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Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by John Weidman
Based on an idea by Charles L. Gilbert, Jr.

1990 Playwrights Horizons Production

Opened December 18, 1990 at Playwrights Horizons, NYC
Closed on February 16, 1991; Ran for 73 performances
Produced by Playwrights Horizons
[Artistic Director, Andre Bishop;
Executive Director, Paul S. Daniels;
Musical Theatre Program Director, Ira Weitzman]
Directed by Jerry Zaks
Set Design by Loren Sherman
Costume Design by William Ivey Long
Lighting Design by Paul Gallo
Sound Design by Scott Lehrer
Hair Design by Angela Gari
Choreography by D.J. Giagni
Musical Direction by Paul Gemignani
Orchestrations by Michael Starobin

Cast

Proprietor - William Parry Leon
Czolgosz - Terrence Mann
John Hinckley - Greg Germann
Charles Guiteau - Jonathan Hadary
Giuseppe Zangara - Eddie Korbich
Samuel Byck - Lee Wilkof
Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme - Annie Golden
Sara Jane Moore - Debra Monk
John Wilkes Booth - Victor Garber
Balladeer - Patrick Cassidy
David Herold - Marcus Olson
Bartender - John Jellison
Emma Goldman - Lyn Greene
James Garfield - William Parry
James Blaine - John Jellison
Hangman - Marcus Olson
Warden - John Jellison
Billy - Michael Shulman
Gerald Ford - William Parry
Lee Harvey Oswald - Jace Alexander
Bystanders - Joy Franz, Lyn Greene, John Jellison,
Marcus Olson, William Parry
Fairgoers - Joy Franz, Lyn Greene, John Jellison, Marcus Olson,
William Parry, Michael Shulman

Understudies - Ted Brunetti, Joy Franz, Davis Gaines, John Jellison,
Julia Kiley, J. R. Nutt, Marcus Olson, Wiliam Parry

Musicians

Paul Ford (Piano)
Paul Gemignani (Drums, Percussion)
Michael Starobin (Synthesizers)

Musical Numbers

  • "Everybody's Got the Right" - Proprietor, Czolgosz, Hinckley, Guiteau, Zangara, Byck, Fromme, Moore, Booth
  • "The Ballad of Booth" - Balladeer, Booth, David Harold
  • "How I Saved Roosevelt" - Bystanders, Zangara
  • "Gun Song" - Czolgosz, Booth, Guiteau, Moore
  • "The Ballad of Czolgosz" - Balladeer, Fairgoers
  • "Unworthy of Your Love" - Hinckley, Fromme
  • "The Ballad of Guiteau" - Guiteau, Balladeer
  • "Another National Anthem" - Czolgosz, Booth, Hinckley, Fromme, Zangara, Guiteau, Moore, Byck, Balladeer
  • "November 22, 1963" - Booth, Oswald, Guiteau, Czolgosz, Byck, Hinckley, Fromme, Moore, Zangara
  • "Finale: Everybody's Got the Right" - Booth, Czolgosz, Moore, Guiteau, Zangara, Byck, Hinckley, Fromme, Oswald

Recording

Assassins

Assassins - Original Cast Recording
Produced by Jay David Sacks
Engineered by Paul Goodman and James Nichols
Digitally recorded March 6 - 7, 1991 at BMG's Studio C, New York City
Enhanced orchestrations for this recording by Michael Starobin
Liner notes by Jonathan Schwartz
Lyrics included

  • Compact Disc, 1991 [RCA 60737-2-RC] (56:57 mins.)
  • Cassette, 1991 [RCA 60737-4-RC]

Selections:

Everybody's Got the Right (6:03), The Ballad of Booth (9:21), How I Saved Roosevelt (4:36), Gun Song / The Ballad of Czolgosz (7:12), Unworthy of Your Love (3:29), The Ballad of Guiteau (4:52), Another National Anthem (6:07), November 22, 1963 (10:47), Final Sequence - You Can Close the New York Stock Exchange [includes Family and Everybody's Got the Right (reprise)] (4:19)

