BROADWAY SNAP-SHOT
by Russell Bouthiller

Dateline: April 24, 2004

The man who shot Abraham Lincoln takes center stage at Studio 54 in Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman's musical, ASSASSINS. So, too, do the men who shot Presidents McKinley, Garfield and Kennedy. And, joining them are those who aspired to reach such lofty heights, but failed. Directed by Joe Mantello and abetted by a blue-chip cast, this unique piece of musical theatre daringly examines some of the most unhinged minds in American history.

In the Roundabout Theatre Company's Broadway production of ASSASSINS, an unlikely collection of miscreants converges in an eerily conceived shooting gallery, hauntingly designed by Robert Brill and lighted by Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer. With the exception of the tattooed, skin-head Proprietor (Mark Kudisch), each has the common goal of making their mark through notorious deeds.

One would think that assassinating the President would guarantee the killer a high niche in the Pantheon of Disrepute, but that's not the way the fame-game always plays out. Take Charles Guiteau (Denis O'Hare), for example. He shot President Garfield because he was denied a consulate position. Yet, compared to John Wilkes Booth or Lee Harvey Oswald, he is merely a footnote.

Fame has often intrigued the creative mind and ASSASSINS explores the motives behind those who have made history through mad, random acts. Some by their success; others by their failure. How might things have turned out had the Santa-suited Samuel Byck (Mario Cantone) flown a jetliner into the Nixon White House? How might the American story read had Giuseppe Zangara (Jeffrey Kuhn) been a few inches taller? His short stature skewed his aim and the bullet hit Chicago mayor Anton Cermak instead of its intended victim, FDR.

While the program handily provides synopses on each, Sondheim and Weidman's characters lay out their platforms through words and music. Sondheim's lyrics are particularly effective in fashioning an individual style for each criminal mind. Yet, it's hard to imagine these songs having a life beyond the context of the show. After all, would you like to hear a tune about killing the president on, say, a cruise ship? Still, this is one of Sondheim's most evocative scores.

Performances all around are quiet remarkable. O'Hare is captivating as the adrift Guiteau. Cantone, as always, proves beyond manic as Byck. James Barbour simmers as anarchist Leon Czolgosz. Alexander Gemignani makes an auspicious Broadway debut as John Hinkley. Neil Patrick Harris returns to Studio 54 where he effectively shattered his "Doogie Howser" image as the emcee in CABARET and keeps up the good work in his read on Oswald. And, Marc Kuisch steals the show as the sleazy Proprietor.

ASSASSINS premiered in 1991 at Playwrights Horizons and enjoyed successful runs in London and Washington, DC. Devotees of the show and Sondheim lovers will delight in the production they've long been waiting for and newcomers will certainly be dazzled by the concept. But, don't expect any warm-fuzzy feelings. ASSASSINS is decidedly a cerebral piece. Even the theatre itself prompts a reflection on the vicissitudes of fame.