History YMMV / Assassins

* AcceptableTargets: Snobbish upperclass women wearing fur coats. One of Electra's [[EstablishingCharacterMoment introduction scenes]] shows her spray-painting a red "forbidden" sign on the back of one during an elevator ride.

** The three ballads are used effectively in this way, but the one that seems to get the audience's sympathy most is "The Ballad of Czolgosz", where assassin Leon Czolgosz's motivations are stated clearly: he was a lonely man, who all throughout his life had lived in poverty and misery for reasons beyond his control, so he killed big business president Bill [=McKinley=] to "take control of his fate".

** Despite Booth's sympathy level going way down when he outs himself as a disgusting racist, his heartbreak over all the deaths of his Southern brethren ''is'' genuine enough that we felt for him before his PrecisionFStrike, even knowing he's already committed his famous crime.

* {{Narm}}: Bain snapping the neck of a police officer just using one hand, making one wonder just how fragile that officer's spine must been if his head pulled sharply to one direction is enough to snap it.

** "Something Just Broke". Some hate the number, even if they think it's a good piece of music on it's own, as they believe the show should stay focused on the assassins and that we don't need to experience normal people's suffering to realize that the main characters are bad people. On the other side, fans of the song say that it absolutely is necessary, believing that you can't spend all this time showing the crimes of the assassins without showing the heartbreak and fallout of the common man in response, and that the song is what truly drives home just how dangerous these men and women are. The fact that the song wasn't in the original Off-Broadway production (it was written for the 1992 London premiere) and was originally optional had been brought up by the former camp, while the latter camp points to the song now being legally uncuttable and the writing team standing by it (Sondheim wrote that "it is not only necessary, it is essential.")

** "Something Just Broke". Some hate the number, even if they think it's a good piece of music on it's own, as they believe the show should stay focused on the assassins and that we don't need to experience normal people's suffering to realize that the main characters are bad people. On the other side, fans of the song say that it absolutely is necessary, believing that you can't spend all this time showing the crimes of the assassins without showing the heartbreak and fallout of the common man in response, and that the song is what truly drives home just how dangerous these men and women are. The fact that the song wasn't in the original Off-Broadway production (it was written for the 1992 London premiere) and was originally optional had been brought up by the former camp, while the latter camp points to the song now being legally uncuttable and the writing team standing by it (Sondheim wrote that "it is not only necessary, it is essential").

** "Something Just Broke". Some hate the number, even if they think it's a good piece of music on it's own, as they believe the show should stay focused on the assassins and that we don't need to experience normal people's suffering to realize that the main characters are bad people. On the other side, fans of the song say that it absolutely is necessary, believing that you can't spend all this time showing the crimes of the assassins without showing the heartbreak and fallout of the common man in response, and that the song is what truly drives home just how dangerous these men and women are. The fact that the song was excluded from the first production and was originally optional had been brought up by the former camp, while the latter one points to it now being legally uncuttable and the writing team standing by the song.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: Presidential. Assassins. Comedy. Musical.

* BrokenBase: 1991 or 2004? Pretty much every difference between the two versions is a subject of controversy, from the cast to the increased role of the Proprietor to [[spoiler: the balladeer being Lee Harvey Oswald.]] Even the addition of "Something Just Broke," though generally a welcome addition, has its share of detractors who say that throwing a sincere song about grief from the perspective of ordinary Americans into a black comedy about the assassins causes too much MoodWhiplash. Pretty much the only thing most people agree on about the 2004 production is that Dennis O'Hare is quite possibly the best Guiteau in the show's history.

* CryForTheDevil: The three ballads are used effectively in this way, but the one that seems to get the audience's sympathy most is "The Ballad of Czolgosz", where assassin Leon Czolgosz's motivations are stated clearly: he was a lonely man, who all throughout his life had lived in poverty and misery for reasons beyond his control, so he killed big business president Bill [=McKinley=] to "take control of his fate".

