All tagged Assassins

President's Day – Broadway Musicals that Featured Presidents

Today is President’s Day, an occasion where we as a nation celebrate our Commanders-in-Chief. There is a Pulitzer Prize-winning musical that followed the fictional presidential campaign of the Wintergreen/Throttlebottom ticket, running (and winning) on the platform that “Love Is Sweeping the Country”. On this patriotic day, here is a look at a handful of Broadway musicals that included US Presidents amongst its cast of characters, living up to that Gershwin classic Of Thee I Sing.

Ranking Stephen Sondheim

Stephen Sondheim is perhaps the most revered and worshipped composer-lyricist in the American Musical Theatre, and though he has earned that status with an extraordinary canon of work, certain musicals he has written are obviously better than others. Opinion and personal preferences, of course, play into one’s feelings about his shows. As an experiment to sort out my enthusiasm and criticism of his work, I have ranked Sondheim’s musicals from his worst to his best.

Let the judgment begin…

Broadway Lyrics of Hope and Denial

I don't feel like I have much to say this week. The presidential election and the subsequent fear and pain that it has unleashed in the theatre community and beyond is still very raw and palpable. At a time when so much hope seems to be lost, I cannot help but hear the voices of strength that certain showtunes provide. Since the last thing any of you want to hear (or read) are my ravings about the outcome of this surreal and most disheartening election. Instead, just this once, let me simply share some lyrics of hope (and denial) that have been crossing my mind since Tuesday.

Electing Showtunes for Election Day

The 2016 Presidential Election is just a few days away and we will soon learn whether Hillary Rodham Clinton or Donald Trump will be the next President of the United States. With that, I thought it might be fun to look at the songs that celebrate elections, leaders and the office of POTUS. Here is an Election Day playlist to help you get through the results as they trickle in.