Assassins was performed by the Royal Academy of Music’s Musical Theatre Company at the Susie Sainsbury Theatre, London. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ It is a pleasure to be able to send these stars of tomorrow into the great wide world with five stars.
Tag Archives | Assassins
Assassins – Chichester Festival Theatre
Assassins continues at the Chichester Festival Theatre until 24 June 2023. Star rating: five stars ★★★★★
Full cast for Chichester Festival Theatre’s Assassins
The full company has been unveiled for the Chichester Festival Theatre’s upcoming production of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s Assassins.
Three musicals feature in Chichester Festival Theatre’s 2023 programme
A new musical based on the ground-breaking TV series Rock Follies is one of three major musicals and four world premieres to feature in artistic director Daniel Evans’ final season at the Chichester Festival Theatre.
Remembering Stephen Sondheim (1930-2021), The Ultimate Musical Man of Broadway
Stephen Sondheim rewrote the history of the Broadway musical in a career lasting over 60 years. Michael Darvell looks back, show by show, at the genius that was Stephen Sondheim. It is an unquestionable fact that Stephen Sondheim was responsible for taking the rather moribund genre of the Broadway musical and breathing new life into […]
‘There are giants in the sky’: The theatre community pays tribute to Stephen Sondheim
It feels pretty impossible to find the words to sum up the kind of influence composer Stephen Sondheim had on the world of musical theatre. There was of course the way he turned the genre on its head and made changes to form and content that had never been contemplated before. Then there was the […]
‘We are all blessed to have been alive at the same time as this theatre legend’: Stephen Sondheim dies at the age of 91
The Stephen Sondheim Society’s Chairman and Musical Theatre Review contributor Craig Glenday writes: Dim the lights… Stephen Sondheim was the most innovative, most influential and most important composer and lyricist in modern Broadway history. His contribution to musical theatre – and to theatre in general – is impossible to quantify, such was the variety, sophistication […]
Chichester’s South Pacific postponed until 2021 as Festival Theatre cancels 2020 productions
The highly-anticipated Chichester Festival Theatre production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic South Pacific is another major production to fall victim to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis following the venue’s decision to cancel the entire 2020 season. In a statement released this week, executive director Kathy Bourne and artistic director Daniel Evans said: “We are devastated that […]
Tributes flow in for popular performer Nolan Frederick
Graham Norton and Miriam Margolyes are among the many friends and theatre colleagues who have taken to social media to post heartfelt tributes to Nolan Frederick following the announcement of the actor’s death. A hugely popular performer, Nolan Frederick’s extensive musical theatre credits included Cats, Ragtime, Show Boat, Kiss Me, Kate, Bat Boy, The Pajama […]
A Crossword of Sondheimian Rhyme
Stephen Sondheim is probably theatre’s greatest living lyricist. This is a compliment he may or may not be sick of reading, especially after last month’s deluge of well-deserved 90th birthday encomiums. Either way, as a (somewhat less-acclaimed) musical theatre maker myself I know there is something every proud lyricist could never tire of: people noticing […]
Sondheim at 90: A YouTube career retrospective
Ian Bowkett writes: It is deeply unfortunate that on the 90th birthday of legendary composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim we are in the midst of a period without access to live musical theatre. However, that does make this the perfect time to scour YouTube for our favourite renditions of his songs to take us away to happier […]
New productions of South Pacific and Assassins for Chichester 2020
Gina Beck, Julian Ovenden, Joanna Ampil and Rob Houchen will star in a major new production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic South Pacific, one of two major musicals to feature in a packed 2020 season at the Chichester Festival Theatre. Due to play the prestigious venue from 6 July until 29 August 2002, the new […]
Assassins – Watermill Theatre, Bagnor
Assassins continues at the Watermill Theatre, Bagnor until 26 October 2019. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Every time I see Assassins, I like it more and more and this darkly comic Watermill revival of the controversial Stephen Sondheim/John Weidman take on the American dream that “every now and then goes a […]