* WTHCastingAgency: Brandon Uranowitz as Czolgosz. His talent isn't in question, but the idea of the intimidating bass-baritone character typically played by tall men now being portrayed by a short tenor most famous for playing the dorky Mendel in ''{{Theatre/Falsettos}}'' proved surprising to many. The fact that Uranowitz's casting was announced alongside Will Swenson playing Guiteau even caused some to believe that the actors' roles were mixed up, as Swenson is a more obvious Czolgosz than Uranowitz, who would seem more at home as Guiteau. It remains to be seen whether [[AbilityOverAppearance ability overcomes appearance]], though most have kept an open mind given the actor's excellent track record.

** The end where the assassins point their guns at the audience. Nowadays, a stage theater is one of the few places in America people ''haven’t'' been shot. Yet.
** The events of January 6, 2021 put some perspective on this show.

* CantUnhearIt:

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: Let's list our main characters. We have a group of people who have attempted to assassinate a US President. Then we have a group of characters who actually ''have'' assassinated a US President. Then we have the mysterious figure who eggs them all on to commit these crimes. Then we have a single good person who, depending on the production, [[spoiler: gets chased away by the assassins]] or [[spoiler: becomes one of them]].

** Depending on the route the director and actors involved take, the Balladeer can come off either as a pompous, smug, condescending prick who [[AssholeVictim got what was coming to him]], or simply as a naive WideEyedIdealist who's in ''way'' over his head. [[Spoiler: If they take the former route, the Balladeer being turned into Oswald comes off as karma. If they take the latter, it just comes off as ''tragic''.]]

** Depending on the route the director and actors involved take, the Balladeer can come off either as a pompous, smug, condescending prick who [[AssholeVictim got what was coming to him]], or simply as a naive WideEyedIdealist who's in ''way'' over his head. [[Spoiler: If they take the former route, the Balladeer being turned into Oswald]] comes off as karma. If they take the latter, it just comes off as ''tragic''.]]

* WTHCastingAgency: Brandon Uranowitz as Czolgosz. His talent isn't in question, but the idea of the intimidating bass-baritone character typically played by tall men now being portrayed by a short tenor most famous for playing the dorky Mendel in ''{{Theatre/Falsettos}}'' proved surprising to many. The fact that Uranowitz's casting was announced alongside Will Swenson playing Guiteau even caused some to believe that the actors' roles were mixed up, as Swenson is a more obvious Czolgosz than Uranowitz, who would seem more at home as Guiteau. It remains to be seen whether [[AbilityOverAppearance ability overcomes appearance]], though most have kept an open mind.

** Depending on the route the director and actors involved take, the Balladeer can come off either as a pompous, smug, condescending prick who [[AssholeVictim got what was coming to him]], or simply as a naive WideEyedIdealist who's in ''way'' over his head. (If they take the former route, [[spoiler:the Balladeer being turned into Oswald]] comes off as karma. If they take the latter, it just comes off as ''tragic''.)
** Exactly how sympathetic the assassins are varies from production to production. (Czolgosz usually gets the most sympathy, though.)
** Is the Balladeer an annoying WideEyedIdealist who's hopelessly naive about the nature of the so-called "American Dream", who shouldn't judge the assassins so harshly and be so quick to dismiss them? Or is he just annoying because he's ''right''? As he points out in "Another National Anthem", ''none'' of the assassins actually got what they wanted in the end.

* BrokenBase: 1991 or 2004? Pretty much every difference between the two versions is a subject of controversy, from the cast to [[spoiler: the balladeer being Lee Harvey Oswald.]] Even the addition of "Something Just Broke," though generally a welcome addition, has its share of detractors who say that throwing a sincere song about grief from the perspective of ordinary Americans into a black comedy about the assassins causes too much MoodWhiplash. Pretty much the only two thing most people agree on about the 2004 production is that Dennis O'Hare is quite possibly the best Guiteau in the show's history.

** Even though you know the subject coming in, The Proprietor blurting out "Come here and kill a president" can get a laugh just because of how forthright he is. That is if the advice doesn't result in Stephen Sondheim specifically said it was designed to make the audience feel unsure of whether or not they should be laughing or feeling uncomfortable.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: Initially met a much better reception in the UK than the USA.
* HarsherInHindsight: The entire show after 9/11, particularly Guiteau's religious fanaticism and Byck's plan to fly a plane into the White House. The revival was intended to open in November 2001, but after the attacks it was postponed for several years.

