Alex T

See it if You want a bit of Christmas spirit, you enjoy mysteries and a bit of humor

Don't see it if This is VERY much a mystery over a Christmas Carol, so if you don't like procedural elements, I wouldn't watch

Also The play works much better when the Christmas Carol characters are in Sherlock's world; when Sherlock slips into a Christmas Carol's story, it feels like it doesn't quite fit... Read more Read less

See it if You're interested in stories about human triumph

Don't see it if Come From Away had every actor playing tons of characters, and sometimes, it was hard to keep track of who was who.

Also Come From Away does a hard tightrope walk with some of the more brutal aspects of 9/11 aftermath, and largely succeeds, but the Muslim man's treatment feels hard to reconcile with the tone at times, particularly when a character who crassly stereotypes him will moments later be part of a triumphant musical number.... Read more Read less

See it if You like camp and comedy in a great atmosphere.

Don't see it if You want mystery. There's no room for sleuthing, the musical doesn't really keep up the intrigue. The audience participation is unnecessary

See it if You want to see something different. The horror elements are interesting

Don't see it if It starts slow and has a flimsy story. It's hard to get into

See it if This is a gorgeously put on burlesque show. The atmosphere is fantastic, the singing fun, the acts incredible.

Don't see it if You're looking for a more conventional version of a play.

See it if You want to see a work that explores gender dynamics in a shallow way. It's ambitious in its reach.

Don't see it if The women feel like they belong in different shows. The approaches don't mesh. Deeper bits would be derailed by screwball comedy

See it if You want to see some fine performances.

Don't see it if The dialogue is clunky. The structure doesn't allow for surprises: every conflict has its solution revealed beforehand.

Also The straightforward story is needlessly complicated by the backwards plot structure.... Read more Read less

See it if You're a fan of the book and would like to see it performed in a different way. You want to laugh.

Don't see it if If you're not a fan. The stage cannot bring to life everything this tries to do. Fitting songs into the narrative felt awkward.

See it if You like horror, and Edgar Allan Poe, in that order. You're willing to ferret out pieces of the story by yourself

Don't see it if The relationships between the characters didn't seem to really matter. We are basically asked to bear witness to mass possession.

Also I can't say I didn't enjoy myself but I do think anyone looking for the basic parts of a story will find themselves disappointed.... Read more Read less

See it if I loved the idea of a house where time works differently. The intermingling of the generations was well done

Don't see it if If you don't like moving or want answers. We were split up, and my companion thought he got less of the story than I did upon reflection

Also The call to arms about water felt half baked next to what was essentially a ghost story... Read more Read less

See it if A Strange Loop ripped me open in a way I was unprepared for. A gorgeous, self aware exploration of creativity, otherness, and the self

Don't see it if You want to see something more story driven

Also I hope the people who most need a play like this have a way to see it. There was something uncomfortable about audience reactions to certain parts, though this of course cannot be held against the play. The laughter at certain parts felt almost cruel in the face of what we saw unfurl... Read more Read less

See it if You want great performances. You want to see something different. This is a meditation on life and grief

Don't see it if The story doesn't really entirely work. There are a couple contrivances and the tension doesn't stay strong throughout

See it if you're looking for a funny high school drama. It takes a pretty well worn idea of popularity but explores it through an interesting lens

Don't see it if The characters are all thinly drawn; some are even grating. I didn't find myself invested in the lead or his dilemma

See it if The set is wonderfully intimate and the lead is a charming, absorbing actor. It is easy to follow him even as he prepares his own downfall

Don't see it if Original Sound concerns musicians, and as such there's a lot of music involved. The story can feel familiar. It lacks real resolution

See it if You want to see a streamlined, more humorous version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The female lead pulls off something spectacular here.

Don't see it if You prefer more something a little less stripped. You get confused easily over character changes

See it if You want to consider gender implications in the bard's work. This score is for the female-Hamlet version, which was riveting.

