See it if you want to see a group of pros really knock a great show out of the park. Victoria Clark was the stand out.
Don't see it if You are easily offended.
See it if You like Sondheim, contemporary & relevant themed theatre, a near perfect cast of singing actors
Don't see it if You want a light and fluffy evening of theater, would rather not travel to the dark side of things
See it if you like an A+ cast performing the work of A+ writers in an original and unique musical that is both historical yet completely relevant
Don't see it if you need big, flashy sets and costumes, hate history, hate originality, hate clever lyrics and strong performances.
See it if You want to see top-flight performers in one of Sondheim's lesser known/presented productions, and a reverie on a thread of our history.
Don't see it if You don't like Sondheim, or the theme upsets you.
See it if you have an interest in lesser known works by Stephen Sondheim performed by a dream cast
Don't see it if you dislike Sondheim, or musicals that do more than just entertain Read more
See it if you are a fan of the show or any member of this superb cast, and if you like theatre that makes you think.
Don't see it if you prefer classic, happy musicals, you prefer your theatre less politically-charged Read more
See it if You love edgy irreverent shows with a great cast
Don't see it if you are easily offended or a Trump supporter
See it if You enjoy the cast and Sondheim.
Don't see it if You want a more polished production.
"Despite its surprising humor, this remains a pitch-black show...Kauffman has done a fine job of making the patchwork structure fit the Encores! format of big band on stage, minimal scenery and scripts in hand as needed...The cast is uniformly good, both in delivering the dialogue-heavy lines and the stylistically diverse solos, duets and ensemble numbers."
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"It feels dangerous (and I mean that in the best of all possible ways) and hilarious at the same time...Kauffman’s direction is not as clear and concise as it could be...The show seemed to lack a bull's-eye aim...There are some singularly spectacular moments and magnificent performances throughout this one-act musical...It’s filled to the rim with talent, as most of the Encores! shows are, but with 'Assassins,' the production fails to hit its mark squarely in the center."
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"The show premiered in 1990 and has lost not one whit of edge since. It may actually have extra gleam nowadays...Sondheim and Weidman structured the show as a series of vignettes, but the usually gifted director Kauffman falls short in pulling them together, and the show never quite gels into an organic whole. Yet the production is still a treat...The cast mostly makes hay of the material...May not be a classic production. But what a fun murderers’ row of musical-theater mavens it gives us."
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"A superb production of a difficult but absolutely necessary masterwork. Expertly staged by Anne Kauffman, it was thrillingly acted and sung by a top-notch cast, studded with Tony nominees and winners, and accompanied by an ear-filling 13-member orchestra, conducted by music director Chris Fenwick...It was the smartest and most devastating musical in town."
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“Chilling, especially every single moment that Steven Pasquale takes the stage…‘Assassins’ soars when the voices soar, although the dramatic scenes in between sometimes fall flat, and director Anne Kauffman hasn’t quite managed to keep the sag from showing…The tone veers wildly at times, and there’s too much comedy for my taste, but the music! Oh, the music! There are so many wonderful songs.”
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"It’s hard to single out a single cast member but the brooding Shuler Hensley, Danny Wolohan, as well as the wonderfully inept team of Erin Markey and the inimitable Victoria Clark, were all worthy of note...The image of the nine assassins singing about 'another national anthem' without having to invoke current imagery clearly resonated with theatergoers."
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"Stirring, captivating, sometimes uneven...The show is a clever pastiche-y blend of American musical theater tropes including vaudeville and the still-popular revue. Sondheim's brilliant marriage of music and lyrics is a tribute to irony...Kauffman has assembled some of Broadway's greatest (and a few terrific newcomers) to embody these fascinating figures...For a 'concert' version, the show is certainly tight and taut...The show is durable and packs a perceptive punch."
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