John Lithgow: Stories by Heart

See it if You are fond of John Lithgow. Sweet just very lightly tapped story about his parents.

Don't see it if You have anything better to do with your time.

Also Having seen other one-man shows recently that were riveting, this one is most definitely very subpar.
The reading of bedtimes stories in this setting was a bad idea accomplised its goal to put people to sleep.
Low stakes.
Low energy.
Low impact.... Read more Read less

See it if You are a fan of John Lithgow, one man shows and old stories.

Don't see it if You aren't interested in short stories that aren't very exciting. This would have fared better in a smaller more intimate venue

See it if John Lithgow brings it! I cannot understand the mixed reviews. Read my review later on Word Press, No Bull With Raging Robert. 2 acts 2 stor

Don't see it if ies. Both funny 2end act Lithgow goes overdrive! If you do not like one acts not for you. Simple set,bad lighting, great acting!

See it if Stage/film vet LIthgow misses the mark (widely) with his solo vehicle. A homage to his parents & power of story-telling it's just dull

Don't see it if With his finely honed stage chops, Lithgow could have just sat & read the stories & triumphed Instead it's over acted & sketch-like

See it if you are a fan of John Lithgow, enjoy one person shows, enjoy lengthy short stories read out loud, appreciate a world gone by

Don't see it if you don't like 1-person shows with 1 set, no costume change & little movement, unexciting short stories, or Lithgow himself

Also If you are expecting Lithgow to be sharing stories and tales about his own personal life, you will be disappointed. He does share some information about his family but hardly touches upon his career or other aspects of his personal life, except for that about his parents, especially his father. The bulk of the evening is him reading two short stories, one serious and nostalgic by Ring Lardner, and the other somewhat funny, Uncle Fred Flits By, by PG Wodehouse, that is a family staple but not a giggle-worth as they may think. He does a good job--he has a terrific voice for reading--but you leave the theater feeling unfulfilled. Let the buyer beware.... Read more Read less

See it if Lithgow is masterful in acting out short stories by Ring Lardner and PG Wodehouse; Lardner story - light w/twist OK for the stage

Don't see it if Wodehouse's class-based humor is so old fashioned and obvious that Lithgow couldn't save it

See it if You're want a master class in acting from a veteran stage actor & want to see him work. You want anecdotes from John Lithgow's life.

Don't see it if You're expecting a play about John Lithgow's life: he reads 2 dated stories he remembers hearing as a child.

Also The backstories of the reasons he chose the 2 stories are terrific! The play falls apart when he reads the stories. While they're meaningful to Mr. Lithgow, the stories are so moldy-oldy that I quickly lost interest. Seeing him act the stories is fascinating! Hearing the stories is boring.... Read more Read less

See it if your taste is a solo show featuring a showy acting lesson.

Don't see it if two hours of a solo show is too taxing.

See it if you’re a fan of Lithgow’s or appreciate truly engrossing storytelling with a ton of heart.

Don't see it if you require visual stimulus. You have to pay attention and use your imagination. I trailed off at times, but he always brought me back.

Also The two stories he tells are great, but I was actually more enamored by his own personal stories about his dad, which act as a framing device.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a very charming John Lithgow. He is wonderful when speaking about his childhood memories of his father and family.

Don't see it if I would have preferred to hear more of his personal memories than having two stories read to him as a child, acted out on stage.

See it if You want an intimate evening with a great storyteller, John Lithgow. Act 2 best story/pantomime. Homage to his father, sentimental.

Don't see it if Dislike solo shows on a plain set. Get distracted easily. Dislike John Lithgow.

Also The story in Act 1 drags on, and I lost interest a few times. Act 2 is very entertaining, and the star reminisces about his elderly parents. This more personal experience is the hook into my Score of 80.
Acts out 2 short stories that were family favorites.... Read more Read less

See it if You love JL no matter what he does & like to watch a good actor perform too long stories.

Don't see it if Were hoping to hear more tales from John's own life, or expected to like the story material more. House/stage too big. Disappointing.

Also The first story John acted out is very dated with an unlikeable character. It takes a very dark turn and becomes squirm-inducing. The second act is more entertaining, but John milks the farce too much and it just ends up feeling silly. Strange choice of material that surely must have fared better when it was performed in more intimate spaces.

Saw this on Broadway at the American Airlines Theater in January, 2018.... Read more Read less

See it if you are eager to see a fine actor even in a warmed-over untheatrical production.

Don't see it if you are expecting an evening of theater with a narrative arc.