** The Balladeer may represent the American Dream [[AssholeVictim and be smug and condescending depending on which interpretation you watch]] but, as he points out during "Another National Anthem", shooting the Presidents didn't solve the Assassins' problems.

* VindicatedByHistory: Received mixed to negative reviews on its initial release. Although part of the criticism was on the direction and staging, large portions of the criticism were also aimed at the show's tonal dissonance, short runtime, and small list of songs. The 2004 Broadway production, however, won four Tony Awards (including best revival of a musical), and many consider Assassins to be among Sondheim's finest accomplishments.
* WTHCastingAgency: Brandon Uranowitz as Czolgosz. His talent isn't in question, but the idea of the intimidating bass-baritone character typically played by tall men now being portrayed by a short tenor most famous for playing the dorky Mendel in ''{{Theatre/Falsettos}}'' proved surprising to many. The fact that Uranowitz's casting was announced alongside Will Swenson playing Guiteau even caused some to believe that the actors' roles were mixed up, as Swenson is a more obvious Czolgosz than Uranowitz, who would seem more at home as Guiteau. It remains to be seen how [[AbilityOverAppearance Ability Overcomes Appearance]], though most have kept an open mind.

* Even though you know the subject coming in, The Proprietor blurting out "Come here and kill a president" can get a laugh just because of how forthright he is. That is if the advice doesn't result in Stephen Sondheim specifically said it was designed to make the audience feel unsure of whether or not they should be laughing or feeling uncomfortable.

* Gerald Ford due to being hilariously clueless.

* AwardSnub: The Tonys' decision to categorize Assassins as a revival and not an original show at the 2004 Tonys has been rather controversial, as the general practice before and since the decision was/has been that Broadway productions are only considered revivals if they originally premiered on Broadway. With that being said, while it couldn't compete the for Musical, Score, or Book, it did quite well that year, winning Revival, Director (Joe Mantello), and Featured Actor (Michael Cerveris) among others. Of course, given this success, a case can be made that Stephen Sondheim's music and lyrics, John Weidman's libretto, and the show itself in the top category all would've had a strong shot at winning if deemed eligible, which makes the snub even bigger.

* WTHCastingAgency: Brandon Uranowitz as Czolgosz. His talent isn't in question, but the idea of the intimating bass-baritone character typically played by tall men now being portrayed by a short tenor most famous for playing the dorky Mendel in ''{{Theatre/Falsettos}}'' proved surprising to many. The fact that Uranowitz's casting was announced alongside Will Swenson playing Guiteau even caused some to believe that the actors' roles were mixed up, as Swenson is a more obvious Czolgosz than Uranowitz, who would seem more at home as Guiteau. It remains to be seen how [[AbilityOverAppearance Ability Overcomes Appearance]], though most have kept an open mind.

* WTHCastingAgency: Brandon Uranowitz as Czolgosz. His talent isn't in question, but the idea of the intimating bass-baritone character typically played by tall men now being portrayed by a short tenor most famous for playing the dorky Mendel in ''{{Theatre/Falsettos}}'' proved surprising to many. The fact that Uranowitz's casting was announced alongside Will Swenson playing Guiteau even caused some to believe that the actors' roles were mixed up, as Swenson is a more obvious Czolgosz than Uranowitz, who would seem more at home as Guiteau. It remains to be seen how [[AbilityOverAppearance Ability Overcomes Appearance]].

* VindicatedByHistory: Received mixed to negative reviews on its initial release. Although part of the criticism was on the direction and staging, large portions of the criticism were also aimed at the show's tonal dissonance, short runtime, and small list of songs. The 2004 Broadway production, however, won four Tony Awards (including best revival of a musical), and many consider Assassins to be among Sondheim's finest accomplishments.

