Bandstand
Closed 2h 30m
Bandstand
83

Bandstand NYC Reviews and Tickets

83%
(1058 Reviews)
Positive
91%
Mixed
8%
Negative
1%
Members say
Great singing, Entertaining, Great staging, Delightful, Great acting

About the Show

Set in the swing-fueled nightclubs of post-WWII America, this against-all-odds story of a singer/songwriter and his band of mismatched fellow vets comes to Broadway. Starring two-time Tony nominee Laura Osnes.

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Member Reviews (1,058)

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982 Reviews | 343 Followers
65
Cliched, Unfocused, Unconvincing, Overrated, Great singing

See it if you love Osnes & Cott; they give great performances in a meh show. Plot is silly, characterizations inconsistent, dialogue is leaden...

Don't see it if and the staging is cramped by the set. The cast is almost entirely white (why?) Disappointing lyrics, unmemorable music. Read more

655 Reviews | 129 Followers
82
Great singing, Great staging, Great acting, Great music, Entertaining

See it if Dancing, Sing, Story about coming home after war, and dealing with life. Love story too.

Don't see it if Part are very emotional and don't like musical

MJK
677 Reviews | 190 Followers
70
Ambitious, Cliched, Unmemorable, Great dancing

See it if you want to experience the charm of Osnes & Cott & to see some great 40s-inspired dancing in an otherwise forgettable, cliche-ridden musical

Don't see it if you want to hear a memorable score or see a coherent, original story. [The Greatest Generation deserves a much greater musical.]

688 Reviews | 116 Followers
80
Disappointing, Entertaining, Banal, Good choreography, Resonant

See it if Valiant efforts by Osnes, Cott & an excellent ensemble provide ballast to bifocaled book Choreography energetic but uninspired

Don't see it if Blankenbuehler's directorial debut hindered by unfocused book & uninspired score. Vet's PTSD problems far more interesting than love story

535 Reviews | 488 Followers
85
Earnest, Great music, Absorbing, Great staging, Great acting

See it if you're looking for a more traditional-feeling Broadway musical that still moves with a contemporary energy.

Don't see it if you roll your eyes when shows feel very earnest. There's nothing irreverent about it.

543 Reviews | 133 Followers
77
Great singing, Disappointing, Slow, Delightful, Great dancing

See it if you enjoy good dancing, singing and musicianship; music is pretty but not memorable.

Don't see it if you care that the music is often too loud for the voices; you want a well edited play which flows - this is choppy and under directed. Read more

512 Reviews | 79 Followers
82
Great singing, Great staging, Intelligent, Great choreography

See it if you want amazing singing & dancing telling a story of returning vets.It is hard hitting.It is NOT a light, fluffy, pop music show.

Don't see it if you are looking at their marketing & think the show is just a 1940's musical.It deals with troops returning home and the scars they bring.

Nic
470 Reviews | 91 Followers
82
Entertaining, Cliched, Patriotic, Relevant, Predictable

See it if you enjoy these excellent performers and/or would enjoy a love letter to our troops in the form of a Broadway musical. It moves on occasion.

Don't see it if you want originality of story, diversity of cast, or will hate that this took the choreography Tony "Holiday Inn" rightfully deserved. Read more

Critic Reviews (64)

The New York Times
April 26th, 2017

“An undercooked slice of apple pie, served with a dollop of anguish…It’s respectful of veterans, but not of itself, ultimately quitting on its own ambitions...Mr. Cott has a crushing charisma…Ms. Osnes, a brunette with a silvery voice, puts real feeling behind Julia’s loss…But even fine actors can’t make this story more persuasive. If ‘Bandstand’ really worked, the finale would find you laughing and crying. Instead, you might just make like the dancers and shrug.”
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Time Out New York
April 26th, 2017

“The resonant original musical ‘Bandstand' dances a delicate line between nostalgia and disillusion…The terrific group dance numbers burst with snazzy individuality. But 'Bandstand's' heart is in its shadows...As the stakes rise, the score moves from pleasurable pastiche to a climax whose impassioned call for attention to the plight of veterans recalls the socially engaged lyrics of E.Y. Harburg. The show defies you not to be moved by its valiant band of brothers.”
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New York Magazine / Vulture
April 26th, 2017

“I’m not saying it’s perfectly carried out, or even especially profound, but it remains almost compulsively faithful to its vision…The darkness of the background does not mean that the show forswears entertainment…Although it features some Golden Age attributes it is hardly at Golden Age level. But an original musical with loads of fun music, expressive dance, and a will to grapple with issues that remain painfully topical is not to be dismissed glibly.”
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The Hollywood Reporter
April 26th, 2017

“While many of the numbers have the propulsive feel of big-band swing, none of them are particularly memorable, and the generic ballads frequently stop the show dead in its tracks…Cott and Osnes are highly attractive and appealing performers, and they sing the hell out of their material…But for all the strenuous effort and good intentions evident in ‘Bandstand,’ it mainly demonstrates that if you’re going to drop the name Dachau in a musical, it needs to be far better than this one.”
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Entertainment Weekly
April 26th, 2017

“Cott and Osnes are worthy Broadway leads, with big voices and the energy and commitment to steer the show, but while they sounded great together, they lacked the spark that might’ve had me cheering for them to connect romantically…Blankenbuehler pulls double-duty as both choreographer and director here and manages with aplomb…'Bandstand' offers plenty to entertain in the moment, but despite its weighty theme, little lingers.”
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Variety
April 26th, 2017

“An earnest and often-entertaining musical that never quite achieves its noble ambitions. Despite the fluid staging and evocative choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, an uneven book, undistinguished dialogue and only-serviceable tunes keep the show from meeting its deeper, darker and good-intentioned aspirations…Oberacker pens the mood-setting, pleasant and easily forgettable pastiche songs and lyrics...The cast is made up of solid performers, most of who play their own instruments.”
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Deadline
April 26th, 2017

“It is to Blankenbuehler’s credit that the dazzling through-line of movement makes 'Bandstand' as much about dance as it is about music…The movement in 'Bandstand' is seamless and eye-popping, managing an astonishing feat…Oberacker and Taylor are clearly well versed in the musical idioms of the period and whose more-than-serviceable songs range from torchy ballads to roof-raising anthems...I have to wonder how this show was cast without a single non-Caucasian among the principals."
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Chicago Tribune
April 26th, 2017

“Blankenbuehler's production just never stops for a moment, sometimes at the expense of the narrative flow...The dancing is, however, spectacular…‘Bandstand’ has a serviceable score, although there is so much music that it often tends to blur…The book has moments of freshness and all kinds of potential, but it never strives enough for poetic heights or depth of characters…All in all, this is a show with some frustrations as well as many pleasures for the ear and eye.”
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