Sunday 23 February 2014

A killer way to end the semester

This review was published in The Queens Journal

The dark and daring comical musical, Assassins, put on by the Queen’s Musical Theatre, aims to capture the fallacy of the American dream, and the culture of violence that pervades society.



Based on the idea by Charles Gilbert Jr., music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and the book by John Weidman, Assassins is a stunning musical performance that exposes the lives of nine individuals who assassinated or attempted to assassinate the President of the United States.

The dress rehearsal on the evening of November 26, was passionate and dynamic, filling the theatre with raw energy.

Performed in the Rotunda Theatre of Theological Hall, the location was ideal as the old building set the mood for taking the audience back in time to witness the assassination attempts of some of the most significant and memorable leaders of the United States.

Directed by Dylan On and produced by Tessa Burnside, the musical opened with a spectacular performance by the gun salesman who provides the characters with their weapons at the beginning of the show.

The performance was filled with vivacious enthusiasm and bold musical numbers that stay with you long after you leave the theatre.

The talented cast included a memorable performance by Luke Brown as the Proprietor with his cunning looks and the gargantuan moustache to go with it. John Wilkes Booth and Sam Byck were two of the most strikingly vivid characters with their animated performances.

Musical highlights were the soul saddening “Unworthy of Your Love,” and the vividly performed “Something Just Broke.” Filled with innuendo, “The Ballad of Guiteau,” was performed remarkably well by the character Charles Guiteau.

Dylan On’s unique directing is definitely worth mentioning, and there are certainly tremendous messages that are implicit underneath the quirky and passionate musical numbers.

The harsh reality that we live in a world of deep inequality and despair, which is hidden by the false illusion of freedom and democracy, especially resonates throughout the musical.

Themes of violence in the world, and the motives behind people’s violent acts committed in moments of despair, angst and frustration are also some other messages that the musical brings out beautifully.

Anarchist Emma Goldman’s brief appearance is memorable wherein she lectures the character Leon Czolgosz on the hypocrisy of governments with her remarkable quote, “They make us servants, Leon. We do not make servants of each other.”

“The Gun Song” is another remarkable number with powerful lyrics, and a coarse tone that reminds you of the hard labouring of the average working class man. “Everybody’s Got the Right,” is another song that captures the core themes of the show, reminding each person of the false promises of freedom made by American presidents.

A particularly comic scene depicts the witty and talented performances of the actors who play Squeaky Fromme and Sara Jane Moore as they quibble with each other, and Moore accidently spills her gun’s bullets upon encountering President Ford.

In short, Assassins beautifully seams together the disparate forces of comedic entertainment with political commentary, easing the tension between the two with witty musical numbers that reverberate with social satire.

A musical with a political message can never be easy to produce, and the entire production team and cast must be lauded in their efforts to bring forth such a strong and evocative performance.

Photo Credit: Sophie Barkham


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