See it if You want to see Bruce Willis live, are a fan of the movie or Stephen King stories.
Don't see it if You get grossed out by fake blood or violent realism. Eg, Very vividly breaks a characters feet with a sledge hammer.
See it if You're a fan of the movie, but would appreciate seeing a different approach on the characters.
Don't see it if You're looking for a perfect adaptation or remake. This is more of different perspective or take of the film.
See it if You want to see something dark & suspenseful; If you don't know how it ends; if you are a fan of the actors.
Don't see it if You know the story very well & don't think you'll find the suspense element worth your while. I went in without having seen or read it.
See it if you love misery, stephen king and LAURIE METCALF!
Don't see it if you want a musical. NO singing in this show lol
See it if you like a thriller; you aren't expecting much from Bruce Willis; you don't want to be the dummy who missed Laurie Metcalf's performance!
Don't see it if great acting doesn't interest you.
See it if you want to see Laurie Metcalf give a great performance.
Don't see it if you want to see Bruce Willis give a great performance.
See it if you'd like to see an unintentionally funny stage adaptation of Misery featuring an edgy performance by Laurie Metcalf
Don't see it if you're a big fan of the movie and not open to any deviation from Kathy Bates' interpretation of Annie Wilkes
See it if you are a fan of the actors and don't think that you have a better option for the time slot.
Don't see it if the somewhat sadistic pleasure of this short play will not surpass that which you would derive from other more typical shows.
"While the tempo might be lax, the production team has done a superb job...Another weakness of the play is that it takes place in 27 short scenes which include endless blackouts. While this is fine in a movie as film cuts, it draws attention to itself on the stage. 'Misery,' the play, will be remembered for Bruce Willis’ mild Broadway debut and Laurie Metcalf’s bravura performance. As a thriller for the theater, it counts heavily on the audience’s expectations as to where the story is going."
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"Laurie Metcalf turns out to be an inspired casting choice…Willis isn't as compelling as Metcalf…The resulting part thriller, part comic parody has just one or two really tense scenes but it's amusing to have you giggling at even Annie's most bizarre actions. The production values are good enough to overcome purist objections about the comedic angle being overdone…'Misery' is not high art. But then it never was."
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"Director Will Frears keeps the pacing relatively taut, though some of the early-going feels a bit more dragged out than necessary. Frears’ other secret weapon is Michael Friedman’s eerie original score, which does a fantastic job of adding to the mood of fear. 'Misery' won’t necessarily make you sad, or happy, but it does the job of thrilling and chilling quite well – in addition to providing yet another showcase for the titanic talent known as Laurie Metcalf."
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"Well folks, this was a mighty hard slog…The other sad element that drags this production so far down that it barely has a pulse is the performance of Mr. Willis. Or lack thereof…Ms. Metcalf gives a performance that is strong enough to drag Mr. Willis and the entire set along with her. It is heavy lifting indeed…Time passes – could be weeks or months, but it feels to the audience like years."
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"The theatrical team has a lot to live up to, and for the most part, does justice to the faithful stage adaptation… Ms. Metcalf and Mr. Willis are each compelling in their own way…For Stephen King fans or celebrity chasers that get thrills by Hollywood’s Broadway invasion, 'Misery' provides a pleasant enough evening at the theatre. But it’s Metcalf that reminds us that there’s nothing like live performance and witnessing a true actor immersed in her craft."
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"This adaptation of a classic Stephen King novel is really a showcase for talented theater veteran Laurie Metcalf...She is the highlight of a thriller that’s not very suspenseful…Although it’s only 90 minutes, his production often feels as immobile as Paul’s bruised and bandaged body. Not even Michael Friedman’s moody music can raise the tension. Sudden acts of violence were met with laughs from the audience rather than gasps."
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"It’s not as good as either King’s novel nor the movie, but it’s likely to appeal to those who don’t know either...Although he does manage some priceless blank stares, Willis' acting registers as something close to a non-performance…Metcalf’s performance, while certainly competent, pales beside the memory of Kathy Bates’…Director Will Frears is hobbled by the absence of the movie’s myriad close-ups...The best thing about 'Misery' is probably the set."
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"'The suspense is almost nil…Metcalf is far more engaged, yet outside of occasional moments, she and Willis don’t really seem to be inhabiting the same world…'Misery' is often funny, and most of this humor is intentional...It seems to know that it’s a genre piece rather than a serious drama and one wonders why the production didn’t embrace that genre more."
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