1992 Signature Theatre Production

Opened August 20, 1992 at Theatretwo, Gunston Arts Center, Arlington VA
Closed October 3, 1992
Produced by Signature Theatre [Artistic Director: Eric D. Schaeffer;
Managing Director: Donna Lillard; Executive Producer: Ronnie Gunderson]
Direction and Staging by Eric D. Schaeffer
Set Design by Lou Stancari
Costume Design by Debi Tesser
Lighting Design by John Burchett
Hair Design by Wanda Alston
Properties Design by Barbara Hyde
Multi-media Design by Ellen West
Sound Design by Richard West
Technical Director: Steve Daigler
Assistant Director: Dot Neumann
Stage Manager: Ronnie Gunderson
Musical Direction: Jon Kalbfleisch
Orchestrations by Michael Starobin

Cast

Leon Czolgosz - Richard Potter
John Hinckley - Wallace Acton
Charles Guiteau - Sean Baldwin
Giuseppe Zangara - Gregg Glaviano
Samuel Byck - Joe Dodd
Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme - Suzanne Dennis
Sara Jane Moore - Donna Lillard
John Wilkes Booth - Buzz Mauro
Balladeer - Michael Sharp
Emma Goldman - Judy Simmons
Lee Harvey Oswald - David Lee
Proprietor - Jason Fulmer
Boy - Mark Straub or Samuel B. Whittington
Ensemble - David Elias, Gregory Gjurich, Mary Gjurich, Judy Simmons
Swings - David Patrick Felton, Anita Miller

Musical Numbers

  • "Opening" [Everybody's Got the Right] - The Company
  • "The Ballad of Booth" - Balladeer, Booth
  • "How I Saved Roosevelt" - Bystanders, Zangara
  • "Gun Song" - Czolgosz, Booth, Guiteau, Moore
  • "The Ballad of Czolgosz" - Balladeer, Bystanders
  • "Unworthy of Your Love" - Hinckley, Fromme
  • "The Ballad of Guiteau" - Guiteau, Balladeer
  • "Another National Anthem" - Assassins
  • "Everybody Has the Right" [Everybody's Got the Right] - Assassins

1992 London Production

Opened October 29, 1992 at the Donmar Warehouse, London
Closed January 9, 1993; Ran for 76 performances
Directed by Sam Mendes
Set Design / Costumes by Anthony Ward
Lighting by Paul Pyant
Musical Direction: Jeremy Sams
Performance Musical Director: Mark Dorrell
Orchestrations by Michael Starobin
Sound Design by John A. Leonard
Costume Supervisor: Christine Rowland

Cast

The Proprietor - Paul Bentley
Leon Czolgosz - Jack Ellis
John Hinckley - Michael Cantwell
Charles Guiteau - Henry Goodman
Giuseppe Zangara - Paul Harrhy
Samuel Byck - Ciaran Hinds
Lynette (Squeaky) Fromme - Cathryn Bradshaw
Sara Jane Moore - Louise Gold
John Wilkes Booth - David Firth
The Balladeer - Anthony Barclay
David Herold - Kevin Walton
Emma Goldman - Sue Kelvin
Pres. James Garfield - Kevin Walton
James Blaine - Gareth Snook
Pres. Gerald Ford - Paul Bentley
Lee Harvey Oswald - Gareth Snook
Bystanders - Paul Bentley, Michelle Fine, Sue Kelvin, Gareth Snook, and Kevin Walton

Musical Numbers

[Same as the Original Production except for a song added for this production: "Something Just Broke", performed before the Finale]

Lawrence Olivier Awards

  • Best Actor in a Musical (Henry Goodman)

2004 Broadway Production

Previews began March 26, 2004 at Studio 54
Opened April 22, 2004; closed July 18 2004
Ran for 26 previews and 101 performances
Produced by the Roundabout Theatre Company
[Todd Haimes, Artistic Director;
Ellen Richard, Managing Director;
Julia C. Levy, Executive Director, External Affairs]
Directed by Joe Mantello
Musical Direction by Paul Gemignani
Musical Staging by Jonathan Butterell
Set Design by Robert Brill
Costume Design by Susan Hilferty
Lighting Design by Jules Fisher & Peggy Eisenhauer
Sound Design by Dan Moses Schrier
Orchestrations by Michael Starobin
Orchestra Conducted by Nicholas Archer

