Unlikely Setting for “Assassins” Doesn’t Cramp Its Compelling Style

Not sure how I missed Long Beach Landmark Theatre Company until now — they’ve been putting on shows three blocks from my home since 2016, for fuck’s sake. But my timing couldn’t be better, because Assassins intrigues me more than anything else they’ve taken on.

Can you blame me? Stephen Sondheim’s a genius (you could hate him and still see that), responsible for some of musical theatre’s most challenging and unique work. Now here’s a local troupe taking on one of his most provocative pieces — in a house of worship, no less? Please.

But I entered Long Beach’s historic First Congregational Church and looked at the tiny stage with trepidation. Literally the most painful theatrical experience of my life was a Sondheim show (Sweeney Todd — my fave), because that company didn’t have a clue how to take on that genius, nor a single singer/musician capable of managing their part. 

From the first notes of Assassins, it was clear that the small orchestra (coming to us from the basement, we were told pre-show) was on-point from horns to tambourine, and the cast could sing, so I relaxed in my pew and let the twisted tale wash over me.

It starts with John Wilkes Booth (Jay Dysart). The premise of Assassins is that he, along with those who followed in his footsteps turned to assassination less due to grievances against their targets (Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley…) than as a way of lashing out from their idiosyncratic discontent. (“Why did you do it, Johnny? […] Some say it was your voice had gone / Some say it was booze / They say you killed a country, John / Because of bad reviews.”) Historical accuracy is beside the point. (The climax has Lee Harvey Oswald (Lucas Dysart) being urged by the eponymous unholy host to do the deed in order to apotheosize them all. Not exactly a piece of the historical record.) The point, as articulated in “Another National Anthem”, is that we all don’t get to live the American dream. “There’s another national anthem, folks, for those who never win” sing the assassins. “For the suckers, for the pikers, for the ones who might have been.” 

Or maybe the point is just to be entertained by maybe the most uncomfortable-to-enjoy musical you’re ever going to see. I mean, it’s villains everywhere you look. Sondheim and John Weidman just hope you can muster empathy for these misguided souls — and get a few laughs along the way.

You need a good cast to pull that off. No problem here. Jay Dysart is strong throughout and a tour de force in the play’s pivotal scene. Phineas Wilder make us unsure whether we should laugh or cry at his manic Charles Guiteau. And Maddie Levy and Emily Morgan as “Squeaky” Fromme and Sara Jane Moore —who unsuccessfully attempted to kill President Gerald Ford barely two weeks apart — have a lovely comedic chemistry.

Levy excels on the vocal front, too, especially on “Unworthy of Your Love”, a clever duet between Fromme and Hinckley (Mark Waters, doing yeoman’s work in one of the less flashy roles). As Leon Czogosz, Owen Lovejoy features prominently in the show’s best consecutive pair of songs. And as the unnamed Balladeer, Bobby Brannon is an obvious standout. Although The Balladeer is not a well-written character — central to the narrative for a while despite having no contextual tie-in, then simply disappearing from the play’s universe — Brannon lights up the stage with their smooth presence and easy vocal command. 

If there’s a weakness to be heard, it’s in the complex group vocals. Some of the leads are character singers more than pure vocalists — a perfectly valid choice — and at times some of Sondheim’s quasi-dissonant harmonies don’t quite lock in. Nothing tragic, but….

Director/choreographer Megan O’Toole has made a stage that ought to be way too small for a show of this scope serve, even if just barely, blocking the proceedings to near perfection. Along the way she’s made a curious choice: removing guns from the production because of how triggering the sight of them might be in our current milieu. I must say, I am sick to death of phrases like (quoting O’Toole) “creating a sacred and safe theatrical space” in this context — especially considering the possibility that if you really care about getting people to think more seriously about gun violence (Amen!) and changing the status quo that makes it so (Can I get another?!), maybe symbolizing it as fun and games isn’t the best strategy. I want my art to intellectually challenge and confront, rather than cater to fragilizing sensibilities that too often lose focus on what actually matters. 

Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, I’ll happily report that O’Toole’s solution to her self-imposed problem is so satisfactory — even engendering some of the play’s funnest stuff (flaccid hammer — xoxo!) — that I would never have thought to mind if she didn’t make a thing of it in the program. So okay, all’s well that ends well. 

Now that I’ve discovered Long Beach Landmark Theatre Company, I hope they’ll continue to take on serious work like Assassins, as opposed to tacking toward liter, populist fare. They’re up to the challenge, and we’re all better off when our entertainment is this thoughtful and thought-provoking. 

Assassins at Long Beach Landmark Theatre Company
Times: Fri–Sat 8pm, Sun 7pm
The show runs through May 14.
Cost: $30–$60 (plus $5 online surcharge)
Details: (562) 856-1999, lblandmark.org
Venue: First Congregational Church of Long Beach (241 Cedar Ave., Long Beach)