Travesties
About the show
Tom Stoppard's dazzling comedy of art, love, and revolution features James Joyce, Tristan Tzara, and Lenin as remembered -- and misremembered -- by Henry Carr, a minor British diplomat in Zurich 1917. When Gwendolen and Cecily wander in from 'The Importance of Being Earnest,' Henry's mind wanders too. He knows he was Algernon in a production in Zurich. But who was the other one?
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$99 Select Orchestra & Mezzanine
Terms
Regular price $49 - $149. Discount price is $99 select orchestra and mezzanine. Discount prices are valid for performances 3/29/18 through 5/6/18. Must order by 5/6/18. Additional blackout dates may apply. All prices include a $2 facility fee. Limit of 8 tickets per order. Normal service charges apply to phone and Internet orders. Offer subject to availability and is not applicable toward previous purchases. Offer may be revoked or modified at any time without notice. All sales are final—no refunds.
Details
$99 select orchestra and mezzanine (regular $109 - $149)
Terms
Regular price $49 - $149. Discount price is $99 select orchestra and mezzanine. Discount prices are valid for performances 3/29/18 through 5/6/18. Must order by 5/6/18. Additional blackout dates may apply. All prices include a $2 facility fee. Limit of 8 tickets per order. Normal service charges apply to phone and Internet orders. Offer subject to availability and is not applicable toward previous purchases. Offer may be revoked or modified at any time without notice. All sales are final—no refunds.
Terms
Regular price $49 - $149. Discount price is $99 select orchestra and mezzanine. Discount prices are valid for performances 3/29/18 through 5/6/18. Must order by 5/6/18. Additional blackout dates may apply. All prices include a $2 facility fee. Limit of 8 tickets per order. Normal service charges apply to phone and Internet orders. Offer subject to availability and is not applicable toward previous purchases. Offer may be revoked or modified at any time without notice. All sales are final—no refunds.
Details
Select Orchestra and Mezzanine seats are $99 (reg. $109-$149)
Terms
Extra fees are $9 per ticket, but that's the standard charge on all tickets. Book by May 5. Regular price $49-$149. Discount price is $99 select orchestra and mezzanine. Discount prices are valid for performances March 29-May 6. Must order by May 6 Additional blackout dates may apply. All prices include a $2 facility fee. Limit of 8 tickets per order. Normal service charges apply to phone and Internet orders. Offer subject to availability and is not applicable toward previous purchases. Offer may be revoked or modified at any time without notice. All sales are final—no refunds.
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"Theatrical brilliance made tangible...A certain kind of heady comedy. It may be not only the funniest but also the smartest...It's graduate school-Ph.D-level humor...Possibly the only perfect production now occupying a Broadway theater...No matter by what definition of art you swear, this 'Travesties' -thanks to Stoppard, Hollander, Marber, and everyone connected to it-is that rare thing: Art with a capital 'A'." Full Review
"A work to remember, or misremember, for years to come...This latest incarnation is the clearest and...one of the liveliest. It should prove ridiculously entertaining for anyone with even a passing knowledge of its central characters...What makes 'Travesties' so deeply engaging and hilarious and touching isn't its flashy erudition but its author's rapt fascination with the workings of the human mind and its enduring relationship with art..The cast couldn't be much better." Full Review
"The show's set advises us to please be quiet...But you can forget about that, because the sound of laughter can't be contained...This extravagant farce bristles with clever wordplay...Fun on its own etymological terms, this madcap comedy also tips its hat — a beat-up straw boater with a jaunty red hatband — to the spirit of revolution that galvanized Europe in 1917...Underneath the gem-like brilliance of its theatrical style, the play's dark subject matter emerges." Full Review
"A gushing waterfall of wordplay, a fine-tuned literary torrent...Marber keeps Stoppard's verbal ballet moving briskly, occasionally slowing the action down just enough to let the narrative breathe. 'Travesties'' ratatat bursts of farce and romance and political theory may be too discursive to ever quite nail down exactly what it's all about... Still, one line from early in the first act does seem especially apropos... 'It may be nonsense, but at least it's clever nonsense'." Full Review
"You don't have to enroll for a graduate degree to enjoy Stoppard's simultaneously wacky and intellectual comedy...Largely due to the accessible nature of Marber's rollickingly staged production...The plot is nothing more than a springboard for the playwright's unique brand of clever wordplay and cerebral observations...The dense verbiage is presented through a prism of exuberant physical comedy and absurdism...Much seriousness underlies the humor." Full Review
