Total Rating: 
***
Opened: 
September 4, 2012
Ended: 
October 7, 2012
Country: 
USA
State: 
Wisconsin
City: 
Milwaukee
Company/Producers: 
Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Theater Type: 
Regional
Theater: 
Milwaukee Repertory Theater - Quadracci Powerhouse Theater
Theater Address: 
108 East Wells Street
Phone: 
414-224-9490
Website: 
milwaukeerep.com
Running Time: 
1 hr, 45 min
Genre: 
Musical
Author: 
Book: John Weidman. Score: Stephen Sondheim
Director: 
Mark Clements
Choreographer: 
Michael Pink
Review: 

The dark and haunting Stephen Sondheim musical, Assassins, opens the fall season at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. Assassinsis far from being your average crowd-pleaser, and artistic director Mark Clements is to be commended for mounting this big-budget musical.

Wherever it’s produced, Assassins won’t have audiences cheering for the characters, all of whom are assassins or would-be assassins of American presidents. The musical is set in an abandoned fairground, where a carnival barker entices a ragtag group of misfits to fulfill their dreams by killing a president. As each character tries out the gun handed to him by the carnie (Jonathan Gillard Daly), we find out they are John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, John Hinkley, Squeaky Fromme, etc. This surreal scene sets the tone for what’s to follow. As the show progresses, various killers reach across historical boundaries so they can appear together.

Many of the actors playing these roles are new to Milwaukee audiences, having been imported from New York and elsewhere in the U.S. Under Mark Clements’ excellent direction, they make this musical everything it could be.

This still doesn’t eliminate the show’s nagging problem. Assassins glorifies the killers by the mere fact of putting a spotlight on them. Sondheim himself has claimed that the show takes aim not at the killers, but at the American way of life – promising dreams that aren’t delivered. But it’s easier for the audience to focus on people, not ideas. The killers’ stories are told in a sequence of vignettes, which often end when someone is shot, hung or electrocuted. The world of Assassins is not a pleasant one, and Sondheim doesn’t shy away from this fact.

In many ways, the most successful part of the show is its beginning. After the carnie sings his introductory song, he brings out the show’s “pioneer,” John Wilkes Booth. The folksy re-telling of Lincoln’s death and Booth’s brief escape rivets the audience’s attention. The story is greatly enhanced by the sudden appearance of a narrator. Skinny and roughly dressed, he appears to have been borrowed out of a Mark Twain novel. The narrator (officially called the “balladeer”) is an appealing character who takes the audience on a chronological tour of American song, from gospel and country to tunes of the present day). No wonder that top-notch talent such as Patrick Cassidy and Neil Patrick Harris have played this part on New York stages. Here, Chris Peluso demonstrates a gorgeous voice and the narrator’s necessarily likeable demeanor.

Despite its grim subject matter, Assassins isn’t entirely devoid of humor. The first meeting of Sara Jane Moore and Squeaky Fromme (who set their sights on Gerald Ford) is a stitch. Caroline O’ Connor (Moore) makes her ditsy housewife character a gem; even the character’s voice is grating. Her unlikely accomplice, played by the charming, versatile Sarah Litzsinger (Fromme), brings an innocent, flower-child quality to one who describes herself as Charles Manson’s lover and slave. Later, Moore tries to fit in with several other killers who are singing about their love of handguns, fittingly titled, “Gun Song.” Despite her onstage mix-ups, Moore tries to keep the number intact.

Another strong number, “Unworthy of Your Love,” delves into the characters’ demented psychology. This seemingly sweet, endearing song is beautifully sung by Evan Harrington as John Hinkley and Sarah Litzsinger as Fromme. As Hinkley ponders his obsessive love for film celebrity Jodie Foster (whom he never has met), Squeaky pines for the imprisoned Charles Manson.

Although this cast is too large for further individual mention, “attention must be paid” to Adam Monley as assassin John Wilkes Booth. Although his key scene comes early in the show, Booth plays a key role throughout Assassins. No wonder this plum role also has been played by such well-known actors as Victor Garber and Michael Cerveris. Monley seems letter-perfect in this production, and his voice is impressive. The other actors are nimble with Sondheim’s tricky lyrics and melodies as well. The fact we can hear them is certainly a feat, considering that the theater was never created for musicals.

Along with a top-notch cast, this production features an amazing double-revolve set and assorted carnival debris by set designer Todd Edward Ivins. Costumes created by Alex Tecoma set each character firmly in its era, and Jeff Nellis’ lighting either softens the set or makes it more garish, as required. An eight-piece orchestra, under the direction of Dan Kazemi, is excellent, as well.

The 2004 Broadway production of Assassins garnered five Tony Awards and ran for slightly more than 100 performances. It remains to be seen how well-received the show will be in Milwaukee, but the show certainly demonstrates that the Milwaukee Rep is pushing the boundaries of what musical theater can be.

Assassins
Parental: 
gunshots, violence, adult themes
Cast: 
Caroline O’Connor (Sara Jane Moore); Steve French (Leon Czolgosz); Lee E. Ernst (Sam Byck); Adam Monley (John Wilkes Booth); Sarah Litzsinger (Squeaky Fromme); Evan Harrington (John Hinkley); Chris Peluso (Balladeer/Lee Harvey Oswald).
Technical: 
Set: Todd Edward Ivins; Costumes: Alex Tecoma; Lighting: Jeff Nellis.
Awards: 
2004 Tony Awards: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Michael Cerveris), Best Lighting Design; Best Direction of a Musical; Best Orchestration.
Critic: 
Anne Siegel
Date Reviewed: 
September 2012