See it if This new musical brings home a powerful and important issue in America today through great music, acting, and storytelling
Don't see it if The play evokes our emotions and moves us to help, but then just tells us off for doing nothing. Show us a way out and give us some hope!
See it if intense, fast-paced depiction of a family of black women; stages of a black woman's life as she struggles for happiness; stellar acting
Don't see it if you don't like family dramas, depictions of real life experiences; lots of shouting at the beginning, would have liked more joyful moments
See it if Lively, original (when written), camp musical with fun plot surprises if you haven’t seen the movie or play before. Solid cast (Glick esp)
Don't see it if Tickets overpriced due to name stars. Written years ago and not a word has changed. Refs to 60s TV, only black roles are chorus
Also It was a great little play in its day. If you’re going to revive it, w... Read more Read less
See it if this bright, non-stop show packs a punch; not your mom's juke-box musical (although she'd probably love it); best-of-Bway singing, staging
Don't see it if you find Morissette annoying or dated; don't want topicality in your musicals. Topics incl. overdose, rape, but not graphic (it's a musical)
See it if A bold and beautifully acted retelling of the classic bloody tale of betrayal and it’s terrible repercussions; not that graphic, but intense
Don't see it if You want something lighthearted. Don’t sit near the front, lights are v bright and video harder to see ; go for back orchestra or balcony
See it if you like David Byrne, enjoy concert-like theater, beautiful staging, great music
Don't see it if If you really don't like Byrne, of course. If you only want musical theater that tells a story
See it if You loved Network, very video-heavy productions, want to see what the hype’s about. Great dancing + singing + outstanding cast
Don't see it if You get carsick; constantly moving video behind the actors distracting and annoying. Sometimes additive, even genius, but v often too much
Also Look, this is a very strong production, if you can ignore the overuse ... Read more Read less
See it if powerfully portrayed true story of an act of violence between gay men; gorgeous staging; astonishing acting; beautifully realized
Don't see it if you're triggered by rape, although very well foreshadowed; can't do cigarette smoke or flashing lights (not strobe); hate subtitles (German)
Also The first ten minutes or so are tough after a long day looking at the ... Read more Read less
See it if The most natural dialog since Delillo’s White Noise; gorgeous piece of writing and acting exploring repressed ‘80s lesbianism seeking escape
Don't see it if You need high action and can’t sit back and steep in the play’s gorgeous writing and acting as two women try to understand their feelings
Also It’s good to know going in what the play is about. The elephant in the... Read more Read less
See it if you love great singing and dancing; serious talent on stage, want to laugh at a great bad guy and have your jaw drop when the leads belt out
Don't see it if you want a compelling story arc and appropriate tension or meaning. The end quickly becomes obvious and then depressing/pointless
Also Too much of the show is sung rather than acted, esp early on, so the a... Read more Read less
See it if you enjoy dark, joyless, apocalyptic settings and experiences. Tried hard to find meaning at any level and failed
Don't see it if you don't want to have to see a really good actor stuck in a cage in a distracting fur suit
Also Honestly I love this theater and there must be some reason they put on... Read more Read less
See it if Absolutely explosive mother-son dialog, heartfelt exploration of family dynamics, outstanding acting on all 4 counts
Don't see it if You don’t want to watch a very real family drama, with all its concomitant pain and sorrow
Also Let’s hope this play has another life after La MaMa
See it if You want to learn some NY history, lost someone to AIDS, can be a patient listener, want a moving stroll to the AIDS memorial at the end
Don't see it if You want a traditional storyline. Play is overlong here and there. They count out 9 novenas one by one; by 4, we were checking our watches
See it if You’d like to sit outside and watch young actors throw themselves into the messy wackiness of a Wellman play about a road to hell thru NYC
Don't see it if You want clarity or a traditional play. It’s not Hadestown (although there is some singing!)
See it if You’re interested in a work that explores women’s roles & portrayals in history (great Hemingway wives sketch) in funny unusual ways
Don't see it if Not really a play. Three sketches, the third of which was more a pep talk for women. Never comes full circle (though tries to)
Also I love anything that highlights women in history and anything that enc... Read more Read less
See it if the previews are over; on the 6th night of previews, play clearly unfinished, discordant, confusing. Fingers crossed for the next 2 weeks.