Also The family reminiscences were more affecting than the storytelling. Shame on Roundabout for putting an intimate one-man show in their largest theater.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy one man shows and love John Lithgow and his humor and wit. The first story is interesting but not great, the second one is great.

Don't see it if You don't like one man shows, need a super strong through line, and aren't looking for a quiet night at the theater. Funny but slow.

See it if you can allow yourself to like John Lithgow, his mannerisms/acting, his family history, his solo-ness & interested in art of storytelling

Don't see it if storytelling bores you, you aren't interested in the process of putting a show like this together, the experience is about you not on stage

See it if you like stories--and why do you go to the theatre if you don't like stories?Lithgow gives a masterful performance. Set is perfect. Just go!

Don't see it if you want to see Jersey Boys or other pointless fluff.

See it if Lithgow gives a masterful performance, acting out two stories that his father read to him as a child.

Don't see it if He chews the scenery a bit (a lot), and his first act barber became annoying after a while. I would have preferred more stories about him.

Also This was enjoyable, but not what I expected. I thought it was going to be Lithgow sharing stories of his life and career, perhaps with bits of characters he had played. This is not that at all. It consists mostly of two short stories (one creepy, one funny) that his father read to him as a child. They are entertaining, although very dated. And Lithgow gives a mostly masterful performance, acting out all the characters. But his giggling barber in the first act grated after a while, and his mime was god awful. My college mime teacher would have gleefully ripped him to shreds if he had performed that haircut bit in his class. And the second act story took a while to grab me. I was distracted by Lithgow’s extreme overacting. And frankly, Wodehouse is still bitingly funny, but hasn’t aged as well as one would have hoped. Jokes about Earls and Dukes and family estates just don’t play as well today as they did in 1925.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see an American treasure, John Lithgow, give a perfect performance.

Don't see it if you don't like one man shows and have no patience to listen to a wonderful story leisurely told.

See it if you want to see a legend onstage.

Don't see it if you're expecting a play. John Lithgow is basically onstage being the lovable grandfatherly figure that he is and sharing stories.

See it if you really, really love John Lithgow.

Don't see it if you won’t enjoy the stories w/in the stories by Lardner & Wodehouse as much as you will the intros, Lithgow’s sweet homage to his parents.

Also The second act story from Wodehouse is much stronger, but by then I was somewhat sleepy from the first act, so couldn’t fully enjoy it.... Read more Read less

See it if you don't mind being told bedtime stories by a talented performer who could do so much more; a sometimes somniferous pacing won't bore you.

Don't see it if expecting riveting, new, bold, and original work; dislike one-man shows; aren't a fan of John Lithgow, storytelling, and some sad moments.

Also John Lithgow has pure intentions: celebrate the life & legacy of his father through stories (here, by P.G. Wodehouse and Ring Lardner) with which he and his siblings grew up. And he is a fine comedian and performer, heartfelt and fully-committed. But to put what, at core, amounts to bedtime-tales read by a known actor in a Broadway venue is misleading. These are not mostly heartfelt personal memories. Instead, they are memorized tales by the aforementioned authors told in a way that embraces the spirit of Lithgow's father, as he told them. My favorite portions of Stories by Heart were when Lithgow grew nostalgic. A writer, I reveled in his fondness for books. We are all story-tellers and we all want to hear stories is the theme. But audiences want original stories--not recited ones we could read elsewhere. Trying to help us understand his father through stories is ambitious: I love Lithgow’s goal. But, again, the overall presentation and venue feels at odds with the intimacy intended.... Read more Read less

See it if you are a die-hard Lithgow fan or a fan of one-man shows or are easily entertained.

Don't see it if You have high hopes, based on all the puff pieces you've seen and read that this might be a unique experience worthy of your time.

See it if Similar to NPR's Selected Shorts, John Lithgow reads 2 short stories out loud. Best parts were the personal, heartfelt intros about his dad.

Don't see it if This wasn't my cup of tea; I was bored. Lithgow does an amazing job acting out the stories, but I found them dull, dated, not engaging.

See it if You are a Lithgow fan and even if you're not. I'm thrilled at having been able to see him Last time was at the New Victory many years ago.

Don't see it if If you don't enjoy on solo shows. But this one is worth it. John has such heart and one of the best storytellers around!

See it if You are lucky enough to see a master performer like John Lithgow at the top of his craft. I was mesmerized.

Don't see it if You don’t enjoy listening to interesting stories, with all the parts acted out by John Lithgow.