Boston’s Lyric Stage Company breathes new life into Steven Sondheim’s Assassins.
Framed like a classic carnival game, the revue-style musical takes the audience on a journey as The Proprietor invites them into the twisted games of the historical figures who have attempted (both successfully and not) to assassinate the president of the United States. Each character has a chance to tell their story, and often, the historical figures comment on each other’s attempts. The sketches move in chronological order, starting with John Wilkes Booth and his assassination of President Abraham Lincoln and finishing with Lee Harvey Oswald and his assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
While twisted in concept, the Lyric Stage Company of Boston masterfully brings this story to life. The arena-style seating of the venue adds depth to the possibility of the production and allows the actors to move freely throughout the stage and through the audience. The bit of interaction brings the audience into the story.
The scenic and lighting design of this production was a standout. The use of lighting to illuminate the performers added depth to these sinister characters, and the scenic design of the carnival booth, decorated with an American flag, added depth to the execution of the production.
Robert St. Laurence gave an outstanding performance as John Wilkes Booth, perhaps the figure the entire musical hinges upon. “The Ballad of Booth” is only the first of the haunting numbers to come, but St. Laurence gripped the audience with smooth vocals and an entrancing demeanor on stage.
On a lighter note, Shonna Cirone and Lisa Kate Joyce, who played the conniving Sara Jane Moore and Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, respectively, captured a bit of comic relief in the production. The production captures both the successful and unsuccessful attempts of the assassins, Moore and Fromme being one of the unsuccessful attempts. The pair of women team up to assassinate President Gerald Ford, and due to their own disorganization, the pair of women are unsuccessful in their attempt. Cirone and Joyce capture the audience’s attention with their fas quips and quirky attitudes, giving the audience a bit of relief from the heavy subject matter of the show.
Second only to John Wilkes Booth (or beside him in Sondheim’s twisted revue), Dan Prior captured The Balladeer and Lee Harvey Oswald with spirit and a troubled mind. Initially capturing hearts as the gleeful Balladeer, he’s seen serenading the audience through “The Ballad of Booth,” “The Ballad of Czolgosz,” “The Ballad of Guiteau,” and “Another National Anthem.” Until he flips a switch into the twisted mind of Lee Harvey Oswald, and gave an emotional “November 22, 1963.”
Though the nature of the material creates a twisted atmosphere, the production is clever. The book shines light on a bit of history that is often swept under the rug, orchestrates it in an attention-grabbing way, and doesn’t take itself too seriously.
The Broadway Edit 