"Assassins" is over--now what?!
"Assassins" ended its five-weekend run this last Sunday night, and I have to say, I couldn't have imagined a better reintroduction to the musical theater and/or live theater experience than being in this specific production. A great cast, an equally great director and crew, a band most small productions would have given their eye-teeth to have accompanying them, good props and costumes, appreciate/receptive audiences...I could go on and on.
And speaking of audiences, a big ol' thank you to Mom, Nan, Marie, Steph, Hope, Rich, Andrea, Kristen, Gabe, Stevie, Robin, Eric, Mami, Kevin, Sawako, Stephen, Kim, Kim (another one), Sara, Rene (and Rene's guy), Yuri and Tara for schlepping over to the Meta Theatre at some point during our run and supporting us--it meant a lot to me!
I loves mah gun...oh yes, loves mah gun...!
I'm not having any of the post-show funk that sometimes creeps in after a good run--in no small part, I'm sure, because I'm getting on a plane early Thursday morning and flying up to Toronto for Anime North. I've never been to Canada, I've never been to an out-of-country convention, and both of these firsts have me thrumming with a near-inordinate level of excitement.
The voiceover work is going well. Nothing I can mention specifically, but what's new? I'll talk the hell out of it once I have the green-light to do so.
Posted by patrick at 08:13 PM | Comments (2)
May 01, 2007
"Assassins" update...
We're two weekends into our five-weekend run, and "Assassins" has been getting a lot of love from the audiences. So much so, in fact, that performances are tending to sell out, so if anybody reading this was planning on coming down to see it, I'd advise them to click here and buy their ticket sooner rather than later. Case in point, two of my neighbors snapped up the last pair of tickets for this Saturday night (which is fortunate, given that they're moving to Seattle the next morning). Wait until you're at the door to try and buy tickets, and you might end up disappointed.
As for the reviewers, here's what they've been saying*:
"PICK OF THE WEEK - This is an excellent production with a great cast and for anyone who is a fan of Sondheim, should be on the must see list." - Reviewplays.com
"Great comic scenes and poignant songs" - Reviewplays.com
"Cindy Jenkins’s staging, under a tent top in an almost claustrophobic space, vividly evokes the interior pressures within these characters, whose delusions are sometimes comical" - LA City Beat
"Assassins offers a viewpoint that goes far beyond the meticulous examination of the facts... it’s a remarkable demonstration that flights of fantasy can sometimes bring us closer to the truth than just the facts" - LA City Beat
"Assassins is a black comedy clubhouse the way the Righteous Brothers' "Rock and Roll Heaven" is a Top 40 gathering spot for deceased pop stars." - Blogcritics.org
"Mr. Laurino and Mr. Sheldon also connected beautifully for the imagined brainwashing of America's last successful assassin by its first. The delightful Ms. Johnson and Ms. Torrecilla provide comic relief without sacrificing their characters’ convictions" - Blogcritics.org
"The show's score is a grab bag of pop melodies, folk songs, ballads, vaudeville and dance-hall tunes, each corresponding to the time period of the individual assassin. . .impressively underscored by a live five-member instrumental ensemble, led by music director-keyboardist Andy Mitton" - Daily Variety
"Corey Pepper's Samuel Byck rages against a society that is justifying his attempt to hijack a plane to fly into the Nixon White House" - Daily Variety
"Weidman's book takes great pains to humanize all the killers, portrayed with commitment by the ensemble" - Daily Variety
"Nudo, with his pleasant voice and knowing smile, gives the Balladeer a folksy attitude that makes him an ideal storyteller." - Backstage West
"Laurino's Booth is charismatic and convincing...intense and smooth" - Backstage West
"D'Amores [Guiteau] manages to play the mentally unstable killer for plenty of laughs without becoming a cartoon." - Backstage West
"The stripped-down sound suits the country and cabaret numbers" - Backstage West
* I am, in the view of at least the one reviewer who went so far as to say it, "prone to mugging". I'm sure that particular quote's omission from the above medley distributed by Sight Unseen Theatre Group was entirely accidental. ;p
Posted by patrick at 10:31 PM | Comments (0)