Information

Show Credits: Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by John Weidman

Description: Bold, original, surreal, disturbing, thought-provoking and alarmingly funny, ASSASSINS is perhaps the most controversial musical ever written.

This most American of musicals lays bare the lives of nine individuals who assassinated or tried to assassinate the President of the United States, in a one-act historical "revusical" that explores the dark side of the American experience. From John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald, Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman bend the rules of time and space, taking us on a nightmarish rollercoaster ride in which assassins and would-be assassins from different historical periods meet, interact and in an intense final scene inspire each other to harrowing acts in the name of the American Dream.

Insight from the experts Staging Tip: A unit set with moveable pieces can suggest the scripted locales: A shooting gallery, a barroom, a barn, a park bench, a car, an exhibition hall, the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository, a sidewalk, Hinckley's rec room, an electric chair.

This show has many elements usually associated with plays, which is one of the things that makes it such a musical milestone. In casting, turn a special eye upon actors who can sing, rather than singers who can act.

One idea that has worked well with other productions is to plan after-show discussions of the piece with the audience to further enrich its meaning and unique power.

Author John Weidman has commented that the show is more like a revue than a book musical, meaning it's not a celebration of the assassins' actions but a peek into their minds. That makes "Something Just Broke," which documents the average citizen's reaction to assassinations, a pivotal emotional moment for an audience.