Overview
Synopsis
In this darkly humorous musical revue, Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) and John Weidman (book) depict nine misfit men and women who set out to assassinate American Presidents. Though only some were successful, all left their mark on American history. While every nation has its assassins and would-be assassins, only in America, the authors suggest, do disturbed and disturbing individuals act not because they hope to influence national politics, but because they are wrapped up in a malignant sense of entitlement. Feeling betrayed by the failed promise of American democracy and the American Dream, they strike out at the symbol for America: the American President. Assassins spans several musical styles and many decades in a dizzying series of musical and theatrical inventions that culminate in the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
Show Information
- Book
- John Weidman
- Music
- Stephen Sondheim
- Lyrics
- Stephen Sondheim
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Mature Audiences (M)
- Number of Acts
- 1
- First Produced
- 1990
- Genres
- Dark Comedy, Historical/Biographical
- Settings
- Multiple Settings, Simple/No Set
- Time & Place
- 1860s-1980s, Various Locations in America
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- Small
- Dancing
- Musical Staging
- Licensor
- Music Theatre International
- Ideal For
- College/University, Ensemble Cast, Mature Audiences, Mostly Male Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Includes Adult, Young Adult, Mature Adult, Child Characters, Large Cast
Context
Assassins first premiered off Broadway at Playwrights Horizon on December 18, 1990 to mixed reviews. This production ran until February 16, 1991, playing only 72 performances. The very next year on October 29, Assassins had its London premiere at the Donmar Warehouse. This production had nearly the exact same fate as its predecessor, closing on January 9, 1993 after playing only 76 performances.
The Roundabout Theatre Company was set to give Assassins its Broadway debut in 2001, but due to
to read the context for Assassins and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
The show opens at what appears to be a lively and bright carnival. The Proprietor stands behind the counter manning a "shoot-and-win" game. The targets however don’t seem quite normal. As people pass, the Proprietor hollers at them, trying to persuade them to “shoot a president and win a prize” (“Opening”).
The first to stumble upon the booth is a scruffy, brooding, factory worker named Leon Czolgosz. The Proprietor tells Czolgosz that he can fix all of his sorrows by killing a president. He
to read the plot for Assassins and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Bass-Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Either Gender |
|
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
Songs
- "Everybody's Got the Right" - Proprietor, Czolgosz, Hinckley, Guiteau, Zangara, Byck, Fromme, Moore, Booth
- "The Ballad of Booth" - Balladeer, Booth, David Harold
- "How I Saved Roosevelt" - Bystanders, Zangara
- "Gun Song" - Czolgosz, Booth, Guiteau, Moore
- "The Ballad of Czolgosz" - Balladeer, Fairgoers
- "Unworthy of Your Love" - Hinckley, Fromme
- "The Ballad of Guiteau" - Guiteau, Balladeer
- "Another National Anthem" - Czolgosz, Booth, Hinckley, Fromme, Zangara, Guiteau, Moore, Byck, Balladeer
- "November 22, 1963" - Booth, Oswald, Guiteau, Czolgosz, Byck, Hinckley, Fromme, Moore, Zangara
- "Finale: Everybody's Got the Right" - Booth, Czolgosz, Moore, Guiteau, Zangara, Byck, Hinckley, Fromme, Oswald
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
The belief that equality and opportunity is available to any American.
The murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, member of a royal family, or CEO.
A musical where a theme, metaphor or concept is just as important as the overarching plot and the featured songs.
Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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