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See it if if ... if ... I'm afraid I am at a loss for a reason.

Don't see it if you have anything else to do.

Also I cannot urge you strongly enough to avoid this ... this ...this ...
If I told you what I really felt, this review would not be published.... Read more Read less

See it if you are a completest and must see all of the author's work.

Don't see it if you hope to see believable characters and a work that can be both "absurd" and accessible.

Also Characters transform from ludicrous to venomous in 90 minutes - without the benefit of pills or injections. Just too hard to swallow. MISS IT.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a classic musical that could have been given a crisper revival.

Don't see it if stereotypes annoy you - gay actors, whiny Jewish women, charmless out-of-towners.

Also This production should have given the audience more of a WONDERFUL TOWN look.... Read more Read less

See it if you feel that the portrayal of the painful lives of non-white people in America cannot be presented often enough.

Don't see it if you expect to see these profound tragedies examined in depth.

Also In this case, the whole is less than the sum of the parts. About a dozen vignettes are used to explore the breath of the racial problem(s) in this country. There is no depth, however. I felt that this evening was designed to showcase the performer more than the subject(s).... Read more Read less

See it if you want to experience how ordinary people react to a profoundly horrific event.

Don't see it if re-imagining the aftermath of a mass shooting will upset you.

Also This production has everything live theater should deliver. A deeply moving story, portrayed by actors and a director who trust the work.... Read more Read less

See it if you want a theater experience that is both relevant and fun.

Don't see it if you prefer edgy, dark, surreal theater.

Also I simply had a wonderful time and so did the rest of the audience.

See it if you want to see two glorious performances and learn a lot in the bargain.

Don't see it if the achievements of women and their struggles to do so are not of interest to you.

Also What an artistic and intellectual triumph!

See it if you love and remember Maury Yeston's work.

Don't see it if you expect something more than song after song after song.

Also I hoped for more sparkle, energy, BROADWAY. I got an average cabaret production.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a talented dance ensemble tackle a familiar musical piece in a very clever manner.

Don't see it if you want "tradition" - then you should head a few doors West.

Also I was very pleasantly surprised at how much grace and power a cast of 10 could deliver on a relatively small staged. I would have rated it even higher except that pauses/costume changes were covered by annoying bits of business.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a merry band of actors embrace a show, a director's vision and the work itself.

Don't see it if you expect to understand a whole lot of what's going on.

Also Diction was a very real problem for me - even sitting in the first row. Accents were all over the place. BUT it was a hoot never-the-less.... Read more Read less

See it if you want a tutorial on Old Testament philosophy.

Don't see it if you expect to gain any insights into the person who harmed more Jews than anyone since Adolph Hitler.

See it if you believe theater should be rudderless and repetitive.

Don't see it if you believe that 90 minutes of hard concentrating deserves a pay-off.

Also At every mini-scene - there were several - I kept asking, "Why?". Why was this chosen? Why in this order? And why don't I get it? There is a continuum between Theatre of the Absurd and Absurd Theatre. This piece was much closer to the latter.... Read more Read less

See it if you'd like a glimpse of a fascinating, yet under-explored portion of German pre-war history.

Don't see it if you want to be emotionally involved in the characters being portrayed.

Also This might have been a very powerful play but it never quite got to me.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to get a glimpse of the Syrian refuge experience.

Don't see it if you expect to FEEL for the refugees.

Also The play delineates the horror, degradation, and pain that these refuges face. BUT I was unmoved by the piece.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see an allegory about the disintegration of society.

Don't see it if you prefer a linear presentation.

Also The allegory was too heavy-handed. The set design was excellent.
The acting was un-even.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see the tentative attempts of two closed-off people to create a bond.

Don't see it if you was to FEEL for the characters.

Also This tenured professor looks upon her life as she would a student's term paper - from a step back. I wanted to be more involved.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to take a deep dive into the twisted thought processes of the Religious Right.

Don't see it if it pains you to see mindless religious zealotry given a voice.

Also This reminds me of an article about the Bayou communities in Louisiana. Polluted water, high incidence of disease and other man-made tragedies were attributed to "visitations" from God. Only devotion to the Church and the Community would bring salvation.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to try to understand what motivates troubled people to seek alternative solutions to intractable problems.

Don't see it if you cannot believe that people would be desperate enough to seek relief from a faith-healer.

Also The show bites off a bit more than it can chew. There is a once-respected individual who must face ridicule and self-doubt. There is the immigrant who fears being an illegal in America but also fears returning home. There is the devoted grandson who is disillusioned by the grandfather he once adored.... Read more Read less

See it if watching a troupe of energetic actors "sending up" Chekhov is your glass of tea.

Don't see it if you don't want to see a "send up" become a "mash up".

Also My taste is so not main stream that I am reluctant to review this. I value wit, charm, verbal banter. This work had none of that.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy Theater of the Absurd.

Don't see it if you want a playwright's messages presented in a more nuanced manner.

