike those productions where slides simply serve as background, they punctuate the action and elicit audience reaction.)

The entire cast is on every second of this intermission-less show: Erin Brueggermann who plays "Squeaky" Fromme. . . Mary Martello (President Ford's would-be assassin, Sara Jane Moore). . ., Scott Greer as Samuel Byck who plotted against Nixon. All do a great job of conveying that "voice" of modern psychosis. Unlike the 19th century assassins, they seem to have been strangers to reality rather than political anarchists or rebels. Byck is very convincing as the lone-gunman type killer we've become familiar with in our time. Brueggermann and Martello are alternatively hilarious and creepy in the wonderfully witty scene that brings us about as close as any one of us cares to get to madness.

"Unworthy of Your Love," Sondheim's ode to estrangement, is sung by the two star-crossed assassins, "Squeaky" Fromme, and John Hinkley (Timothy Hill), who shot President Reagan in an attempt to attract Jodie Foster's attention. Sondheim's score mixes numerous musical genres, taking us across American musical history from contemporary pop sounds to those of traditional marching bands.

Nolen directs with confidence and style. The orchestra, although hidden from view, does its job effectively. This production has so much going for it; one is at a loss to think of any complaints. There is not a slack moment. The actors strut and stride about the stage, singing their hearts out. Each fully inhabits his or her strident, often desperate character. If the audience is left shaking its collective head, it is only because the material is often too much to bear.

Editor's Note: The show has had revivals in summer stock Assassins in the Berkshires), on the West Coast (Assassins in LA) and on Broadway. The Broadway 2004 review includes a song list and also background notes on the various chracters.

ASSASSINS
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by John Weidman
Directed by Terrence J. Nolen
Cast: The Proprieter: Jay Pierce; Leon Czolgosz: Christopher Patrick Mullen; John Hinkley: Timothy Hill; Charles Guiteau: James Sugg; Guiseppe Zangara: Jim Poulos; Samuel Byck: Scott Greer; Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme; Sara Jane Moore: Mary Martello; John Wilkes Booth: Jeffrey Coon; the Balladeer: Ben Dibble.
Sets: David P. Gordon
Costumes: Alison Roberts
Lights: John Stephen Hoey
Sound: Jorge Cousineau
Running Time: One hour and 50 minutes with no intermission
Arden Theatre Co., 40 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia, 215-922-1122. From 9/13/07 to 10/21/07; opening 9/13/07
Performance schedule Reviewed by David Lohrey, on September 30, 2007



a list of all book reviews, see our,
VALVESGate valvePRESSURE VALVESGlobe valveCHECK VALVES
Google
high pressure valve
manual valvevalvesvalve company motorized valveball valvepressure valve buy valvebutterfly valve Check valvereturn valve
Web    
www.curtainup.com

Wicked
Jersey Boys
The Little Mermaid
Lion King
Shrek The Musical

The  Playbill Broadway YearBook
The Playbill Broadway YearBook


Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide
Leonard Maltin's 2007 Movie Guide


broadwaynewyork.com


amazon




©Copyright 2007, Elyse Sommer.
Information from this site may not be reproduced in print or online without specific permission from esommer@curtainup.com