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Assassins
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by John Weidman
Directed by Michael Weber
Musical direction by Doug Peck
Produced by Porchlight Music Theatre
At The Theatre Building Chicago
1225 W. Belmont Ave.
Chicago, IL
Call 773-327-5252, tickets $25 - $32
Fridays & Saturdays at 8 pm
Sundays at 2:30 pm
Running time is 1 hour, 45 minutes with no intermission
Through March 11, 2007
Amazing production of killer musical
I’m not a huge fan of the musical Assassins. I think it is a troubled work that indirectly pays homage to the creeps who delve in assassins of American Presidents. That being said, Michael Weber (one of my favorite directors) has mounted a tremendous production of Stephen Sondheim’s weird musical: Assassins. Weber and his design team (scenic designer Kevin Depinet, Doug Peck’s folksy music, with Jessie Klug’s fine lighting and Tammy Mader’s choreography) all contributed to a most effective and chilling production of this dark musical. This is the first time I was able to appreciate the disturbing and alarmingly funny musical.
Assassins explores the history and fascination demented Americans have with their Presidents. From John Wilkes Booth (Jeremy Rill) to Lee Harvey Oswald (Bradforn Lund) to Sara Jane Moore (Sara R. Sevigny) to crazies like Leon Czolgosz (Brandon Dalhquist), among other assassins, we are entangled in a weird American attraction with violence toward our elected leaders. Sondheim gives the nine assassins a voice in song to vent their psychosis. His music ranges from folk to ragtime to 1970’s soft pop/rock.
The singing was outstanding, especially Michael Mahler as the Balladeer. Daniel Allar, as the crazy Samuel Byck and Sara R. Sevigny as Sara Jane Moore were quite funny while Jeremy Trager displayed Giuseppe Zangara’s angst marvelously. Jeremy Rill’s sweet voice as Booth was a joy. Steve Best as Charles J. Guiteau was outstanding.
With this good looking, tuneful production, Assassins unfolds as the strikingly provocative piece that firmly satirizes demented personalities fixated on doing violence to our leaders. For the first time, I actually enjoyed Assassins. Porchlight Music Theatre has sure knows how to do Sondheim shows.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: January 28, 2007
Jeff Recommended
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