Also Theater of the Absurd has never been my cup of tea so taking a deep dive into these plays is beyond my pay grade.... Read more Read less

See it if want to see a very gentle depiction of how too many of us rationalize not taking a personal or political stand.

Don't see it if you feel passionately about the population's indifference to venality.

Also The issues of greed, indifference and power are dealt with in a very tepid manner.... Read more Read less

See it if you want a behind-the-scenes talk about the relationship between Margaret Thatcher and her Queen.

Don't see it if you demand insight into characters on a theatrical stage.

Also I was blessed to see Prunella Scales as Queen Elizabeth in " A Question of Attribution" by Alan Bennett at The Royal National Theatre in 1988. "Handbagged" was more entertaining than a TED talk and more restrained than a Piers Morgan rant.... Read more Read less

See it if you feel the overall subject matter might appeal.

Don't see it if you want a well-crafted piece of theater.

Also I was very disappointed. The acting was not strong. The lead did not speak clearly. The set was intended to be multi-purpose but simply looked flimsy. There was a theatrical device of having peripheral characters speak with their backs to the audience into microphones but that sound was over-amplified.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to understand the real life issues twenty-somethings are confronting

Don't see it if you cannot believe that people decades younger than you can have anything of value to tell you.

Also In the interest of full disclosure, I do not have a twitter account nor do I have a cell phone. But these modern "marvels" are used as straw-men to explore the real issues of emotional withdrawal, lying and self-promotion.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a powerful drama that is tightly written and staged.

Don't see it if you prefer to avoid theater portraying man's inhumanity to man - even if the portrayal is done very well.

Also A portrayal of The Holocaust, or any holocaust, reminds us of how fragile our democracy is and how vulnerable each of us is without help from others.... Read more Read less

See it if you desire a better understanding of day's African-American reality.

Don't see it if political and judicial injustice is inconsequential to you.

Also Last night was a profound and moving life experience. Ms. Peterson's dedication and courage deserve more than just two hands clapping. I have reached out to Propublica to encourage them to investigate these issues.... Read more Read less

See it if you didn't see the original nor the 2003 Encores revival.

Don't see it if you are hoping to see an obscure musical theater gem emerge.

Also Overall, the production lacked charm and warmth. The characters were two dimensional - French fops, ballsy female magazine editors, clueless American tourists. The staging was peculiar: actors exiting and immediately re-entering; silent actors traveling from DSR to DSL pulling focus from the actors in the scene itself. Dance numbers often upstaged the dialog. There were too many dancers for an 18' stage.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to be taken back 50 years and spend time with people dealing with issues that might have been relevant.

Don't see it if you're looking for clever, snappy dialog and music and lyrics that have some bite and energy.

Also The original movie was a gentle send-up of the time period. What an opportunity to "go for it" now. Too bad Charles Busch is otherwise engaged.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a troupe of very talented performers give their all.

Don't see it if musicals by Cole Porter or Noel Coward are your cup of tea.

Also There is intelligence and energy a-plenty in this production. BUT most of that is buried in noise. This was a director's choice and so-be-it.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to watch someone dish dirt on Bess Myerson.

Don't see it if you want to become involved with the solo performer or her subject.

Also I felt as if someone was reading Page 6 articles about Bess Myerson. Or that I was observing a therapy session where the patient was complaining about a mother whose foibles were of only passing interest.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to be challenged as well as entertained.

Don't see it if you prefer linear, traditional theater.

Also Lot's of interacting story lines. Lots of meaningful dialog disguised as banter. Lots to absorb. BUT not random - controlled chaos. Very professionally done.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see clever staging of a children's fable.

Don't see it if you expect to hear engaging music and clever lyrics.

Also The show presents a very charming story. AND offers creative set design, costumes and props. BUT as a musical - it falls disappointingly short. The lyrics, when they can be heard and understood, are ordinary. The music, all-to-loud, is boring. The acting is also hit-or-miss.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to visualize Trump's "deplorables".

Don't see it if you want to see theater that is moving, engaging and thought-provoking.

Also The first 15 minutes - most of it boring exposition - introduced such an unsympathetic leading character that all future disasters seemed well-deserved. The step-father was so honest and real, it's hard to believe that his step-daughter was as clueless as portrayed. When I don't like a show, I notice the little things. In 1950 if I was clearing out my desk after 40 years, the first thing I'd take would be my Rolodex. Going "back to bed" involved going outside.... Read more Read less

See it if you love Broadway and still enjoy seeing its excesses.

Don't see it if you expect spot-on satire non-stop.

Also This was far from my favorite version of FB. Too few bits hit the mark. Too often the lyrics were hard to understand AND the sound level was painful.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a wonderful performance by Alma Cuervo. Marvelous voice, honest acting and funny.

Don't see it if you expect to be moved.

Also The author attempts to tell too many stories. The exposition(s) needed for each detract from any in-depth presentation of any.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see two actors take every risk and embrace very difficult roles - believably.

Don't see it if the exploration of dysfunctional relationships is not your cup of tea.

