See it if you love classic musicals with a twist or if you enjoy unique staging that plays with the border between outer and inner reality.
Don't see it if you don't enjoy live bands. Much of the music is more focused on instrumentations rather than just voice, as a lot of musicals are.
See it if Love amazing singing, acting & a great set
Don't see it if Don't like romantic musicals about the aftermath of war
See it if you love great dancing great singing, and great music
Don't see it if you only like traditional broadway shows,
See it if Loved it!!!! If you want a really good night at the theater, with some Big Band nostalgia, this is for you! A true feel good experience!
Don't see it if I can't think of anyone who wouldn't enjoy this. Even the younger generation will love this, and will walk away with a feel for this era. Read more
See it if you appreciate a perfect combination of direction, acting, choreography, singing, dancing.
Don't see it if You don't appreciate musicals with heart.
See it if you like the "Good Old Days" of musicals. Lots of entertainment and dancing. At the end, the audience stood up & cheered.
Don't see it if your very young and expect hip hop or new music. This is "Mom Jeans", that fit well. Old fashioned but not stale.
See it if You want to a brand-new new musical that feels like a piece from the golden age of musical theatre
Don't see it if You don't like loud noises or strobe lights
See it if you like good music, wonderful dancing and a good story and want to have a fun night out.
Don't see it if there's no reason NOT to see Bandstand (other than if you are not a fan of musicals).
“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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“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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“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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“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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“A well-meaning mishmash of a musical…The authors’ idea is a good one…But the show backburners this thread for a conventional story…It’s a bit all over the place…Songs by Oberacker and Taylor are workmanlike and pleasant, but tend to be monochromatic…Musically it’s a blur. The physical production can be one as well…Blankenbuehler's large cast steps up. Cott is appealing and gives his all. Osnes sings like a dream — even when the material isn’t one.”
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“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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“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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“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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