Assassins
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Synopsis
This darkly satirical musical reframes American history through the eyes of those who attempted – successfully or not – to kill US presidents. Structured as a surreal carnival sideshow, the piece weaponises American musical traditions – vaudeville, folk ballads, barbershop quartets, patriotic Sousa-style marches and Bacharach pop – to undercut the myth of the “American Dream,” exposing how frustration, alienation and entitlement can curdle into violence. By giving voice to figures from John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald, Assassins invites audiences not to condone their acts but to confront the unsettling continuity between personal disillusionment and national mythology, turning the musical stage into a mirror for America’s darkest obsessions.
Details
- Jerry Zaks
- December 18, 1990
- Released
- 1h 30m
Where to watch
No known streaming options in United States.
Cast
-
Patrick CassidyBalladeer -
Victor GarberJohn Wilkes Booth -
William Parry LeonProprietor
-
Terrence MannLeon Czolgosz -
Greg GermannJohn Hinckley -
Jonathan HadaryCharles Guiteau -
Eddie KorbichGiuseppe Zangara
-
Lee WilkofSamuel Byck -
Annie GoldenLynette "Squeaky" Fromme -
Debra MonkSara Jane Moore -
Jace AlexanderLee Harvey Oswald -
Marcus OlsenDavid Herold
