This review has been reposted courtesy of the League of Cincinnati Theatres. For more LCT reviews click here to visit their reviews page.
The Falcon Theater specializes in offbeat performances and Stephen Sondheim’s ASSASSINS certainly fits that bill. ASSASSINS is a dark musical comedy which shines a spotlight on those quirky individuals who shot at presidents, helping us understand their motivations–to help them be happier, because, as the song says, doesn’t everyone deserve to be happy? Doesn’t everybody has the right to their dreams? Theatrically, this is a very interesting play pitting a series of misfits against the “American Dream” with each assassin justifying their actions from their unique perspective.
Brian Berendts as as John Wilkes Booth. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.
The Falcon’s production is quite admirable, with a special strength in casting. All were convincing, but particularly outstanding was Eileen Earnest, as Squeaky Fromme–this is the role she was born to play. Other standouts were Brian Berendis as John Wilkes Booth and Patrick Carnes as Guiteau, the man who shot Garfield. Mike Dennis and Helen Raymond Gowers were also of note. The acting was strong overall. However, the cast had difficulty with the challenging Sondheim score. Dramatically, Berendis performed well but missed a number of notes which was a little jarring since he has the biggest part. The singing will, no doubt, improve as the show continues. I still find canned music to be disruptive but the singers were in sync with the score.
This was an unusually large cast for the small Falcon Theater stage and it is always an interesting challenge to choreograph the movements on and off the stage. The set, designed by Jared Doren, aptly resembled a carnival shooting gallery and the lighting was unique, especially at the moment of the successful assassinations. Overall, I recommend the show although it is a dark look at the underbelly of American society.
For more information on the production, click here.
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 