City Academy Studio Company – Assassins
Assassins, performed by members of the City Academy Studio Company, continues at the Landor Space, London until 2 December 2018. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ Stephen Sondheim is always tricky, never more so than in Assassins, one of his later works and a history lesson as well as his most daring musical, […]
Assassins – Pleasance Theatre
Assassins continues at the Pleasance Theatre until 8 April 2018. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ Assassins is a show that I’ve seen countless times, but only really fully enjoyed on a handful of occasions. It’s a tricky show for newcomers to the material, set as it is in a limbo-like carnival […]
Assassins – Encores! Off-Center – New York City Center
Assassins, an Encores! Off-Center production, was performed at New York City Center. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Given today’s fraught political climate, it’s hard to imagine that that the powers at Encores! Off-Center didn’t have some sleepless nights about their decision to include John Weidman and Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins as part […]
London College of Music – Assassins
Assassins is performed by the London College of Music, Ealing until 30 April. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ London College of Music, the musical theatre arm of the University of West London, has always had a soft spot for the rich catalogue of the genius that is Stephen Sondheim and this year’s effort with […]
Voting opens for Radio 2 Audience Award for Best Musical
Voting has opened for the Radio 2 Audience Award for Best Musical, part of this year’s London Evening Standards Awards at the Old Vic Theatre on 22 November. Listeners have until midnight on 25 October to cast their vote for one of the five shortlisted shows after Elaine Paige opened the voting on her weekly […]
Also Recognised Awards – first winners revealed
The full list of winners has been revealed in the inaugural Also Recognised Awards, the new audience-voted, industry accolades set up by theatre commentators Mark Shenton and Terri Paddock to celebrate lesser-known but equally worthy talent in fields overlooked by other awards bodies. Over a month’s voting, more than 15,000 people took part. Paddock comments: […]
Assassins – Michael Xavier and Anna Francolini join cast
Michael Xavier and Anna Francolini are joining the cast of Jamie Lloyd’s production of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s Assassins at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory from 10 February. Xavier takes over the role of John Wilkes Booth from Aaron Tveit. The latter is leaving the run due to a change in his schedule for the […]
Assassins – Menier Chocolate Factory
Assassins continues at the Menier Chocolate Factory, London, until 7 March 2015. Don’t bet against Assassins following Merrily We Roll Along, the last Sondheim musical the Menier staged, into the West End as it’s a humdinger of a show, hard to stomach at times, but never less than fascinating – a stunning ensemble piece brilliantly directed […]
Interview – Carly Bawden and Simon Lipkin on Sondheim’s Assassins at the Menier Chocolate Factory
When asked to name his favourite self-penned musical, Stephen Sondheim’s response, if he deigns to answer such a trite question, is often Assassins, the show he wrote with book writer John Weidman. “I wouldn’t change a thing,” he says of this 1990 revue-style musical about the people who’ve made attempts on the lives of American […]
Broadway actor Aaron Tveit joins cast of Assassins at Menier Chocolate Factory
Broadway actor Aaron Tveit makes his UK stage debut in Jamie Lloyd’s major revival of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s Assassins as part of the Menier Chocolate Factory’s ten-year anniversary season. He joins the already announced line-up of Carly Bawden, Simon Lipkin, Mike McShane, Andy Nyman, David Roberts and Catherine Tate, as do Stewart Clarke, Harry Morrison and Jamie Parker. The production opens on 1 December 2014, with previews from 21 November, and runs […]
Assassins at the Menier – Catherine Tate and Mike McShane star
Carly Bawden, Simon Lipkin, Mike McShane, Andy Nyman, David Roberts and Catherine Tate have been cast in Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s Assassins, directed by Jamie Lloyd, at the Menier Chocolate Factory from 21 November 2014 to 7 March 2015 (press night is 1 December). Public booking opens today (Monday 8 September). Thirteen people have tried to kill the president of the United States. Four have succeeded. […]
