New York theater critics have given mixed reviews to the Off-Broadway revival of the 1990 musical Assassins, with a score by Stephen Sondheim and book by John Weidman, which will continue its limited emgagement at Classic Stage Company through January 29. The creative team includes John Doyle (direction, sets), Ann Hould-Ward (costumes), Jane Cox and Tess James (lights), Matt Stine and Sam Kusnetz (sound), Steve Channon (projections), Charles G. Lapointe (wigs), and Greg Jarrett (orchestrations, music direction). The cast includes Adam Chanler-Berat (John Hinckley Jr.), Eddie Cooper (Proprietor), Tavi Gevinson (Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme), Andy Grotelueschen (Samuel Byck), Judy Kuhn (Sara Jane Moore), Steven Pasquale (John Wilkes Booth), Ethan Slater (Lee Harvey Oswald / Balladeer), Will Swenson (Charles Guiteau), Wesley Taylor (Giuseppe Zangara), and Brandon Uranowitz (Leon Czolgosz) with ensemble members Brad Giovanine, Bianca Horn, Whit K. Lee, Rob Morrison, and Katrina Yaukey.
The cast of Assassins.
New York Times (Laura Collins-Hughes): Even with a powerhouse cast, this stripped down, off-balance production … never does find a way to make the audience feel the stakes of its characters’ actions. That’s true whether we view the assassins purely as historical figures or also as metaphors for an aggressive strain of lethal discontent. … Assassins has been faulted since its premiere three decades ago for a supposed failure to make its disparate parts cohere. It’s also proved many times that they can, yet Doyle’s staging never manages to harness that cumulative power. Faithful though it is to the show’s sung and spoken text, it’s missing some vital connective tissue.
Observer (David Cote): Assassins is the looking glass that theater folk periodically dust off to show us how much we’ve declined. John Doyle even ends his timid, visually bland revival at Classic Stage Company with … a thudding flourish that indicates the elderly British director doesn’t trust his audience. … It’s the last of a series of obvious or poorly reasoned choices that leech tension and shock from this evergreen material, despite a strong cast. … Doyle recoils from razzmatazz and messy emotions, opting for a cerebral sangfroid with the appearance (but not the reality) of depth.
Theatrely (Joey Sims): We are left with a revival that captures Assassins’ smarts and musical brilliance, but ultimately, still lacks a certain something. It needs a bit of mayhem. A touch of chaos. More than a hint, perhaps, of madness. … This production does have a lot else going for it. Greg Jarrett’s orchestration and musical direction is masterful. Every number sounds incredible. … The standout, though, is Will Swenson, an oft-underrated comedic performer whose maniacal take on Charles Guiteau grabs a firm hold of the show whenever he’s on stage. … We get a thrilling hint of a production that could have been, one that built insanity, pure insanity, into its very theatrical form.
Time Out (Adam Feldman): Doyle has the ammo to get the job done — a star-spangled cast of musical theater pros — but not the aim. As scattershot as this production sometimes seems, however, it hits enough targets to draw blood. … Doyle’s constitutional aversion to showmanship and comedy sometimes get in the way of this operation. At times, the blocking literally blocks key moments; more often, it muddles them. … The most discomfiting thing about watching Assassins now is the extent to which the isolated mindsets whose dots the musical connects through 120 years of U.S. history have cohered into movements since the show was written. 4 out of 5 stars.
Variety (Marilyn Stasio): Doyle’s electrifying staging … is a revival to die for — figuratively, of course. … Between the musical’s powerful content and Doyle’s inventive presentation, Assassins is still a killer show. Doyle is a past master of ensemble showpieces, and this musical plays right to his strengths. The lineup here includes some of our most versatile performers, from Steven Pasquale as a fiery John Wilkes Booth to Ethan Slater as the twitchiest Lee Harvey Oswald imaginable. But plucking out any more players seems unfair to the flawless teamwork.