In late 1980. Craig Lucas, who was then in the chorus of Sweeney Todd (and who later became a well-known playwright) was asked by The Production Company to create a production for late-night entertainment. He though about an evening of Stephen Sondheim's unpublished and cut songs and asked Sondheim for permission. Sondheim wasn't crazy about the idea, but gave the go-ahead anyway. Lucas had to use the set that was already in place for a play, so the director, Norman René, came up with idea of having a man and a woman in the same apartment building singing the songs. The original off-off-Broadway production got favorable notices, and the show moved to off-Broadway in 1981. However, the reviews were not quite as good as they had been earlier, and it closed after three months.
Original Production Info (Off-Off-Broadway):
Opened October 29, 1980 Closed December 28, 1980 Theatre The Production Company Conceived and developed by Craig Lucas and Norman René
Production Info (Off-Broadway):
Opened March 12, 1981 Performances 96 Theatre Actor's Playhouse Director Norman René Musical Direction E. Martin Perry Choreography Don Johanson Set Design Jane Thurn Lighting Design Debra J. Kletter Costume Design Oleksa Producer Diane de Mailly In association with William B. Young
Cast:
- Craig Lucas
- Suzanne Henry
Musical Numbers:
- Two Fairy Tales
- Saturday Night
- Can That Boy Foxtrot!
- All Things Bright and Beautiful
- Bang!
- All Things Bright and Beautiful (Part II)
- The Girls of Summer
- Uptown, Downtown
- Who Could Be Blue?
- Little White House
- So Many People
- Your Eyes Are Blue
- A Moment with You
- Marry Me a Little
- Happily Ever After
- Pour Le Sport
- Silly People
- There Won't Be Trumpets
- It Wasn't Meant to Happen
Discuss this show in Sondheim.com's
community forum: Finishing the Chat... ››
“Assassins is about how society interprets the American Dream, marginalizes outsiders and rewrites and sanitizes its collective history. "Something Just Broke" is a major distraction and plays like an afterthought, shoe horned simply to appease. The song breaks the dramatic fluidity and obstructs the overall pacing and climactic arc which derails the very intent and momentum that makes this work so compelling...”
- Mark Bakalor
“I found [the Sondheim Celebration's Company] to be completely delightful. Almost all of the numbers excited and energized me, and most of the scenes were about as pitch-perfect as you can get. I just sat there with a big smile on my face the whole show.
Which is not to say that it is perfect...”
- popcornonmyknees
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