Cast

Proprietor - Marc Kudisch [replaced by John Schiappa]
Leon Czolgosz - James Barbour
John Hinckley - Alexander Gemignani
Charles Guiteau - Denis O'Hare
Giuseppe Zangara - Jeffrey Kuhn
Samuel Byck - Mario Cantone
Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme - Mary Catherine Garrison
Sara Jane Moore - Becky Ann Baker
John Wilkes Booth - Michael Cerveris
Balladeer - Neil Patrick Harris
David Herold - Brandon Wardell
Emma Goldman - Anne L. Nathan
James Blaine - James Clow
President James Garfield - Merwin Foard
Billy - Eamon Foley
President Gerald Ford - James Clow
Lee Harvey Oswald - Neil Patrick Harris
Ensemble - James Clow, Merwin Foard, Eamon Foley,
Kendra Kassebaum, Anne L. Nathan, and Brandon Wardell
Swings - Ken Krugman, Sally Wilfert and Chris Peluso

Musical Numbers

  • "Everybody's Got the Right" - Proprietor, Czolgosz, Guiteau, Fromme, Byck, Booth, Zangara, Hinckley, Moore
  • "The Ballad of Booth" - Balladeer and Booth
  • "How I Saved Roosevelt" - Zangara and Ensemble
  • "Gun Song" - Czolgosz, Booth, Guiteau, Moore
  • "The Ballad of Czolgosz" - Balladeer and Ensemble
  • "Unworthy of Your Love" - Hinckley and Fromme
  • "The Ballad of Guiteau" - Guiteau and Balladeer
  • "Another National Anthem" - Proprietor, Czolgosz, Booth, Hinckley, Fromme, Zangara, Moore, Guiteau, Byck, Balladeer
  • "Something Just Broke" - Ensemble
  • "Everybody's Got the Right" (reprise) - Moore, Byck, Czolgosz, Zangara, Fromme, Hinckley, Oswald, Guiteau, Booth

Recording

Assassins (2004)

Assassins - Broadway Cast Recording
Recorded June 7, 2004
Produced by Tommy Krasker
Executive Producer: Philip A. Chaffin
Engineered and Mixed by Tom Lazarus
Assistant Engineers: Jimmy Briggs and Bryan Russell
Music Preparation by Katherine L. Edmonds and Emily Grishman
Liner Notes by John Weidman and Sean Patrick Flahaven

  • Compact Disc, 2004 [PS Classics 421] (61:55 mins.)

Selections:

Everybody's Got the Right (6:32), The Ballad of Booth (8:33), "Ladies and gentlemen, a toast!" (1:03), How I Saved Roosevelt (4:51), "What does a man do..." (0:51), Gun Song (4:47), The Ballad of Czolgosz (2:44), Unworthy of Your Love (4:29), "I am a terrifying and imposing figure..." (1:24), The Ballad of Guiteau (5:17), "Have it your way..." (4:34), Another National Anthem (5:27), "Take a look, Lee." [includes Family] (5:26), Something Just Broke (3:19), Everybody's Got the Right (2:31)

2008 London Production

Opened January 23, 2008 at the Landor Theatre, London
Closed February 2, 2008; Ran for 10 performances
Produced by West 72nd Productions
Directed by Ben Carrick
Design by Ben Pickering
Lighting by Helena Pemberton
Musical Direction and Orchestration: Richard Bates
Sound Design by Natasha Bonner

Cast

The Proprietor; Emma Goldman - Kirsten Parks
Leon Czolgosz - Sebastian Palka
John Hinckley - Graham Weaver
Charles Guiteau - Jeff Nicholson
Giuseppe Zangara - Alex Browne
Samuel Byck - Kris Webb
Lynette (Squeaky) Fromme - April Small
Sara Jane Moore - Jenni Bowden
John Wilkes Booth - Christopher Ragland
The Balladeer - Nathan Kiley
Lee Harvey Oswald - Tim Jackling
Ensemble; Billy - Claire Daly
Ensemble - Langley Brandon
Ensemble - Claire McGarahan

Musical Numbers

[Same as the Original London Production]

2010 London Production

Opened June 30, 2010 at Union Theatre, London
Closed July 24, 2010
Produced by Union Theatre
Directed by Michael Strassen
Lighting Design by Steve Miller
Choreography by Michael Strassen
Musical Direction by Michael Bradley
Musical Supervision by Chris Mundy
Orchestrations by Richard Bates

Cast

Leon Czolgosz - Adam Jarrell
John Hinckley - Paul Callen
Charles Guiteau - John Barr
Giuseppe Zangara - Joe Alessi
Samuel Byck - Nick Holder
Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme - Alison Larnder
Sara Jane Moore - Leigh McDonald
John Wilkes Booth - Glyn Kerslake
The Balladeer - Nolan Frederick
David Herold - Anthony Delaney
Emma Goldman - Lisa Stokke
James Garfield - Neil Canfer
Gerald Ford - Neil Canfer
Lee Harvey Oswald - Marc Joseph
Ensemble: David Brooks, Neil Canfer, Anthony Delaney,
Hannah Bingham, and Holly Easterbrook