* AwardSnub: The Tonys' decision to categorize Assassins as a revival and not an original show at the 2004 Tonys has been rather controversial, as the general practice before and since the decision was/has been that Broadway productions are only considered revivals if they originally premiered on Broadway. With that being said, while it couldn't compete the for Musical, Score, or Book, it did quite well that year, winning Revival, Director (Joe Mantello), and Featured Actor (Michael Cerveris) among others. Of course, given this success, a case can be made that Stephen Sondheim's music and lyrics, John Weidman's libretto, and the show itself in the top category all would've had a strong shot at winning if deemed eligible.

* AwardSnub: The Tonys' decision to categorize Assassins as a revival and not an original show at the 2004 Tonys has been rather controversial, as the general practice before and since the decision was/has been that Broadway productions are only considered revivals if they originally premiered on Broadway.
* BrokenBase: 1991 or 2004? Pretty much every difference between the two versions is a subject of controversy, from the cast to [[spoiler: the balladeer being Lee Harvey Oswald.]] Even the addition of "Something Just Broke," though generally a welcome addition, has its share of detractors who say that throwing a sincere song about grief from the perspective of ordinary Americans into a black comedy about the assassins causes too much MoodWhiplash. Pretty much the only two things most people agree on about the 2004 production are that a) Michael Cerveris is a perfectly good Booth who unfortunately can't hold a candle to Victor Garber and b) Dennis O'Hare is quite possibly the best Guiteau in the show's history.

** Moore and Fromme plotting to assassinate Gerald Ford? Disturbing. Moore and Fromme planning to assassinate Fjord while getting stoned and [[ItMakesSenseInContext shooting a bucket of chicken?]] Hilarious.

* CultClassic: Let's face it: a BlackComedy musical about presidential assassins was [[AudienceAlienatingPremise never going to be a smash hit.]] Predictably, it initially met rather negative reviews and ran for only 72 performances in its original off-Broadway run. Since then, it has been VindicatedByHistory to an extent, but it's still the sort of show that you're far more likely to have heard of from a friend or read about in a biographical blurb on Sondheim than to have actually read. It does have a small but loyal, however, and many consider it one of Sondheim's finest works.

* JerkassWoobie: The collection of characters are anything but good people, but a lot of them end up being quite pitiable, particularl Giuseppe Zangara

** Emma Goldman is pretty memorable, too.

* AwardSnub: The Tonys' decision to categorize Assassins as a revival and not an original show at the 2004 Tonys has been rather controversial, as the general practice before and since the decision was/has been that Broadway productions are only considered revivals if they originally premiered on Broadway

** Although none of the assassins are what you can call role models (or even sane), Czolgosz's views on wealth disparity, Byck's complaints of political hypocrisy and Guiteau's "Look On The Bright Side" philosophy can all be relatable to the average audience member.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: Presidential. Assassins. Musical.

*** Fridge Brilliance: In a way, it provides a Bookend to the play, because the first assassination typically depicted in the play, and first successful assassination chronicalogically, was committed in an a theater.
* JerkassWoobie: The collection of characters are anything but good people, but a lot of them end up being quite pitiable:
** John Wilkes Booth is actually a subversion of this. At first he’s presented in a sympathetic light, where he voices legitimate grievances against Abraham Lincoln, until the climax of his ballad where he calls him a “Nigger lover”. Booth goes on to repeat his earlier points about the ruination of his nation and the deaths of his countrymen, but as soon as he drops that slur, it becomes clear that the main reason for his crime was racism.
* NightmareFuel: The end of Lee Harvey Oswald's scene, when all the assassins surround him singing about how much they admire him while he loads his rifle and prepares to shoot Kennedy. The LyricalDissonance and the menacing sound of the melody make it especially creepy.

** Denis O'Hare's screaming of "I SHALL BE REMEMBERED!" towards the end of the Ballad of Guiteau. Sure, it's funny at first when he talks about "promoting the sale of my book," but suddenly, the darker, psychotic side of his act shines through.

** Depending on the direction, The Proprietor may pop up throughout the rest of the show, but he's only scripted for the opening scene, leading "Everybody's Got the Right".

* StrawmanHasAPoint: The Balladeer may represent the American Dream [[AssholeVictim and be smug and condescending depending on which interpretation you watch]] but, as he points out during "Another National Anthem", shooting the Presidents didn't solve the Assassins' problems.