Columbus Freepress - November 7th 2013 Nov 7 2013 | Page 27

Musical targets those who prefer bullets to ballots By Richard Ades You always remember where you were the first time you saw Assassins. I was in the Riffe Center’s Studio One, which looked a lot different than it does today. For his 1993 Players Theatre production, director Steven Anderson forced viewers to stare at each other from either side of the central stage. The idea was to underline the fact that the Stephen Sondheim musical is about us—Americans—and our violent history. It was a brilliant concept, but a look at the viewers across the way suggested that many of them didn’t know what to make of this provocative and darkly comic history lesson. And some (myself included) had trouble with its surreal “explanation” of President Kennedy’s assassination, a crime that remained controversial 30 years after the fact. So now it’s 50 years after JFK’s death, and his murder has largely been replaced by 9/11 as the most shocking event of modern created, which is more traditional than its predecessor but just as polished. Holding it together are two awesome central performances. Ian Short is at first passionate as pioneer assassin John Wilkes Booth, then dangerously seductive as his spirit, who coaxes malcontents to follow in his bloody footsteps. When Presidential murderers (from left) Charles Guiteau (Scott Wilson), Leon Czolgosz (Jay Rittberger) and John Giuseppe Zangara (Drew Eberly) Wilkes Booth (Ian Short) raise their voices and weapons complains that nothing can cure his in Assassins (photo by Dan Welsh) chronic stomach ache, Booth asks history. In fact, political assassinations have coyly, “Have you considering shooting Franklin Roosevelt?” generally given way to terrorism and mass In the other pivotal role, Nick Lingnofski shootings as the major sources of national puts his fine voice to good use as the paranoia. narrator-like Balladeer, then morphs into a It’s in this atmosphere that Red Herring surprisingly hesitant Lee Harvey Oswald for Productions brings the Sondheim musical back to Studio One. The change is a double- the controversial finale. Some would-be assassins serve as edged sword: It makes the musical seem welcome comic relief. The broadest less relevant, but it may give us enough laughs are provided by Charles Manson emotional distance to finally appreciate its follower Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme (Kate artistry and audacity. Lingnofski) an \?????Y \???[???]X[]Y\???YH??Y?[?B???? ?\?H?[?H[??H ?[H?\??\?????X?[?\?X??????[???Z?[??]\?X?[\?X??[H?[? RY??[??]?B???Y? K?[??[\?[?\?[?????????\?8?&\??[??H[]?\?K\??[]Y[?X?????\?]\?Z[?Y?^\?Z[?]HX???^??H?Z[??[?Z\?[?\?[??H?]B??\?K??Z?]?\?H?X]Y?]]H?]?]\?\?B?\?[??Y?\??Y[\??\??[??\?\??Z]X]B?????[??H[?H??YH???\?[??\??Y????[???^H ??\??\???\?K??]?X??[?^H\??\??[?[?????? ?^B??]?\??\?H\?X???Y[?H?[\]K??Y?H]\?X?[?Y??\??\?YZ\?][?????YX?[X?\?\?[[XH??X[??[?Y[HX[??H?]?\?[H\?]X?\?\??\??????[?\?\????\Z[??H?[????[?\?B?Z\??X[??\?H???Y]? ????[\?K????H?????\?[??H\?X\??Y?H?B?H?Z?H?[??[????X?K?[??[?\?[ ?Y? ??]?H[?\??X?\?H\??X?]?\?X??x?&\???H?Y?[?H?[Y[?[???B??[?\??H\?H?[?\??Y?HH?\?[??H??Y?H?[? ??\??\??[??X^H?H\???[]?[?[?B??? NK?LK?? P??[X?[?H\?K?]]8?&\????X\???Z\??] ?]8?&\??[\HH?X\?????\???Z[H??[??YH\?]B??]?]\?X?[]??[Y[???H?[?[?????]?]Y\?? ?\??[?\?H[Y\?X?K???Y\??[????X?[???[?\?[??\??\??[??] ?K?\??^KT?]\?^B?[??Y[??K?Y??H?[?\? ???Y??? ?X??]?\?H ?[?Y?[??K8?'^H?]?[?H?[?8?'H]H??? ?M M??NLLM????Y\??[??[??????[??H[?\??K?[??\???\??]??H[X^?????'???S?HS?U?T??'B????