Also IF ("If wishes were horses, beggars would ride") only the writing had given the actors more of an arc ...... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see the intense moral conflicts our society faces theatricalized.

Don't see it if you expect to understand the motivation(s) of any of the three performers.

Also There is an interesting premise here. Three very different people are confronted by the same tragedy. They deal with it, and each other, from different emotional starting points. Each evolves and/or devolves but not in ways that were believable to me.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a classic American musical performed in a foreign language - Hebrew.

Don't see it if you hope to see sparkling performances, rousing choruses and lush orchestrations.

Also I had hoped to be thrilled once more by this magnificent musical. The singing was merely OK - not moving. The acting was merely OK - not engaging. The furniture looked like it came from IKEA and there were a few dings so the unpainted pressed board could be seen. Perchik enters wearing a jacket with a cowl and brass snaps and his shoes had white soles. Many of the men were wearing white shirts with collars - hardly poor Russian peasant outfits. Tevye pulled his milk cart using metal - not wooden - shafts. "Premium seating" tops out at $189 ...... Read more Read less

See it if you want to viscerally experience the myriad of tragedies associated with opioid addiction.

Don't see it if you think you understand, intellectually, the problem and its solution.

Also This is a simple, honest piece of theater which forces one to look hard at issues that we normally see as unfortunate statistics.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to be made proud of a political figure about whom you know only a little - Bella Abzug. And revel in the creator Harvey Fierstein

Don't see it if you don't want to be touched by the story of a political life lived to serve all.

Also This is the best play I have seen in a very long time. Touching, hilarious, informative, honest. Do yourself a BIG favor and see it.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see two legendary actors "strut their stuff".

Don't see it if you want to be moved.

Also The ingredients were all there for a truly memorable night at the theater. The subject matter(s) - loss of a loved one; loss of memory/communication; loss of independence. World class actors. Clever staging. BUT the whole was less than the sum of the parts.... Read more Read less

See it if you need to be reminded about the last several years of the Johnson Administration.

Don't see it if you wanted to see the political characters as flesh and blood and gain new insights into the period.

Also This reminded me of "Meeting of the Minds" that aired on PBS (from 1977 to 1981). The show featured guests (played by actors) who had played significant roles in world history. As nearly as was possible, the actual words of the historical figures were used. The difference was that Thomas Jefferson might interact with Voltaire - not LBJ with Bobby Kennedy.... Read more Read less

See it if you yearn to see an actor - TOM STURRIDGE - put an audience in the palm of his hand, effortlessly.

Don't see it if you hope to see JAKE GYLLENHAAL in a role that he understands.

Also Act I was so understated, yet powerful, that I would have rated the production"100" if ACT II even came close. Jake Gyllenhaal seemed to be trying out a comedy routine.... Read more Read less

See it if you want the pleasure of a well-designed, brilliantly acted piece of theater.

Don't see it if you hope to see any light at the end of the tunnel regarding America's fatal flaw - discrimination.

Also Discrimination has always been an unbearable burden to place upon any segment of the population. However, one of the points of this play seems to be that victims of discrimination are therefore less to blame for their criminal acts. I couldn't swallow that point of view.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a show set in the 1950s.

Don't see it if you expect a well-developed show.

Also I hate to criticize such obvious hard work but it was a very slight affair. The actors tried to hard to entertain but the material just wasn't there.... Read more Read less

See it if you are interested in the British journalism career of Rupert Murdoch.

Don't see it if unbridled rapaciousness makes your skill crawl.

Also The over-the-top acting and staging turned this show into The Demon Publisher of Fleet Street.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to experience what Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans photographed for the WPA.

Don't see it if you cannot deal with profoundly depressing circumstances that are all too real.

Also This is a very powerful piece of theater. The acting, the staging, the set design are painfully evocative of what living in the Dust Bowl must have been like. This almost makes the movie version of The Grapes of Wrath seem like a comedy.... Read more Read less

See it if you want hear glorious voices singing solo and in harmony.

Don't see it if you don't want to see 8 people suffering in 8 different ways who are only connected by their despair.

Also I am amazed by the virtuosity of the lyricist. Never-the-less, the audience is confronted with 8 tortured souls and the only light at the end of their tunnel is to return to the same group session the following week.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to be profoundly moved but not preached to.

Don't see it if the issues of forced deportation and family separation are too unpleasant to face.

Also The title "The Rare Biosphere" is very poorly chosen. What is on offer is a powerful presentation of what is becoming an all-to-common tragedy - a hard-working immigrant family ripped apart by our country's draconian laws. And though it is done with passion, it is also clever, humorous and real.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to know about the behind-the-scenes life of Judy Holliday

Don't see it if you want to care about the character portrayed as Judy Holliday

Also Can you imagine 90 minutes with Judy Holliday, Comden & Green, Leonard Bernstein, Garson Kanin, Marilyn Monroe and being bored? There was no sparkle to the acting, writing and staging. The story was fascinating.... Read more Read less