The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #32461   Message #426965
Posted By: harpmolly
27-Mar-01 - 06:41 PM
Thread Name: Help: Assassins
Subject: RE: Help: Assassins
Check out Stephen Sondheim's musical "Assassins". It goes all the way up to Hinckley, and it's quite hilarious.

Each assassin's song is tailored to the era in which he or she lived. For instance, John Hinckley and Squeaky Fromme sing a seventies/eighties power ballad duet called "Unworthy Of Your Love," that is sung to Jodie Foster and Charles Manson, respectively. (I've always wanted to sing that song with someone. :))

The premise is that J.W. Booth, as the first assassin, appears to each of the rest of them and encourages them in their plan. The culmination of the plot is that when Lee Harvey Oswald is sitting in the Texas Book Depository preparing to kill HIMSELF, Booth and the rest of them appear to HIM and convince him to kill the President instead. It's powerful and entertaining. (I should add that I was once in this show so I'm biased ;)).

I would highly recommend the original Broadway cast recording, which features Victor Garber (an amazing actor with a beautiful voice) as John Wilkes Booth. If you can't stand Broadway musicals, just think of it as a compendium of American musical styles. ;)

Hope this helps! Have fun!

Molly