Be More Chill (NYC) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (803)
See it if you like quirky teenage angst with a pseudo-sci-fi twist. Great music but half the time clumsy lyrics. Great acting.
Don't see it if Odd choreography and longer than it needs to be. Read more
See it if You enjoy stories set in high school w/ a sci-fi twist. Reminiscent of Little Shop of Horrors.
Don't see it if You are looking for something more serious. I saw it off broadway and enjoyed it better in the intimate venue but it's still very fun.
See it if You want to see something that feels truly original, clever and fun without being fluffy and without meaning. GREAT sets/lights/costumes.
Don't see it if You’re looking for deep, dark or dangerous. While this could actually be described with any of those words it’s simultaneously none of them. Read more
See it if Loved it off broadway thanks to a raucous crowd. The broadway audience was dead, which saw me really see how weak the show is.
Don't see it if You want a deep show with an important message,
See it if you're 4 everything a musical on young people & our cyber world is, all rolled up into a fun story of relationship adapting w/real language.
Don't see it if you do not like the way young people speak today, do not like loud music or do not care for another story of young people finding their way.
See it if you are or remember being a teenager in high school. Sci fi pills aside the play explores the pain of transitioning to adulthood for everyon
Don't see it if peppy loud music disturbs you. I didn't need my ear plugs but I brought them, you could bring yours.
See it if you're an unsophisticated post-Millennial who might enjoy a loud, shrill, silly "sci-fi lite" musical PSA re: being cool vs. being yourself.
Don't see it if u expect more than just shallow stereotypes; u don't like repetitive lyrics; u don't like repetitive lyrics; u don't like repetitive lyrics. Read more
See it if Will Roland and George Salazar are still on target.. Lighting is well used. Huge crowd of young folks loved it.
Don't see it if Enjoyed it more in smaller space.. Sound blasting. The older theaters need elevators and more Men/Ladies rooms.
Critic Reviews (50)
"This latest entry in the puberty musical sweepstakes has traits that undeniably set it apart from its competition. For one thing, it is — by cold critical standards — the worst of the lot, with a repetitive score, painfully forced rhymes, cartoonish acting...But this ostensible amateurishness may be exactly what sells ‘Be More Chill’ to its young target audience...The show’s current incarnation remains a festival of klutziness...The acting, singing and dancing are all, to put it kindly, frenetic."
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"Appealing though it often was in a smaller venue, the show has a different energy in this new space. The heat is off...Even for no-longer-young adults, it has entertaining moments. Iconis’s cannily crafted score features several nifty pop hooks...Directed in broad strokes by Brackett, the show doesn’t take itself seriously enough; many of the jokes are underbaked, and by the time it reaches its wacky, hectic finale, it has thrown internal logic out the window."
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"The zippy, delightfully devilish ‘Be More Chill’ is the latest tale of teen angst to convert crippling self-doubt and frustrated desire into the sound of music, and the results are enjoyable not just for their energy and charm but also for the streak of knowing wickedness running through all the pop and fizz...Drama nerds know the power of a good play within a play, and it’s a treat to watch the chaos of ‘Be More Chill’ merge with the chaos of ‘Midsummer.’"
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"Iconis' pop/rock score...is catchy enough. It features some fun, upbeat numbers...But for theatergoers not already smitten with the score, the musical contains serious problems. The book devolves into silliness...The central narrative certainly succeeds in tapping into themes of teenage angst and even has some symbolic resonance, but the sophomoric humor and cliched situations feel more appropriate for MTV than Broadway."
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"The show itself doesn’t live up to that social-media-sensation hype...It’s fine that the show’s arc is predictable...The problem is that those stakes still never feel high enough...The real star here is Salazar, whose breakout tune ‘Michael in the Bathroom’ easily becomes the show’s highlight...Iconis’ pop-rock songs are catchy and the show channels the angst and insecurities many young people experience, particularly in this social-media-driven age. I just wish there was more."
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"There is a breathless quality to everything that squeaky baritone Roland does in his attempt to break free and be cool. And those thrills aren’t just for kids. Traditional theatergoing audiences...will find delicious favor in Iconis’ contagious melodies and tricky lyrics...The Broadway 'Be More Chill' feels more even and flows more smoothly than it did Off Broadway...Still, rushed or relaxed, 'Be More Chill' is Broadway’s wiliest and socially savviest night out for teens and parents alike."
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"'Be More Chill' is one of the strongest new musicals of the past decade, a charming, astutely crafted tale of neurotic post-millennial geeks in love whose appeal is in no way limited to those whom it portrays...Here as in the original off-Broadway run, Ms. Hsu is the winsome star of the show—I don’t know when I last saw a more engaging stage performer—but Mr. Roland runs her a close second, and the rest of the cast is as close-knit an ensemble as you could hope for."
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"Amped up just enough to suit Broadway demands without swamping the heart and humor that caught everyone’s attention in the first place...Impossibly catchy pop show tune combining upbeat, even joyous musicality with some truly dark and uncompromising sentiments...For all of its storyline predictability and maybe too-happy-resolutions, Joe Tracz’s book and, especially, Iconis’ lyrics don’t flinch from the darkness and panic of the teenage mind."
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