The bumpy ride to Broadway for Assassins may finally come to a succesful stop with a new home and date for the production recently announced. The previously scheduled Broadway opening in November 2001 was cancelled after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Artistic director of the Roundabout Theatre Company Todd Haimes has suggested that the long running revival of Cabaret would play until fall 2003 leaving the space free for the Broadway premiere of the John Weidman and Stephen Sondheim musical.
The previously announced Broadway cast had included Douglas Sills, Neil Patrick Harris, Denis O'Hare, Raul Esparza, John Dossett and Mario Cantone. Director Joe Mantello is still on board as is the proposed choreographer John Carrafa. The announced Broadway cast took part in a one-day workshop of the show after the September postponement.
Soon after the decision to cancel Sondheim and Weidman released a statement saying, "Assassins is a show which asks audiences to think critically about various aspects of the American experience. In light of Tuesday's murderous assault on our nation and on the most fundamental things in which we all believe, we, the Roundabout, and director Joe Mantello believe this is not an appropriate time to present a show which makes such a demand."
The announced Broadway cast took part in a one-day workshop of the show directed by Joe Mantello after the September postponement.
The cast (and their historical counterparts) as announced for the originally planned November, 2000 production of Assassins include:
 John Dossett (Leon Cszolgosz) |
 Alexander Gemignani (John Hinkckley) |
 Denis O'Hare (Charles Guiteau) |
 Raul Esparza (Giuseppe Zangara) |
 Mario Cantone (Samuel Byck) |
 Mary Catherine Garrison (Lynette Fromme) |
 Becky Ann Baker (Sara Jane Moore) |
 Douglas Sills (John Wilkes Booth) |
 Neil Patrick Harris (Lee Harvey Oswald) |
-by Sarah Beaumont
Discuss this revival with the rest of Sondheim.com in our discussion forum, Finishing the Chat! ››
“Assassins is about how society interprets the American Dream, marginalizes outsiders and rewrites and sanitizes its collective history. "Something Just Broke" is a major distraction and plays like an afterthought, shoe horned simply to appease. The song breaks the dramatic fluidity and obstructs the overall pacing and climactic arc which derails the very intent and momentum that makes this work so compelling...”
- Mark Bakalor
“I found [the Sondheim Celebration's Company] to be completely delightful. Almost all of the numbers excited and energized me, and most of the scenes were about as pitch-perfect as you can get. I just sat there with a big smile on my face the whole show.
Which is not to say that it is perfect...”
- popcornonmyknees
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