Assassins (musical)

Assassins
Original Off-Broadway windowcard
MusicStephen Sondheim
LyricsStephen Sondheim
BookJohn Weidman
BasisOriginal concept
by Charles Gilbert Jr.
PremiereDecember 18, 1990 (1990-12-18): Playwrights Horizons
Productions1990 Off-Broadway
1992 London
2004 Broadway
2014 Off-West End
2021 Off-Broadway revival
AwardsTony Award for Best Revival of a Musical
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Musical

Assassins is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by John Weidman, based on an original concept by Charles Gilbert Jr.

Using the framing device of an all-American, yet sinister, carnival game, the semi-revue portrays a group of historical figures who attempted (successfully or not) to assassinate Presidents of the United States, and explores what their presence in American history says about the ideals of their country. The score is written to reflect both popular music of the various depicted eras and a broader tradition of "patriotic" American music.

The musical opened Off-Broadway in 1990 to many mixed and negative reviews, and ran for 73 performances; in 2004, the show was produced on Broadway to highly favorable notices and won five Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical.[1]

  1. ^ "Just the Facts: A List of the 2004 Tony Award Winners | Playbill". Retrieved August 29, 2023.