The Assassins is probably my new favorite musical soundtrack. It started off Broadway in 1990, then in 2004 came to Broadway, winning 4 Tony's in the process.
Stephen Sondheim (Sweeny Todd, West Side Story) did the music and lyrics, so it has to be good. And did I mention Neil Patrick Harris is the main narrator?? I may be in love.
The Assassins goes through the history of those who attempted/assassinated at American president, and the different reasons they did.
The songs are magnificent. And as I am now addicted, I'm very upset that when I try to find more about it, the only information that pops up is about the Assassins Creed video games. yuck.
However, Wikipedia has offered a magnificent article on it.
The assassins are:
Leon Czolgosz - assassin of President William McKinley
John Hinckley - attempted assassin of President Ronald Reagan
Charles Guiteau - assassin of President James Garfield
Giuseppe Zangara- attempted assassin of President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Samuel Byck - attempted assassin of President Richard Nixon
Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme - attempted assassin of President Gerald Ford
Sara Jane Moore - attempted assassin of President Gerald Ford
John Wilkes Booth - assassin of President Abraham Lincoln
Lee Harvey Oswald - assassin of President John F. Kennedy
David Herold - accomplice of John Wilkes Booth in the assassination of President
Abraham Lincoln
My favorite has got to be The Ballad of Booth. The lyrics are sensationally powerful, and it gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it:
"What I did was kill the man who killed my country.
Now the Southland will mend,
Now this bloody war can end,
Because someone slew th tyrant
Just as Brutus slew the tyrant-"
"Let them cry, "dirty traitor!"
They will understand it later-
The country is not what it was..."
The lryics are not for everyone. The show does feature some pretty strong language, so if you're not a fan, some of the songs may not be for you. But what you can expect from seeing this show is a good time, with outstanding music, and and incredible story. And that's pretty hard to come around these days.
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