Author’s note / disclaimer: A member of the cast in sorry/grateful theatre’s production of Assassins has previously written content for PodSask. The opinions expressed in this review are, as always, solely those of the writer.
It’s a killer show. Is that enough of a review? Have we used that line enough yet?
Fine, let’s elaborate: sorry/grateful theatre’s production of the Stephen Sondheim musical Assassins, the final show in this Live Five season in Saskatoon, is a stunningly impressive ensemble show.
A (relatively) large cast and crew and band, crammed into the cozy confines of the Refinery, have come together to create a musical marvel. It might not have been a perfect masterpiece, but the final product has set a high bar for theatre, musical or otherwise, created locally in Saskatoon.
The show, as you can imagine, is about assassins – the killers or would-be killers of American presidents throughout the ages. From the infamous John Wilkes Booth (Kevin Moxley) to the lesser-known but no less deadly Charles Guiteau (Alyssa Billingsley) and Leon Czolgosz (Jordie Richardson), the show explores how the “American Dream” became twisted for these individuals in a way that turned them into killers.
The ensemble cast was brilliantly assembled – Bobby Williston and Jessica Goodman as the nameless Balladeer and Proprietor (and Williston’s surprise appearance as Lee Harvey Oswald) commanded attention whenever they graced the stage. Billingsley as the affable snake-oil-salesman-like Guiteau was impossibly delightful for a killer, which made their high-energy affectation and charm all the more disturbing as time went on. And the pair of Philippa Williams and Liz Whitbread as failed assassins “Squeaky” Fromme and Sara Jane Moore were weird, quirky and shockingly hilarious in their scenes together.
The heavyweight hitter in the show, however, was undoubtedly Moxley as Booth. Sporting a wicked mustache, unwavering resolve and insidious charisma, Moxley helped to start and end the show with a literal bang. The whole ensemble of characters were each on-target shots; Moxley’s weighty, nuanced performance as Booth was the bullseye.
Kudos as well to the band, for carrying this small but mighty musical with precision. The volume levels occasionally drowned out the faster-talking (or softer-spoken) cast members, but you would be hard-pressed to find a member of the audience who could pick out a sour note or missed cue.
The overall design and costuming featured more hits than misses, but there were a few choices that felt a little off. For every lovely period suit and devilishly clever set piece (the noose swinging down on cue and the seemingly innocuous wording on the box-steps leading to the gallows were particularly brilliant), there was a decision I questioned.
Why did this whole Sondheim musical feel rather brown and grey? Why did each scene seem just a little bit too similar in terms of era and attitude? Why did the ephemeral Balladeer visually blend in with everyone else instead of having some element to stand out? They’re small design nitpicks that certainly didn’t hurt the production, but in a show that has such an amorphous central theme, there were spots where it felt like the design elements could have bolstered the production a little more than they did.
The choreography was also solid, even though the dancing wasn’t top-notch across the board. It’s the kind of show where any kind of dancing was going to feel a little weird, and while some of the smaller dance segments were spot on, the group numbers never felt sharp. It’s a lot of people and set pieces on a small-ish stage at the Refinery, and it didn’t do them any favours as a dance space.
Despite any minor qualms, this production should be considered a strong success for the theatre community in Saskatoon. Creative uses of the space, fun set pieces, a brilliant cast and band, high-caliber singing… the list of thumbs-ups goes on and on.
sorry/grateful theatre has pushed the boundaries for musical theatre in Saskatoon with this production of Assassins. It shows that not only can local, professional musical theatre be done, but it can be done extremely well.
