Assassins: My Take — Page 2

I saw Assassins last night and I have to say, I enjoyed it immensely. I did however find that the added song SOMETHING BROKE, seemed to water down the ending. I realize it might have been added to soften the impact but for me it robbed the ending of the force and flow it could have had.
I think my main objection to the song was it seemed of a different period in Sondheim's career, something more out of Passion then Assassins.
The direction was wonderful and the cast superb (though I do feel O'Hare was miscast as Guiteau, I think the person in that role should have a more, round, evengelical nature).
I had waited so long for this to be produced again having only known it from the OC recording. I was not disappointed!

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I think The carnival is representitive of America. It's glitter and glitz and terribly appealing, but beware, the games are rigged.

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Okay, I just saw this thread and got really excited! Then I realized it was really old. Oh well. I ADORE Assassins. It's actually one of my favorite musicals.

Michael Cerveris is brilliant. He is one of my favorite actors. Gah, he was perfect.

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"Did anyone ever realize that this show gives a horrifing message?
What would happen if someone sees this show and it inspires them to "follow their dream?" Even suspending my belief couldn't help."

The whole point of this "horrifying message" is sarcastic. Does the show condone what the assassins did? No. Does it glorify them? No.

See the Ballad of Booth. This song has Booth singing some passionate things, things that would make you think the authors at least pitied him. Then straight after the Balladeer comes and tells the shows real message: The assassins were wrong, deluded and damaging to the US.

"You left a legacy of butchery,
and treason we,
took eagerly,
and thought you'd get applause.

But traitors just get jeers and boos,
not visits to their graves.
While Lincoln who got mised reviews,
Because of you, John, now gets only raves.

Damn you, Johnny,
You paved the way
for other madmen to make us pay.
Lots of Madmen have had their say,
But only for a day."


The shows message is bloody marvellous if you ask me.

My only problem with the production was Mario Cantone. I didn't find it funny. And, personally, I've never found there to be humour in the monologues. It makes an audience laugh because it's a natural reaction to something we find uncomfortable. It isn't Neil Simon. I don't think the performer should be grabbing for laughs the way Cantone did. I always found Byck to be so pathetic that I had a hard time not pitying him and not crying everytime I saw or performed the pieces myself. Just my two cents...

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Jeez who dug up this ancient post!
I thought Mario was fine but I don't think he fit in with the rest of the cast.

Amen paradox.

Thank you very much, I know what you meant.
And I haven't ever met him, nor do I know wether or not he's the bad guy you say he is. Who cares. What I do know, is he impressed the hell out of me in Assassins, and last Saturday at Wall to Wall. Trouble or not, he's one talented hijo de puta.

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Oh my God! The production at Studio 54 was one of my all time favorite shows. I was riveted from beginning to end. I thought it was brilliant and the cast was amazing! I still talk about what a great night of theater that was.

Ok now where were all of you since 1990/91 when ASSASSINS played off-Broadway.

It was almost exactly the same show then as now (though current productions add "Somethng Just Broke" from the 1992 London staging.)

I ma so glad the Broadway production happend, and SHAME on the republicans for pressuring Roundabout to close the show before the Republican convention came to New York.

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I doubt the Republican Convention had anything to with the closing of a Broadway musical they'd probably never heard of.

i love assassins

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