"Guaranteed to work your gray matter...The happy bonus of the brightly acted production...is how often the comedy engages one's smile muscles...Stoppard stirs up a story about art and revolution, conformity and memory, and more...It's a lot - loosey-goosey and carefully contained at the same time. It's constantly wild and woolly and, at times, what-the-heck-was-that...Offers a view to Stoppard's interests in marginal characters and artists and intellectuals." Full Review
"This 'Travesties' belongs first and foremost to Hollander, a stage actor widely known in Britain for TV roles. Under Marber's careful direction, Hollander takes Stoppard's comically befuddled British consul into some unforeseen emotional terrain, never more moving than when Carr recalls the horror of the trenches and the patriotism of its fighters. If Hollander's Carr can't quite sway the cynical Tzara - and he can't - no one can." Full Review
"Sparkling and incisive revival...A piece Stoppard wrote in his thirties continues to illuminate our untethered times with whiplash accuracy...There is the acrobatic language which became Stoppard’s signature; puns, alliteration, and skewered clichés, which all fly past at lightning speed...Marber has emphasized the bittersweetness underneath the hijinks and coaxed out a depth of feeling without compromising the Swiss watch precision of the play. Perhaps that is the neatest hat trick of all." Full Review
"A spirited, quick-paced revival...There is quick-witted wordplay...an entire scene written in limerick form; a delightful music-hall-style duet of one-up-manship...Under Marber's masterful direction, 'Travesties' never lets the mayhem swirl completely out of control. At the center of the madness is a bravura performance by Hollander...Marber's staging really shines when it slows down the verbal pyrotechnics to explore the efficacy of art in challenging times." Full Review
"Devilishly clever...Artfully reassembles in an olio of genres-farce, spy story, seminar, musical, history lesson, absurdist prank-with mixed-in of culture high and low...The facets of Stoppard's jewel-like play are overwhelmingly brilliant...In Marber's well-judged and high-spirited revival, the result is inviting rather than snobbishly exclusive, and the structural and verbal dazzle are offset with subtle suggestions of elegy...It's a pleasure to engage with a production that does 'Travesti... Full Review
"Erudite, allusive, and grappling deeply with history, but also fun, funny, and compulsively entertaining...Hollander plays Carr, and he's a virtuoso in a complicated part, shifting among styles and bouncing around the stage...Deeply thoughtful and guffawingly funny...Marber keeps this joyful folly happily afloat and the set seems almost a perfect visual representation of Stoppardism...Hollander is the standout but the cast is uniformly fine." Full Review
"Impeccably directed...Only a playwright as brilliantly inventive as Stoppard could put all that together to come up with an uproarious work that seriously questions the nature of art...Stoppard called 'Travesties' intellectual entertainment...Even without a solid knowledge of Irish novelists, avant-garde poets or Russian revolutionaries, it's possible, as Roundabout's artistic director Todd Haimes suggests, to simply let the pleasures of the show 'wash over you'." Full Review
"Stoppard's difficult, diffuse and dense comedy of faulty memory and early 20th century European history and culture...You appreciate the play and want to enjoy it, but nevertheless often feel lost or left out in the cold...The high-energy production busts with big performances, lively physical activity and terrific comedic flow...Not an easy work to take in by any stretch of the imagination...All things considered, it is hard to imagine a better production." Full Review
"A bouncy, bubbly, vertiginous revival...An effervescent dance of puns, quips, double entendres, antic surrealism, and literary allusions that fly about like an accidentally-launched bundle of fireworks, all the while asking us to consider serious questions about the nature of art, revolution, and the role of those who make and define both...A lot going on, and it never lets up. Marber tosses in everything he can dig out from his own bag of directorial tricks to keep things moving at a breakn... Full Review
"'Travesties' sets up a debate about what art and culture means, then it takes successive pins to the theoretical balloons it casts into the air and opts for some incidental fun instead. You might find this framing and reframing of big questions, followed by pratfalls and jokes, enlivening or baffling. But Marber and all the actors make Stoppard’s difficult play ring as clear as it can." Full Review
for a previous production “Humongously funny...A magnetic role for Tom Hollander…The comedy is the breathtaking magic trick of a then-young playwright…The amusements come not single spies but in battalions…The production, joyously responsive to Stoppard’s theatricality, is by another playwright, Patrick Marber, who staged it…with this well-meshed cast. They’re all in total command of the scintillating text.” Full Review
