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| Sara Jane Moore (Hayley Lovgren, left) and Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme (Brigitte Losey) share a joint. (Photo by Tracy Martin) |
Although “Assassins,” with its music and lyrics by
Stephen Sondheim and book by John Weidman, seems like an unlikely topic for a
musical, this 1991 creation examines motives leading to assassinations and
attempted assassinations of presidents and relates them to current events.
Presented by Hillbarn Theatre and Conservatory, it
features 17 actors in lead and supporting roles.
The emcee, called the Balladeer or Proprietor (Keith
Pinto), introduces the assassins. The first is 27-year-old actor John Wilkes
Booth (Andre Amarotico), who killed Abraham Lincoln in 1865.
Others include Charles Guiteau (Ted Zoldan), 40. who
killed James Garfield in 1881; Leon Czolgosz (Benjamin Ball), 28, who killed William
McKinley in 1901; and Giuseppe Zangara
(Jesse Cortez), 33, who tried to kill President-elect Franklin Roosevelt in
1933.
Lee Harvey Oswald (Julio Chavez), 24, killed John F.
Kennedy in 1963. Samuel Byck (Andrew Cope), 44, planned to kill Richard Nixon
by crashing a hijacked plane into the White House in 1974 but was killed during
the hijack attempt.
Two women, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme (Brigitte
Losey), 27, and Sara Jane Moore (Hayley Lovgren), 45, separately tried to kill
Gerald Ford in 1975. Also unsuccessful was John Hinckley (Nick Kenrick), 26,
who tried to kill Ronald Reagan in 1981.
All nine of these people had traits in common,
according to Joshua Marx in his director’s notes. They felt different, inferior
and destined. They wanted recognition, and they felt that they were justified
“to use violence to realize your American right to be happy,” Marx wrote.
In short, they were mentally unbalanced.
Sondheim and Weidman have several characters
interacting over the years. Booth, for example, urges some to act on their
impulses.
In “Unworthy of Your Love,” Fromme sings of her love
for mass murderer Charles Manson, and Hinckley says he wants to impress actor
Jody Foster with his love.
“Gun Song” talks about how easy it is to shoot a
gun. Guns are a crucial prop in the show, but the program says that all of them
“are replicas that were procured from, checked and rendered inoperable by a
weapons specialist.” They’re locked up between performances.
Perhaps the most telling and timely song is
“Something Just Broke,” sung by the ensemble. This follows the scene when
Oswald shot Kennedy and says that things won’t be the same.
In his director’s notes, Marx alludes to events that
have taken place since “Assassins” was written. They include Jan. 6 and mass
shootings.
All of the songs showcase Sondheim’s musical and
lyrical genius, and all of them are performed well.
The actors are uniformly excellent singers and
performers. Some, including Pinto, also dance well (choreography by assistant
director Leslie Waggoner).
The multi-level set, with its collection of old TVs,
radios and other items, is by scenic and props designer Christopher Fitzer.
Sound is by Jules Indelicato, lighting by John
Bernard and costumes, wigs and makeup by Y. Sharon Peng. Jad Bernardo is the
music director.
“Assassins” is thought-provoking, absorbing and
entertaining for mature audiences.
Running about 105 minutes with no intermission,
“Assassins” will continue through Feb. 12 at Hillbarn Theatre, 1285 E.
Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City.
For tickets and information, call (650) 349-6411 or
visit www.hillbarntheatre.org.
