I was really quite excited to see this show - it's long been one of my favourite Sondheim scores, and then they announced the cast, which is just incredible. So even though I was sitting way up in the back of the mezzanine, it was still a great afternoon.

Assassins at Studio 54

Everything about this production is stellar. The direction is absolutely perfect. The set is like a carnival - "Shoot the Prez! Win a Prize!", and there are doors for each of the assassins (successful or would-be) to take their turns in. The lighting is also fantastic - I can't say I normally pay a lot of attention to lighting, but I just noticed it was really effective in this show.

"Everybody's Got the Right" is a great mood-setter. If I hadn't known that Marc Kudisch was the Proprietor, I would have never recognized him! He does a wonderful job. First up is John Wilkes Booth in "The Ballad of Booth". Michael Cerveris is also pretty unrecognizable, but equally fantastic in his role. His accent was great, and of course his singing is excellent as well. I'm one of those people who hadn't seen Neil Patrick Harris since his Doogie Howser days, and I was really impressed with his voice. He does a great job as the Balladeer, very casual and natural.

Neil Patrick Harris signing autographs after the show

James Barbour was another of the cast members that I was really excited to see again, and it was easy to see why. As Czolgosz, he towers over the rest of the cast, and brings a great intensity to the part. His scene with Emma Goldman was especially terrific - you could really feel his terror and desperation, his frustration with the world that had been so hard on him.

I'd always found the character of Sara Jane Moore rather annoying on the recording, but Becky Ann Baker was great at bringing out the comedic side, while never losing sight of the fact that this woman was in fact seriously unbalanced. Her interaction with Mary Catherine Garrison as Squeaky Fromme was actually one of my favourite parts of the show, which rather surprised me!

I've singled a few people out, but really, the entire cast is just unbelievable. When Neil Patrick Harris switches from the Balladeer to Lee Harvey Oswald, it's great - just a change in his stance, a change in his facial expression, but it's totally believable that he's now a different person. The lighting, etc, is also fantastic for this scene, you can really feel yourself there on that day.

I think it's a really important piece, and really relevant as well. There are scenes, such as when Mario Cantone as Samuel Byck announces his plan to hijack a plane and crash it into the White House, where the audience's reaction and connection were so strong. And, unlike so many shows out there right now, it lingers on in your mind, making you think about not just the events portrayed, but what might be as well. Definitely the best show I've seen in New York this year!