“Assassins" at the University of Dubuque -- March 21 through 23.
Friday, March 21, through Sunday, March 23
University of Dubuque's Heritage Center, 2255 Bennett Street, Dubuque IA
Winner of five Tony Awards and one of the most memorable, iconic, and popular musicals of the last several decades, legendary composer Stephen Sondheim's Assassins enjoys a March 21 through 23 staging at the University of Dubuque's Heritage Center, a production performed by students in the university's Department of Fine and Performing Arts. A twisty, tuneful tale of famed and obscure killers (and would-be killers), the show was lauded by the New York Times for its “astonishing score” in which “sly distortions of familiar musical tropes approximate the skewed ways in which these characters hear everyday melodies.”
An off-Broadway tour-de-force that won Tonys for Best Revival and Direction of a Musical during its 2004 Broadway run, Assassins combines Sondheim's signature blend of intelligently stunning lyrics and beautiful music with a panoramic story of our nation's culture of celebrity and the violent means some will use to obtain it. This bold, original, and alarmingly funny show is perhaps the most controversial musical ever written, laying bare the lives of nine individuals who assassinated or tried to assassinate the President of the United States, and presented in a historical “revue-sical” that explores the dark side of the American experience. From our encounters with John Wilkes Booth and Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme to our time spent with Lee Harvey Oswald and John Hinckley Jr., composer Sondheim and book writer John Weidman bend the rules of time and space, taking us on a nightmarish roller-coaster ride in which assassins and would-be assassins from different historical periods meet, interact, and inspire each other to harrowing acts, all in the pursuit of the American Dream.
Immediately after the opening-night performance on March 21, some UD faculty and special guests will join a few members of the cast and crew to engage in a 30-minute post-show discussion with the audience. Those joining the show participants onstage will be: Shea Chapin, JD, head of the Department of Criminal Justice and assistant professor of criminal justice at UD; Brian Hallstoos, PhD, head of the Department of Philosophy, Politics, and History and associate professor of history at UD; and Lorie Murphy, MA, MBTI certified personal life coach and counselor at Body & Soul Wellness Center & Spa.
“Theatre has the powerful and important potential to stir us, and Assassins does just that," said Joe Klinebriel, professor of theatre at UD who will direct the musical. "It provides an important platform upon which society’s ills can be examined and invites conversation about a variety of themes including disillusionment, alienation, counterculture, the healthy and unhealthy desire for belonging, misguided sacrifice in the name of political justice, media image and attention, and how the constant need for attention can negatively affect both. Needless to say, Assassins is rich with thought-provoking topics, and it will be a great gift to have our special guests respond to the musical through the lens of their respective professional fields and help launch meaningful and reflective conversations.”
The production's music director Kristen Eby, head of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts, director of choral activities, and associate professor of music, added, “The show provides an interesting mix of music as it takes us through various American eras. There are early folk styles, barbershop, marches, a beautiful 1970s-style ballad, and Sondheim’s imaginative harmonies and rhythms.” Assassins contains mature language, themes, and simulated gun violence, and due to the subject matter, this musical is not recommended for children.
Assassins will be performed in the John & Alice Butler Hall of the University of Dubuque's Heritage Center March 21 through 23, with performances Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Admission is $8-12, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)585-7469 and visiting Dbq.edu/heritagecenter.
