Stephen Sondheim, Victor Garber, Patrick Cassidy - Assassins (1991 Original Off-Broadway Cast)

Leave it to Stephen Sondheim to make things difficult for himself. After writing his most accessible mature musical, Into the Woods, in 1987, he collaborated with author John Weidman on an extremely disturbing topic: Assassins, which depicts the various people who tried--with or without success--to kill a United States president. The characters, ranging from John Wilkes Booth to John Hinckley Jr., all express different motivations--love, fame, freedom from tyranny, stomach pain--but are united in their frustration with the idea of the American dream and believe that killing a president is the only way to achieve it. The songs the assassins sing cover a similarly wide range of Americana, including numbers in the style of Stephen Foster and Sousa, and as is common with Sondheim's music, many of the songs could pass for enjoyable casual listening out of context. (Best example: the lovely ballad "Unworthy of Your Love" could have been a hit for the Carpenters, but it's sung by Hinckley to Jodie Foster and by Lynne "Squeaky" Fromme to Charles Manson.) Careful attention, however, reveals a work of penetrating power. In addition to the musical numbers, this original cast recording includes an 11-minute nonmusical scene in which the older assassins confront and goad Lee Harvey Oswald in the Texas School Book Depository as JFK's car approaches. Not surprisingly, the original 1991 production of Assassins ran only 73 performances and the show didn't make it to Broadway until 2004. The booklet includes production photos and full lyrics. --David Horiuchi Amazon.com essential recording

Proof that Sondheim Knows His Melodies

When my then-girlfriend (now wife) first played me "Assassins: a little over a decade ago, I really didn't know much about Sondheim. This is the one that really made me a convert. Beyond the intriguing concept, I happen to think it's a great score with possibly the most tuneful bunch of songs Sondheim has ever assembled.

In fact, it puzzles me to no end that the notion persists that Sondheim's work is not melodic. I defy anyone to listen objectively to songs like "The Ballad of Czolgosz", "Unworthy of Your Love" or "Another National Anthem" and tell me that with a straight face. These songs are terrific and tuneful, both fascinating and funny.

I should also say that, the performers in this recording are fantastic and good as the 2004 revival recording is, they give this one the edge. Victor Garber may have gone on to bigger things on TV, but he's an amazing John Wilkes Booth as evidenced not only by his singing but also the dialog scenes included on this recording. Also worthy of singling out, Patrick Cassidy (song of Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy) is terrific as the balladeer that both comments on the action and helps weave the stories together.

But again, the key here is the songs. Ironically, this show may have the darkest subject matter of any Sondheim show except "Sweeney Todd", but the jauntiness of the score will have you humming along as the destiny of our country unfolds in song.
February 28, 2008

Stephen Sondheim's ASSASSINS-A Work Ahead of its Time

Stephen Sondheim has never shied away from difficult topics. In the 1970's he tackled love and relationships with "COMPANY". The 1980's saw murder and canibalism turned into one of the most brilliant operas of all time, namely "SWEENEY TODD." But "ASSASSINS", which premiered off-broadway in 1990, was perhaps Sondheim's most controversial musical- a psychological study of what societal factors create and contribute to assassinations. With main characters such as John Hinkley, Squeaky Fromme, John Wilkes Booth, Gerald Ford and Lee Harvey Oswald, it is no wonder that "ASSASSINS" is not an easy musical to get comfortable with. In fact, ASSASSINS opened off-Broadway on December 18, 1990 and closed less than two months later, only having made the transition to the Great White Way some 15 years later in revival. Its short life is a theatrical shame, since this original cast recording features intense, unsentimental songs and stellar performances, most notably Patrick Cassidy, who recounts the gripping story of the night Lincoln was killed, and a beautiful if not uncomfortable ballad, sung as a duet by Greg Germann (John Hinkley) and Annie Golden (Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme.) Once the listener settles in with the subject matter, it is easy to go along on this musical study of how and why America has been shaped by violence. "ASSASSINS" is not simply one of Sondheim's masterpieces...it is a pivotal sociological look into the heart and mind of violence. March 24, 2007

I'd like to say a word for the cowman!

No surrey with a fringe on top here, but a lonely room in Dallas where Lee Harvey Oswald contemplates suicide as the ghost of Lincoln's assassin Wilkes Booth materializes and persuades him to shoot JFK... in this spooky, bold and dazzling Sondheim/Weidman semi-revue which gathered enthusiastic audiences since it's initial off-Broadway run --during Bush Sr.'s Gulf War-- through its (post 9/11) Broadway transfer, right under Bush Jr's admin.

'Oklahoma!' might seem the veritable antonymous show to this one, yet Rodgers (collaborator with young Sondheim in "Do I Hear A Waltz") & Hammerstein (Stephen's surrogate father and mentor) are a continual reference to ASSASSINS' bouncy waltzes and cowboy hoedowns, sung by scaffold marching or suicidal presidential assassins. In truth, no immortal R&H love song here, but the cynical "Unworthy of Your Love", which endeavors to recall some period pop-ballad, which definitely sounds a bit less trash/slush in the 2004 album's orchestration, for sure!

The Original Off-Broadway Album has a solid, inspired cast: Jonathan Hadary in the grotesque Guiteau aria; Victor Garber as Booth; Patrick Cassidy --son of 'Oklahoma!' movie's Laurie-- as the Balladeer (notwithstanding, Neil Patrick Harris' 2004 revival rendition of Czgolcz's Ballad is unbeatable.) Both Cast Albums offer a mere parcel of the stage show's impact. The amount of gun-shots, most of the profuse spoken (screamed) text included seem redundant.

While US soldiers went to fight in WWII humming the "Oklahoma!" tunes, encouraged and nostalgic of their God-Bless-America big country, soundtracks of any of the 'ASSASSINS' albums might be unlikely included in today's American soldiers in Iraq's iPod rep... (nor the new Lloyd Webber-produced new London production of "The Sound of Music", within any of the withdrawing Brit soldiers') though... who knows? Any of them might be listening, pondering and enjoying this uneven yet biting Jean Genet-like romp featuring a boisterous bunch of black angels recreating the USA's perennial freak-show. February 22, 2007

i wish i could give it more stars!

This is one of my favorite musicals, used to be my 1st, but that's been replaced by another fantastic musicals, Titanic. But that's another matter in itself. I love it! The only complaint I have about this recording is that you have to listen through the entire "Gun Song" to get to "The Ballad of Czolgosz". I don't mind it, but it would have been better if they had put it on a seperate track. Victor Garber, Patrick Cassidy, and Terrence Mann all did excpetional jobs in this musical. The concept may seem weird to you, but you'll change your mind after you listen to it. I have both of the Assassins cast (this one and the '04 revival) on my iPod. I love it so much! August 20, 2006

Different from revival, both are good

I owned the revival cast recording before this one. Both are excellent. This recording feels much more like a live performance than the revival recording. I highly recommend owning both versions of this show. Both are excellent. August 14, 2006

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