Recordings of Songs
  • Another National Anthem
    • Company
      Assassins Original Cast Recording 1991
    • Company
      Assassins Broadway Cast Recording 2004

  • The Ballad of Booth

  • The Ballad of Czolgosz
    • Patrick Cassidy and Chorus
      Assassins Original Cast Recording 1991
    • Neil Patrick Harris and Ensemble
      Assassins Broadway Cast Recording 2004

  • The Ballad of Guiteau
    • Jonathan Hadary and Patrick Cassidy
      Assassins Original Cast Recording 1991
    • Denis O'Hare and Neil Patrick Harris
      Assassins Broadway Cast Recording 2004

  • Everybody's Got the Right

  • Family
    • Company
      Assassins Original Cast Recording 1991 [as part of the track titled "Final Sequence: You Can Close the New York Stock Exchange"]
    • Company
      Assassins Broadway Cast Recording 2004 [as part of the track titled "Take a look, Lee."]

  • Finale: Everybody's Got the Right
    • Company
      Assassins Original Cast Recording 1991 [includes Family and Everybody's Got the Right (reprise)]
    • Company
      Assassins Broadway Cast Recording 2004

  • Flag Song [cut song; replaced by "Everybody's Got the Right"; music was used for It's in Your Hands Now in Road Show]

  • Gun Song
    • Terrence Mann, Victor Garber, Jonathan Hadary, and Debra Monk
      Assassins Original Cast Recording 1991
    • Company
      Putting It Together 1993
    • Susannah Mars
      Take Me to the World 1998 [LML CD-106]
    • James Barbour, Michael Cerveris, Denis O'Hare, and Becky Ann Baker
      Assassins Broadway Cast Recording 2004

  • How I Saved Roosevelt
    • Eddie Korbich and Company
      Assassins Original Cast Recording 1991
    • Jeffrey Kuhn and Ensemble
      Assassins Broadway Cast Recording 2004

  • Something Just Broke [new song written for the London production]
    • Ensemble
      Assassins Broadway Cast Recording 2004

  • Unworthy of Your Love

Publications
Book
  • New York: Theatre Communications Group, 1991; 107 pp.
    • [1-55936-039-9] [hc]
    • [1-55936-038-0] [pbk]
Score [complete]
  • Secaucus NJ: Warner Bros. Publications VF1765, 1991; 148 pp. [prepared by Tony Esposito and Jeff Sultanof]
  • Miami FL: Warner Bros. Publications VF1765 [076920208X], 1999; 152 pp. [edited by Carol Cuellar] $75.00
Score [selections]
  • Secaucus NJ: Warner Bros. Publications VF1764, 1992; 63 pp. [includes "The Ballad of Booth", "The Ballad of Czolgosz", "Unworthy of Your Love", "The Ballad of Guiteau", "Everybody's Got the Right"]
  • Secaucus NJ: Warner Bros. Publications VS6153, 1993; 16 pp. ["Something Just Broke"]
  • Secaucus NJ: Warner Bros. Publications VF1978, 1993 ; 77 pp. [includes "The Ballad of Booth", "The Ballad of Czolgosz", "Unworthy of Your Love", "The Ballad of Guiteau", "Something Just Broke", "Everybody's Got the Right"]
  • Miami FL: Warner Bros. Publications VF1978 [0769202047], 1999 ; 84 pp. [edited by Sy Feldman; includes "The Ballad of Booth", "The Ballad of Czolgosz", "Unworthy of Your Love", "The Ballad of Guiteau", "Something Just Broke", "Everybody's Got the Right" (Finale)]
  • Milwaukee: Hal Leonard HL 00313452 [ISBN: 978-1-4234-7286-5], November 2010; 88pp.; $16.99 [includes "The Ballad Of Booth (Part I)", "The Ballad Of Czolgosz (Part I)", "The Ballad Of Guiteau", "Everybody's Got The Right", "Something Just Broke", "Unworthy Of Your Love"]

Performance rights controlled by Music Theatre International


Top of Assassins

Last modified on Sunday, April 6, 2014
Compiled by Michael H. Hutchins