Don't see it if You expect more than just strong performances. This is a bunch of actors and a stage

Also I saw the female-Hamlet, male-Ophelia version (as well as female Polonius and Rosencratz). There is room for Hamlet to be female, although some of the lines drop strangely (the fishmonger quip is a bit of a dud, but female Hamlet referring to "country matters" while teasing her paramour is a DELIGHT) Male-Ophelia is less of a fit, although it is interesting to see male-Ophelia play with female-Hamlet's affections.... Read more Read less

See it if Funny, with wonderful actresses and some interesting bonds. This play had a lot of potential

Don't see it if The many tones don't always overlap; the ending feels rushed and I'm left unsure why the mystery would implode like that

See it if You're interested in the idea, if you enjoy parodies and improv, you want to laugh

Don't see it if The premise doesn't always work, and sometimes seems like a work still in progress

See it if The first act is a marvel. Wonderful characters with some interesting relationships. Most of the central characters have well defined motive

Don't see it if The second act drags. The way some of the characters interact (or don't) removes suspense and the ability for guesswork for the solution

See it if Gorgeous singing and dancing. Wonderful performers. I was swept away by the artistry, acrobatics, and costuming.

Don't see it if Your reaction to the idea of a burlesque show with two intermissions will largely inform whether you'll like this or not.

See it if You enjoy seeing quirky characters interact. You want to be entertained. The characters are well introduced and the adult characters shine.

Don't see it if The deeper aspects are very lightly explored. The end seems to happen quickly and without much thought.

Also The lead's thinness, when juxtaposed with the character's self consciousness and the pointed comments from the rest of the characters, yanked me out of the show. Watching a small man pull at his shirt in attempts to pretend there's a gut and characters yell about his weight during tense scenes felt like the play wasn't self aware... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see Phantom of the Opera with some modern dancing and music in front of it. You can get a front seat.

Don't see it if The film proved more distracting than enhancing. There are a lot of bad seats in this house; you miss the dancing if you're not in front

Also This absolutely needed a stage of some sort; while some of the action happened on an elevated platform, a lot of it happened on the floor, obscuring what the performers were doing. It seems a shame to have missed their work.... Read more Read less

See it if You love Potter, if you want a peek at the students who don't have enormous destiny. Funny with just enough winks at the source material

Don't see it if It doesn't take itself very seriously and thus the story is kind of threadbare.

See it if The show attempts to look at soldiers and psychological games. It's interesting to see the pieces that do work.

Don't see it if Too short for its ambition, the scenes seem disjointed and to the end unearned. The threat on the outside is never sold properly

See it if This play is a gut punch. The debates and conversations are interesting enough but do nothing to prepare you for the final act.

Don't see it if The most powerful moments of this story all happen off screen, for better or for worse.

Also The set is gorgeous and serves for one of the most unsettling parts. The ending gives a powerful yet almost easy answer to the complicated questions it asks before. There was no way to address all Alexandria asked in the run time but god, it moved me.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see a powerful, thoughtful meditation on life and the bonds we make. The characters all have depth, flaws, and likability.

Don't see it if You do not want to grapple with themes of depression and suicide.

See it if Very hard to watch at times but the actors kept a steady grasp on entertaining and dark moments.

Don't see it if They're out to gross you out. If you dislike being touched by actors. If you like the fourth wall where it is.

Also The story is more of a series of somewhat connected glimpses into the life of the charismatic lead and his friends. Especially considering the subject matter, this worked for me.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy magic and storytelling. Something beautiful is pulled off here. Honestly suggest knowing as little about it as possible.

Don't see it if You prefer more action in your plays.

See it if The play is powerful. If you enjoy family dramas, that explosion in a closed space feel, this is perfect for you.

Don't see it if The first act falls limp, especially compared to the dynamite second act.

See it if Wonderful to look at in many ways. Often clever, sometimes thought provoking. You like historical fiction.

Don't see it if Occasional vulgarity or historical accuracy are things you want

See it if You like character driven pieces. The four actors knock this out, particularly Brian Tyree Henry.

Don't see it if You don't like talky pieces. Everything happens around the eponymous lobby.

