Milwaukee Rep Turns Its Sights on 'Assassins'

The <strong>Milwaukee Rep</strong> opens its Quadracci Powerhouse season with Stephen Sondheim's <em>Assassins</em>. In this oddly themed musical, Lee Harvey Oswald sings alongside John Wilkes Booth and other presidential assassins (or would-be assassins).<br /><br />The revue isn't the most successful of Sondheim's musicals. Even still, it has seen its fair share of stages over the years. In fact, Milwaukee's Windfall Theatre produced the show a few months ago.<br /><br />The Milwaukee Rep's production, directed by Mark Clements, comes less than three months before the next presidential election. Amid a murky sea of ad campaigns during a serious financial crisis, the Rep explores the darker edge of the American dream.<br /><br />It's easy to criticize a musical that paints a general overview of a topic as complex as presidential assassinations, but Sondheim has definitely tapped into a subject that fascinates the American people. If Clements and the Rep can access just some of that fascination, they should have a success on their hands.<br /><br />The Milwaukee Rep's production of <em>Assassins<strong> </strong></em>runs Sept. 4-Oct. 7 at the Quadracci Powerhouse. For ticket reservations, call 414-224-9490.<br /><br /><strong>Theater Happenings</strong><br /><br />Edward Morgan directs a Milwaukee premiere as <strong>Next Act Theatre </strong>opens its season with <em>Microcrisis</em>. Mike Lew's comedy about the next major financial meltdown runs Sept. 27-Oct. 21. For ticket reservations, call 414-278-0765.<br /><br />Also next month, <strong>Off the Wall Theatre </strong>opens its season with the world premiere of Artistic Director Dale Gutzman's<em> A Man Like Hong Kong</em>.<strong><em> </em></strong>The play runs Sept. 20-30. For ticket reservations, call 414-327-3552.