Amelie NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (778)
See it if like light entertainment. Cleaver in many ways
Don't see it if you need a compelling show with huge dynamics
See it if you love Phillipa Soo, enjoyed the movie or like charming, quirky love stories. It is a great cast and a fun time.
Don't see it if you dislike sweet, but slightly peculiar stories and characters.
See it if you missed Phillipa Soo in Hamilton or if you like lighthearted, silly shows. Soo is wonderful & the music lovely. Wasn't familiar w movie.
Don't see it if you don't like whimsy. The story is just okay. Can see why they wanted to make a musical but something was missing.
See it if you enjoy imaginative staging, fun ensemble work, colourful design and staging and Phillipa Soo's effortless singing.
Don't see it if you're a fan of the film and don't want to see an American-ized version of it.
See it if You loved the movie. Some of it might be confusing to people who haven't seen the movie.
Don't see it if You don't like rom-com type shows.
See it if enjoyed the film on which it is based or enjoy quirky comedies.
Don't see it if you only like "message musicals" Read more
See it if you love the movie or are just looking for a cute show that makes you feel good.
Don't see it if you are not looking for a show that is purely entertainment.
See it if You loved the movie and will appreciate references to it. You love Phillipa Soo. You enjoy off-the-wall storytelling with great humour.
Don't see it if You prefer a longer musical (this one has no interval.) You have not seen the movie and may not follow/appreciate the quirky references.
Critic Reviews (64)
"Soo almost single-handedly transforms this sugar-rich, gossamer adaptation of the popular French movie into an emotionally rewarding evening...The show does not condescend to the material, instead choosing to embrace its assorted oddities full-heartedly, even adding some of its own...MacKinnon’s status as a relative newcomer to musicals reveals itself in the somewhat cramped staging...Fortunately, front and center for most of the musical’s modest duration is the luminous Soo."
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"Soo's Amélie is certainly every bit as fresh faced as the Audrey Tautou was as the film's pixieish heroine...Mr. Lucas's book too has a good deal to recommend it...The problem is that the songs Nathan Tyson and Daniel Messe have given Ms. Soo to sing are not worthy of her beautiful voice...Welcome as the streamlined story is, it's likely to be more than a little confusing to anyone who hasn't seen the movie."
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“Written by Broadway veteran Craig Lucas with songs by Daniel Messé and Nathan Tysen, ‘Amélie’ screams Off-Broadway. It is unpretentious, whimsical with a small cast of eccentric characters—or should I say caricatures?—that would better suit a small stage with an intimate seating. In the Walter Kerr Theatre, ‘Amélie's’ charms dissipate as they waft into the audience, its pleasures barely reaching the footlights, let alone the back of the balcony.”
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"God knows Soo gives it her all, pert and chipper to a fault. And indeed, it is a fault. How much wide-eyed sweetness can we take?...While her character may be insipid, Soo’s voice is anything but. Clear and soaring, it effortlessly fills the theater with Messé’s songs, most of which are pleasantly diverting...It’s hard to decipher director Pam MacKinnon’s vision for the production...The overall effect is quirky, devoid of charm."
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“The writers were not able to capture the movie’s uniqueness…Was it the uninspired book that didn’t find its own unique angle for mischievous humor? Was it the not-memorable lyrics that had good narrative approaches but lacked powerful hooks?...Lastly there is the direction, which kept us waiting for nearly an hour before the musical picked up steam…Soo had Amélie’s cute hair bob and yet I never fell under her spell and the whole show revolves around her character.”
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"It is very beautifully crafted...Phillipa Soo radiates the pretty charming Amélie from the moment she steps on stage...It’s a shame, as the talent is all there, each and every one working and giving us gold...but the songs and the story line are too sweet for their own good, blending together in a nice but slightly dull affair. Director Pam MacKinnon forgot to give us some kick to this tale, relying too heavily on Soo’s fantastic gifts, and the world’s connection to the film,"
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“The production super-imposes the 'Amélie' narrative over a generic contemporary musical structure…It’s workmanlike at best, and one often experiences an uncomfortable tension between the forced whimsy of the narrative and the bland expression of it…What stage magic that does exist is consistently undercut by the constant use of unimaginative projected visuals…The performers find what moments they can to shine."
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“Amélie’ features a fine cast; clever, playful design; and a pleasing if unmemorable pop score…The colorful characters and fanciful subplots all felt part of the enchanting if ironic swirl on screen…The stage at the Walter Kerr, by contrast, feels crowded with details, distractions and digressions that are sometimes hard to follow…The musicalized vignettes are often presented like children’s theater run amok. The musical has a shorter running time than the movie, but it feels longer.”
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