for a previous production “An effervescent delight, headlined by a performance to cherish from a never-been-better Tom Hollander. The formidably bright Stoppard can be oppressive at times...Mercifully, the exact opposite force is at work here, leaving us instead to relish Stoppard’s joyous wordplay and luxuriant reveling in language. Rarely in theatre are words wielded to such a heightened as well as consistently comic effect…This is British theatre operating at the very top of its game.” Full Review
for a previous production “The triumph of Marber’s production…is the way it honors Stoppard’s dazzling intellect while also going full throttle with the piece’s playful, sometimes bonkers, wit…The form of the play is stunningly refracted through its subjects…Marber’s energetic production, featuring superb musical skits and magic tricks is slickly delivered by a game cast…Sublime silliness with an all-too-serious core.” Full Review
for a previous production “With ‘Travesties,’ Stoppard has maximum fun with us, history, and theatre...It's a completely bonkers, fast-paced, non-stop, roller coaster ride. And it's very, very, very funny. It's also quite difficult to keep up with…Hollander is pitch perfect as Carr, delivering Stoppard's beautifully crafted lines so they land with maximum hilarity. But the whole cast are superb...The only slight grumble I had was that very occasionally 'Travesties' feels smug...This superb revival does the piece absol... Full Review
for a previous production “The story…is almost unfathomable. And yet you don’t need a degree in English, art, or Russian history to get you through this brilliantly frivolous production…You soon realize you’ve just got to let go. That’s exactly what the cast, led by Tom Hollander, do in Patrick Marber’s dazzling revival. Stoppard’s play is a two-and-a-half-hour virtuoso turn, and Marber’s production, which stands on the virtuoso turns of his actors, does not disappoint…This is tomfoolery with panache.” Full Review
for a previous production “That such momentous questions are posed in a piece that appears as light as tissue paper is just part of the whole delightful mischief of the thing…Rich literary gags, delivered with plenty of top spin by Marber’s sprightly cast…Marber also finds the shadows and depths in the piece. Hollander’s Carr begins as bumbling...But there’s also poignancy to his performance…It does what art can do: catches a certain truth about experience that might otherwise be forgotten.” Full Review
for a previous production “A very funny and highly-strung production…Hollander is pompous and preening in this essential revival…But he’s also fragile and endearing, the heart and soul of this wickedly playful and cerebral show…One hand deeply absurd and silly and on the other extremely high-minded and full of ideas…This is brainy stuff, a young playwright’s cocky display of intellectual dick-swinging, but it’s also intensely entertaining and infectiously theatrical.” Full Review
for a previous production “A literary crossword puzzle that's less cryptic than outright impossible. But such is the energy of Stoppard's writing and the pace and pulse of Marber's production that the audience is carried along on their theatrical thrill-ride...Much of this is down to the twinkling, mischievous charm of Hollander's Henry Carr...Marber tempers it with just enough nonsense, and finds the funny without losing the hammer concealed at the heart of this riotous, necessary piece of cultural vandalism.” Full Review
for a previous production “The play takes ostentatious delight in its own unabashed intellectualism, but Hollander's performance anchors its cerebral posturing in the realm of actual human experience…Will there be lines, even perhaps entire scenes that pass you by? Almost undoubtedly. Yet Marber's finely calibrated revival gives a champagne effervescence to the densely plotted exchanges…while the performances throughout are blissful.” Full Review
for a previous production “The play’s humor works predominantly through old and intricate cultural references...Even when I did get them, I often didn’t find them funny…The production is funniest when Carr’s memories slip into theatrical fantasies...These are beautifully directed…A slick production...with a starry cast who take all the play’s ridiculous elements and produce something very honorable. It should be understood chiefly as an intellectualized farce and the right audience will absolutely adore it.” Full Review
See it if you want a cerebral discussion on the importance of art &anti-art in the face of political realities, but certainly not taken to seriously
Don't see it if you don't want to listen to LOTS of words; I almost thing this play is better read than seen. The women are not as interesting as the men.
See it if You are versed in The Importance of Being Ernest, James Joyce, Dada, and Lenin. You revel in clever intellectual writing.
Don't see it if You are not versed in the above and uninterested in the purpose/meaning/attitudes toward art. You prefer more emotional plays.
Also I'm a Tom Stoppard fan and I enjoy debates about the purpose and meani... Read more Read less
See it if you appreciate Stoppard. You want to be intellectually stimulated as well as entertained.
Don't see it if you are easily distracted. Wordy plays bore you. You prefer linear plot.
