Description

Assassins the Musical tells the story of men and women who attempted to, or successfully did, assassinate a President of the United States told with the backdrop of a carnival. It’s a playful,  yet intense take on modern historical tragedy, exploring the lives and psychology of the nine successful and unsuccessful assassins of Abraham Lincoln, William McKinley, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, James Garfield, Richard Nixon, and lastly, John F. Kennedy. Through the extremely catchy and brilliant music of Stephen Sondheim, the show tells the story of these assassins and the historical pressure that their intentions caused for the nation in a revue style. Using the theme of a carnival game, the intense subject matter of the show is juxtaposed with this lighthearted, yet eerie element of a game. It’s a show about freedom, angst, political unrest, inequality,  and the profound effect of power on our nation. It’s a nice break from the political climate we are in now, but a social commentary on gun control and political protest. It’s an interesting way to look back on a history that haunts our country. In its Broadway run, Assassins won 5 Tony awards and starred Neil Patrick Harris. The show runs in one act with no intermission.