Composer

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Stephen Sondheim

Genre

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Musical Theatre

Style

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Musical Theater

Assassins is a musical composed by Stephen Sondheim with a book by John Weidman. The musical explores the lives and motivations of nine individuals who attempted or succeeded in assassinating a President of the United States. The show premiered Off-Broadway in 1990 and was later revived on Broadway in 2004. The musical is divided into two acts, with each act featuring a different group of assassins. The first act focuses on the assassins who failed in their attempts, including John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln, and Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated President John F. Kennedy. The second act focuses on the successful assassins, including Charles J. Guiteau, who assassinated President James A. Garfield, and Leon Czolgosz, who assassinated President William McKinley. The music of Assassins is characterized by Sondheim's signature style of complex melodies and intricate lyrics. The score features a variety of musical styles, including vaudeville, folk, and rock. The show's most famous song, "Everybody's Got the Right," is a rousing anthem that celebrates the American dream and the idea that anyone can achieve greatness. Assassins premiered Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons in 1990. The original production was directed by Jerry Zaks and starred Terrence Mann as Charles J. Guiteau and Patrick Cassidy as the Balladeer. The show received mixed reviews but was praised for its innovative approach to the subject matter. In 2004, Assassins was revived on Broadway at Studio 54. The production was directed by Joe Mantello and starred Neil Patrick Harris as the Balladeer and John Wilkes Booth. The revival was a critical and commercial success, winning five Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical. Assassins is a thought-provoking and challenging musical that explores the dark side of the American dream. Through its portrayal of the assassins, the show asks important questions about the nature of violence, fame, and the American psyche. Despite its controversial subject matter, Assassins has become a beloved classic of the musical theater canon.

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