Also An excellent revival of a play I love. Wonderful performances but you ... Read more Read less
See it if You've seen the original, or are quite well-read. Numerous jokes went over my head, and I have a college education
Don't see it if If like a clear-cut plot, or if you have trouble with occasional slower scenes
See it if You are a Stoppard fan, enjoy fast-paced, intelligent and verbose plays that require your attention. Tom Hollander is always a joy to watch.
Don't see it if You have a short attention span. Stoppard requires you to listen and think but does it in a very entertaining way.
See it if you appreciate literary references and shows that require you to actually think
Don't see it if you can't commit your full attention to the plot or have a difficult time understanding accents
See it if you enjoy writing that adores its own intelligence. There is a line about “clever nonsense” in the show, which describes the work perfectly.
Don't see it if you won’t enjoy stop-&-start again scenes courtesy of a character’s hazy recollections. This worked well in Constellations; less so here.
Also I found the first act nearly interminable, and the second act mostly e... Read more Read less
See it if you want to see a clever, farcical counterfactual "history" play enacted in the unreliable mind of one of the characters.
Don't see it if you want to see verbal and conceptual ingenuity produce a dramatic payoff.
Also For all its virtuosity of composition, I was never quite clear what th... Read more Read less
See it if you're an smart-ass person who appreciate smarty farce. Acting is great
Don't see it if you'd like to follow a clear story line. I had trouble knowing what exactly is happening
See it if you're a fan of Tom Stoppard and/or Tom Hollander.
Don't see it if you want an enjoyable experience; there are so many references that I didn't get and jokes that didn't connect for me.
See it if you know what you are in for. if you don't know the topics beforehand it is inevitable that you will be completely lost
Don't see it if you have no prior knowledge about Lenin, The Importance of Being Earnest, or the art form of Dada. even though it's fast paced it's too long
See it if you think you'd enjoy a quirky British comedy.
Don't see it if you have no interest in British humor or what might have happened in 1917 Zürich.
See it if you want to see Stoppard at his most obtuse and playful.
Don't see it if you're not familiar with The Importance of Being Earnest. It kinda spoils the fun if you're not.
See it if you liked COAST OF UTOPIA or YOUNG MARX. Absurdist, intellectually comic romp on politics, art, and the plot of Wilde's EARNEST. Funny.
Don't see it if you don't want lightning fast dialogue on role of art in society & politics, WWI history, or homage to EARNEST. Acquired taste - but good.
See it if ... you appreciate Stoppard's wit and cleverness. If you have never seen a Stoppard play before, this might not be the best place to start.
Don't see it if ... you would be bothered by not getting every joke (but there will be another one coming along right behind it).
See it if you like zany intelligent theater.
Don't see it if you have trouble understanding English accents prefer plays with characters that are less two dimensional.
See it if you occasionally like to take your brain/mind to a mental gymnasium. This show will keep you on your toes and reward you at the end.
Don't see it if you're not willing to do a little homework beforehand, and if you have a short attention span. Also, if you don't know/care about history.
Also You must do your homework, children, unless you are already well verse... Read more Read less
See it if you gravitate to brilliant cerebral theater of ideas, are willing to pay close attention and do some research in advance. Joyous theater!
Don't see it if u dont like Stoppard plays and dont like to have to think too much at the theater. Not an easy piece, and you have to bring something to it.
See it if a nonsensical cacophony of dialogue and staging is your idea of a good time.
Don't see it if muddled English-accented language is hard to understand. I couldn't tell what they were saying! :(
Also I actually thought the actors didn't have mics on because the volume w... Read more Read less
See it if you're into intelligent/cerebral writing. Confusing & feels dated @ first, but if you pay attention & follow intently, you'll be rewarded.
Don't see it if you haven't done your homework on: original production; Tom Stoppard; James Joyce; "Importance of Being Earnest"; dadaism. You'll be lost.
Also Tom Hollander ("Henry Carr") is BRILLIANT.... Read more Read less
See it if You are easily entertained and are a fan of Stoppard.
Don't see it if You can see anything else. Just wretched and impossible to connect to. Just a bunch of out-dated mumbo shouted at everyone by white dudes.
See it if you know Importance of Being Ernest, Lenin, Joyce, DaDA etc and you love absurd plays filled with great dialogue.
Don't see it if the above subjects are Greek to you. You hate verbal banter and you are looking for an evening of mindless entertainment.
See it if you are a very literate person that needs to be challenged by intellectual babble.
Don't see it if you think the relationship between Dada art and the "Importance of Being Earnest" might be confusing.
Also I love Shakespeare but this was too intellectual for me. It is simply ... Read more Read less
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