Assassins 2004 Revival Recording Reviewed

By Amy Somensky Aug 16, 2004, 2:57 GMT

This 2004 revival recording has been enhanced and lengthened over the 1991 recording. This version includes dialogue scenes not recorded before. They include Zangara’s, which gives up the best line of the show. Zangara is complaining about his stomach problems and how he has given up everything to heal the pain. Booth remarks, “Have you considered shooting Franklin Roosevelt?” to which Zangara replies, “You think that help?” Guiteau’s, Emma Goldman’s, Byck’s second monologue, and the second half of Oswald’s dialogue are all included. The CD is all the better for it because the dialogue gives the songs a better perspective and understanding for those who haven’t seen the live show. This version also includes “Something Just Broke” which has been added to the revival. The CD includes a 40 page booklet which slightly makes up for the lack of a souvenir program at the theater. It includes beautiful glossy pictures, complete lyrics, and stage directions which appeals to theater geeks like me. There is also an essay by book writer John Weidman detailing the failure of the 91 production and the delay of this production in 2001 due to 9/11, the near cancellation in 2004, and why this production succeeded and the 91’ production didn’t.

Stephen Sondheim has created something so special and original. The score has a carnival like feel to it. Each song fits each assassin like a glove, with each representing the time period they came from. “The Ballad of Booth” has a southern feel to it. “The Ballad of Guiteau” is upbeat and has a mix of gospel and dread to it feeding off of Guiteau’s unreal optimism and belief in The Lord as he walks the steps to the gallows. “Unworthy of Your Love” is a sappy love song representing the undying love Hinkley feels for Jodie Foster and Fromme feels for Charlie Manson. The warped versions of American classics like Hail To The Chief fit the mocking tone of the show. The recording is so much better for including the gun shots which amounts to a lot. They are a scary reminder of what these people are actually doing. For the first time “Something Just Broke” has been recorded. It shows that the assassins do make some kind of impact, but feels out of place on this disc.

I have always thought Sondheim’s lyrics are ones that need to be listened to closely and that they cannot be fully appreciated in a live setting. His lyrics are filled with so much double meaning, sometime even three layers, but in a way that makes them witty and contemporary. Assassins is no different. The Balladeer’s lyrics are very interesting. At once he sympathizes with the assassins and then he mocks them and then degrades them. For instance, in “The Ballad of Booth,” Booth begs the balladeer to tell his side of the story, saying, “Pass on the truth - you are the only one who can.” The Balladeer replies, “Damn you Lincoln and damn the day you threw the U out of USA.” After Booth is dead the balladeer says, “Some called him noble, some said yellow, what he was, was off his head.” Then later says, “You left a legacy of butchery and treason.”  He acts as the voice of the every day person observing the scene, but is later convinced and persuaded by the assassins to join them. Sondheim incorporates the real life events. They include the Pan American Expo in Buffalo, where Czolgosz killed McKinley, the stomach problems of Zangara, and Fromme’s reasons for trying to assassinate Ford.

There may not have been a better ensemble on Broadway than this one. Each member is extraordinary. I first loved Michael Cerveris when I saw him in Titanic, The Musical. His voice is so beautiful that it almost makes Booth’s cause sound noble. Neil Patrick Harris plays the balladeer. I had no idea he could sing so well. He has a great tone to his voice and is just lovely to listen too. Denis O’Hare is brilliant as Charles Guiteau. He plays Guiteau with such insanity and intensity, but also with such humanity. His optimism is infectious, and even he can’t sustain his panic as he goes to the gallows, but steps on claiming “he is going to the lordy, I am so glad.” Mark Kudisch plays the proprietor and is wonderfully creepy and sinister urging each assassin to commit their deeds. James Barbour is Czolgosz. He has a beautiful baritone voice. Mario Cantone is hilarious as ever. Thankfully his second monologue as Byck is included. Cantone deliver a mix of his usual hysterics, but also give the most touching performance of the CD. His monologue could easily be relevant in today’s world, speaking of politics, fear, and unanswered questions. I get uncomfortable chills every time I hear the revving of the jet’s engines at the end of the track. Mary Catherine Garrison and Becky Ann Baker are so funny together and compliment each other. Alexander Gemignani is perfect as the love sick loner strumming on his guitar writing a love song for his beloved Jodie. Jeffrey Kuhn cracks me up with all his moans and groans and yelling in Italian.

Assassins may not be on Broadway anymore, but we have a beautiful recording to remember Stephen Sondheim’s remarkable score and the brilliant performances by a stellar cast.