BWW Reviews: ASSASSINS at SRO is Rousing Ammunition for Thought!

If you are socially conscious or have some type of social media account, you are well aware of the social injustices that seem to flood the timelines. In this past year, we have witnessed young black men assassinated at the hands of police officers as well as a massacre in Charleston, South Carolina where a deranged racist killed nine parishioners at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Hashtags such as #Handsupdontshoot and #BlackLivesMatter have become the popular catch phrases in the juggernaut of social media. I know you are asking, "What in the hell does this have to do with ASSASSINS the musical?" This show addresses so much more than the psychopathic motives of the nine assassins; it makes one question the gun control laws of then and now. Going into the theatre, I was excited to see a musical that I love and know very well, but my thoughts changed immediately at curtain call.

There's no doubt that when Sondheim is in the byline of a musical, there will be a very complicated score, tight and complex harmonies and rhythms, and a twist on the narrative. While ASSASSINS is a musical that is very popular amongst the theatre community, it isn't one of those titles that many outside the theatre world reference. ASSASSINS is the story of nine psychopaths who, in their sadistic pursuit of the American dream, believe assassinating the president of the United States to be the godly fulfillment of prophecy. This musical spans over 100 years of history of assassinations and failed assassination attempts on the president. I've seen this show on Broadway and I've always had issues with John Weidman's overly-comedic book against the poignant and eerie music and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim. The juxtaposition overtly takes away from the dark overtone of this production. Immediately we know we are in for a dark and scary ride when the band plays a sadistic version of "Hail to the Chief." The show opens with The Proprietor (Danny Dyer) introducing the show and the assassins with "Everybody's Got the Right." They pronounce that everyone has the right to the American Dream. Other characters in the story include: John Wilkes Booth, (Ben Granger), Guiseppe Zangara (Robert Marlborough), Leon Czologosz (Chris Patton), John Hinkley Jr. (Brock Hatton), Charles J. Guiteau (Zack Varela), Samuel Byck (Chris Gibson), Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme (Connor Lyon), Sara Jane Moore (Tamara Robertson), and the Balladeer/ Lee Harvey Oswald (Justin White).

The opening of the show started off shaky with Danny Dyer's ambivalent vocal delivery in the opening of "Everybody's Got the Right," but as the number gained momentum, so did he. The ending was strong and pitch-perfect. Another vocal moment that didn't do it for me was "Gun Song." In this number, Sondheim writes barbershop harmonies that are very close to each other and in parts of this number, the harmonies fell flat. The women on the other hand nailed it. When the ensemble sang together, the sound was melodious and powerful. Sondheim is notorious for writing complicated rhythmic patterns and dissonant melodies that clash with the score. It takes a strong ear and hours of rehearsal to get it perfect. In an interview with The New York Times Patti LuPone said, "It takes a lot of concentration and discipline to sing him as written." I completely agree! I was thoroughly in love with the Balladeer's (Justin White) chest voice/ mix throughout this show, but whenever he went into his head voice I was nervous. Ben Granger also faced issues singing "The Ballad of Booth." The notes in his lower range weren't audible. Many of the male solos were weak, but I also chalk this up to being in the first week in their run. It takes time for young actors to get their bearings.

Technically the show ran very smoothly. The light design by Michael Taylor and Vance Johnson set the tone for each scene and conveyed the emotion from moment to moment. The gun cues were a bit delayed and needed to be synced better with the blocking/ motions of the actors. It could have been a sight line issue because the tech booth was tucked away in a far corner.

I love when, right in the middle of a show, the magic of theatre happens. During one scene, Squeaky Fromme's (Connor Lyon) gun broke and her partner in crime Sara Jane Moore (Tamara Robertson) had the audience in tears. They didn't break character; they held their poses, and we were in stitches. Every scene these ladies had together was nothing less than fabulous. Their chemistry and commitment to character development were great. Even though I battle with the humor distributed in this libretto, I have to say that Chaney Moore as Sara Jane's daughter/ son was the funniest moment in the show. From her physicality to her speech impediment and temper tantrums, this was great acting hands down.

Whenever I have the opportunity to watch a production of ASSASSINS I am on the edge of my seat for "Unworthy of Your Love." This song has a beautiful melody with a demented sensibility. John Hinkley Jr. (Brock Hatton) sings about his infatuation and love for child star Jodie Foster, and Squeaky Fromme (Connor Lyon) sings about her undying love for mass murderer Charles Manson. Connor Lyon's vocal finesse in this number was beautiful and I didn't want the song to end. On the other hand, Brock Hatton's delivery was forced and overacted. There were great vocals throughout this duet, but I wanted the raw vocal performance to shine through. In a show that is full of death and psychotic motives, I needed Hatton's approach to accommodate Lyon's simplistic elegance and realism.

There's no denying the talent in this production, from the nine assassins to the ensemble. There were standout performances by Chris Gibson as Sam Byck and Zack Varela as Charles J. Guiteau that added to this petrifying patriotic production. Rachel Landon's direction was approached with simplicity. A musical such as this needs to be handled with kid gloves and this was done expertly by Landon. The staging accommodated the space very well. I loved "Another National Anthem" and how she referenced the original staging/ choreography from the 2004 revival featuring Neil Patrick Harris. I'm an advocate for minimalism when done right, and I believe that those who don't get it don't have an imagination. The minimalist set design by Landon worked for this production, and so did the projections that aided in the storytelling.

Frank Rich said in The New York Times in 1991: "ASSASSINS does not quite live up to its potential to explode the musical form in a way that lays bare the one great truth that America has failed to grasp throughout its history: there will always be psychopaths and poseurs; the salient question is how much access they have to deadly weapons." By no means do I want to push a political agenda, but after watching this musical I thought about the gun control laws in our country. There were many "what ifs' in my head as I drove back home down I-45. What if the nine assassins didn't have easy access to guns? What if Weidman would've added MLK's killer James Earl Ray to the story? What if the shooter in Charleston had gone through an extensive background check? What if political rhetoric was gone? What if we lived in a perfect world? WHAT IF!?

This show is exactly what theatre is supposed to do; entertain and bring forth questions about society and the world we live in. Many of the people in the audience tonight were there to support friends, support the theatre company or hell they might have just walked in off the street, but I hope that after watching this piece of American musical theatre, you begin to ask questions. I walked into the theatre one way and I left a changed person, thanks to SRO's production of ASSASSINS. My commentary or opinion is what it is... just my opinion. However, I highly encourage you to get down to the Obsidian Theatre and witness this dark, thought-provoking musical by Standing Room Only Productions.

ASSASSINS runs now through August 1st at Obsidian Theater 3522 White Oak Dr. For ticket info please visit www.sro-productions.com or call 713-300-2358

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