Sometimes you get lucky breaks in life. I got one as I approached the PlayMakers Repertory Company's ticket counter for Saturday's matinee of Assassins: someone unable to attend the performance donated the ticket back, and I was the beneficiary. But sometimes lucky breaks aren't actually good for us. Each of the characters in this Steven Sondheim musical gets the chance to kill the President of the United States, making history regardless of success or failure. In the same way, the show itself is full of sound and fury, raw emotions seeking to mean ... something.
It's difficult in reviewing a show how much to judge any one production separate from the underlying work. In the case of Assassins, the score is brilliant and imaginative, but the story itself feels unfinished, as if it were still in the editing stages. Each of the musical's assassins is pushed toward the violent act by a personal desire, a spiritual hunger none know how to quench. On the whole, though, none are given the time to make their case. The musical was focused nearly exclusively on the 20th century figures: the Garfield and McKinley assassins appear multiple times but never enough to communicate more than than a cursory outline of their motivations. Lee Harvey Oswald got the lion's share of story, his one scene providing more plot and character information than the entire rest of the show combined. Satire requires context, and I never felt there was much given. It had some funny moments, and finished strong, but the show in and of itself left me cold, a story more focused on ideas than people.
That's my opinion of the written material. But what about those who gives life to those words: the players and the production team? Considering my uneven appreciation of the source material, I felt the show itself was successful in providing much to captivate and experience.
The actors themselves committed fully to the challenging score and text. In fact, I think their work is what made me wish for longer moments of each on stage, so I could better understand and appreciate the stories being hinted at. Standout performances were given by Joseph Medeiros as Guiseppe Zangara (an immigrant who attempted to kill Franklin Roosevelt) and Julie Fishell as Sara Jane Moore (a suburbanite who attempted to kill Gerald Ford). Mederios managed to imbue Zangara with real pathos and humanity without losing sight of the man's darkness, while Fishell continually surprised by not allowing Moore's neuroses to overcome or diminish her character. The small chorus of everymen backing up the main players did well, especially in my favorite number, "Something Just Broke," where actress Jessica Sorgi gave a very moving performance in her reaction to President Kennedy's assassination.
The lighting design was terrific: it accented the carnival theme of the music at just the right moments but didn't distract from the show as a whole in the softer moments. The set design was properly minimalist. I felt the best direction occurred in the intimate scenes when only one or two people were on stage together, such as when Zangara and a union leader discussed politics, Moore and Charles Manson follower "Squeaky" Fromme (Maren Searle) shot the breeze (amongst other things), even when Fromme and the would-be Reagen assassin John Hinckley (Brandon Garegnani) debated their erstwhile lovers. Though a small cast, I sometimes felt overwhelmed when everyone shared the stage (which, given the show's subject matter, may have been the point). I had difficulty understanding a few of the opening numbers. Other reviews mentioned the sound mixing, and I did find that the onstage orchestra overpowered the vocals in places. This issue mostly cleared up by the third or fourth scene.
Assassins is a mixed bag for me: at times too heartfelt, leeching the satire of its bite, and at others too cynical, preventing me from investing in any one character as a person. As I said, it's hard for me to appreciate how much of that impression is due to the basic premise and limitations of the source material and how much to the production I witnessed. I believe I experienced a very well-executed rendition of the score and book. I applaud the team for their work. But ultimately, the show left me ambivalent.
Ticket information may be found at the Playmakers website. The subject matter and language used in the production are not appropriate for all ages. Also be aware that guns are handled and fired on stage multiple times. As they say on television, view discretion is advised.
Full Disclosure: I have not worked for Playmakers. I did receive a free ticket for this show due to another patron not attending the performance.