Also It's kind of uncomfortable at times to see a play deal with race relations with the police that centers a relationship between two white people. Some of the more serious dealings with race/police were received with laughs from the audience, which may or may not be the script's fault.... Read more Read less

See it if You'd like to watch an exploration of the things we do to cope with trauma.

Don't see it if The subject matter is definitely played for laughs at times; you may want to be careful if this applies. Some stretches felt too long

See it if If you enjoy deconstructions of your childhood. The play's funny, and takes the characters to interesting futures.

Don't see it if There's a lot of interesting ideas here which I wish had a bit more of a serious look. The play's vulgar, so don't think this is for kids

See it if You like discussions about masculine expression, repression, and how they can lead to tragedy. A timely look on guilt. Can often be funny

Don't see it if the set is threadbare. The story gives you a lot to chew on, but lacks real resolution, which can be frustrating.

Also While the bug seems to be a feature, I was disappointed with the decision to disembody the daughter character. While this studied men, a girl that was the daughter of the apparent hero (and a possible victim of the apparent villain) seemed like a missed opportunity.... Read more Read less

See it if The staging was utterly gorgeous. The relationship between the two leads is well crafted.

Don't see it if The Stone Witch covers familiar territory in the idealistic new artist/disillusioned veteran artist territory.

See it if You want to learn in a fun way. You're interested in the minds of killers.

Don't see it if You're looking for story. This plays like a series of vignettes, allowing people who never interacted to do so before you.

See it if You enjoy BoJack Horseman, and all the darkness/satire that entails. You enjoy watching horrible people interact. You want to laugh

Don't see it if You want a moral. It's crass, and there's mentions of bestiality. Your reaction to the title will dictate whether or not you should see it

See it if You like experimental vision. You're interested in the history. This performance overlaps multiple things into the tennis match.

Don't see it if Some of the humor seems forced. The blending of past and present can be hard to keep track of.

See it if You have interest in the man or time, you want to be moved, you appreciate orators. It's beautifully put together.

Don't see it if You want a more nuanced take on Malcolm X. While the other players are well examined, the man in center is not so much

See it if You want to explore something heavy and dark, with moments of levity in between. The play keeps from being too overwhelming

Don't see it if You cannot handle the subject matter. This is very much about sexual predators and revenge. The plot twists are almost cruel

See it if You're feeling nostalgic. The music, the script lifted from the film, it's all about reliving the 90s

Don't see it if This is definitely for fans of Cruel Intentions or 90s music. The marriage between the two is clunky. You appreciate set design.

Also The actor who plays Sebastian sounds an awful lot like Ryan Phillippe, which really only added to the nostalgia value. I suggest enjoying the drinks with this and having a good time. Standing room has plenty of obstructions, so get there early if you're not getting a table.... Read more Read less

See it if You like comedy shows; this is more like an extended bit than a play. You enjoy engaging history in a crass and casual way.

Don't see it if You need a little more action in your plays. There is quite a bit of offense to be taken from this show, so also consider that.

See it if You enjoy wine and paint and showtunes. The instructor is personable, encouraging, and informative, the painting is doable for all levels.

Don't see it if You don't like the above? What you get is on the tin; if the name of the event doesn't make you want to go, then there's no need to convince

See it if Alison Fraser is a marvel and a wonderful storyteller. Your heart goes out to her.

Don't see it if You need action in your plays. It's just her, seated, telling you (her therapist) about her obsession. Note the subject matter.

See it if You like one powerhouse performance. Sophie Melville's on her own and she knocks it out. Powerful, funny, tense

Don't see it if You prefer to see interactions (and I did almost wish I could see Effie interact with the people she described). You're easily offended

See it if You like your Shakespeare with modernizations

Don't see it if You prefer your Bard as is

See it if You are down on the general state of Broadway or you want to celebrate Hamilton

Don't see it if you want a parody. Spamilton skewers Bway, but idolizes Lin Manuel and his show. You should not see this if you haven't seen Hamilton itself