Don't see it if Play attempts to create a window into conservative Catholic thinking; characters believable; acting stellar; overall effect numbing/annoying
See it if you want to be truly touched by a story of children abandoned by their mother and caring for each other for a few hours, days? rings true
Don't see it if Some r saying don't see it if triggered by abandonment; but I disagree. I was on aisle & ready in case but its cathartic, beautiful, moving
See it if You’re obsessed with Meatloaf’s music and just want to hear some great voices belting it out. The cast is so talented, kind of wasted here
Don't see it if You want a plot, great staging, anything serious, or good choreography. We did have fun though! Get cheap tickets & go for the music
See it if You want to experience a young woman’s study of suicide and its aftermath, profoundly well-acted and beautifully thought through
Don't see it if You have lost someone to suicide, this will be too painful; have epilepsy (flashing lights). There are trigger warnings for good reasons
See it if the "cafe", created for the show, is lovely; the food is plentiful (picnic style); the actors lively and hardworking; we laughed a lot
Don't see it if the show itself offers nothing new to Midsummer fans despite talented 3rd Rail crew; no deeply immersive twists/turns like Then She Fell
Also Still in previews and staff taking notes, so there's still hope that 3... Read more Read less
See it if You’re interested in well-told memoirs, storytelling, thoughtful musical excursions into the past. A really beautiful, honest show
Don't see it if You dislike one-man shows, need a full cast and big Broadway show
See it if There is one crazy amazing idea at the heart of this show, and it works. It shocks, it surprises, and it teaches an important lesson
Don't see it if Unfortunately, the show goes too far, giving in to angry yelling and later, lecturing, where subtlety would have had more impact
See it if You like to see works in progress, thoughtful narratives. Much good here, talented actors/dancers
Don't see it if The play is based on a true story and the playwright has put his heart into it, but I needed to know exactly what happened & what came after
Also Several really lovely morsels here: a fabulous dance, a heartwarming h... Read more Read less
See it if Full-on Bway-style musical about a queer black character who's writing a musical while full of self-loathing, demeaned by religious parents
Don't see it if Show is raw, out there, sometimes so personal it's hard to watch; not for young kids. But powerful, groundbreaking stuff and the lead is A++
See it if As usual, Dave Malloy is exploring new territory in subject and in song. A funny, sad, thought-provoking musical about Internet obsessions
Don't see it if you're really triggered by addiction stories, I suppose. Malloy really makes you think about the amount of time we spend online these days
See it if you'd enjoy seeing this classic work set to music by an outstanding team and sung by some serious vocal talent; this show is full of heart.
Don't see it if you dislike plays about race or can't bear for anyone to touch the classic story, although this is truly a loving adaptation
Also Saw this is previews with a talk back from the outstanding creative te... Read more Read less
See it if you'll be blown right out of the audience by Murphy's performance, the lighting, the sound, the grief.. then reeled back in
Don't see it if you are triggered by death, lost someone recently (unless you want to sob uncontrollably); can't bear loud, repeated noises
See it if you want to be mesmerized by Adam Driver's performance. I didn't think I liked him especially; now a huge fan. Great writing, great cast
Don't see it if It's hard for the other actors to compete with Driver's outsize role; the play can feel unbalanced as a result (dull when he's not there)
See it if you love jazz, love New Orleans, want to learn more about the history of both
Don't see it if you want a fully developed musical; play is many small pieces stitched together
See it if you'd like a one-man comedy show with great props; if you travel a lot
Don't see it if You only like fully sketched out plays with complete story arch and a full cast. This is a very funny one-man show
See it if you love what small theater can do; powerful message and powerful humor combined; several great plot twists
Don't see it if you are already complete stressed out about climate change, I guess; there's a serious message here, despite the laughter
Also A really well done and surprising play. Had no idea what to expect and... Read more Read less
See it if you want to witness several truly great performances of well-written/believable dialogue; three leads all outstanding
Don't see it if you want life-changing; this is a moment in time, just before Obama's election. No lessons, moral or story arch; a bit pointless
See it if You’re ready to explore race, slavery, white privilege, & stereotypes; to be uncomfortable, to be angry; to be confused; to think.
Don't see it if You’re not ready to do the above. You want to just relax at the theater. Diggs suppresses his joyful musicality here, going to a dark place
See it if You’d like a very realistic slice of life with characters you’ll recognize. Many laugh-out-loud moments. Great dialogue.But no real ending.
Don't see it if The play steadily establishes its characters, building tension like Wolves & Miles for Mary, then fizzles out. Truly a lost opportunity
Also The characters are reversed from what they would have been in the ‘70s... Read more Read less
See it if you're willing to laugh/cry at yourself and others while wanting to scream/cry about the world we live in; this is true theater, a must see
Don't see it if you need linear, simple, uncontroversial theater; if you'd rather see Carol King, The Musical; you don't want to face today's race realities
Also Imagine if God (or a racist president) told Noah (or the fabulous Peac... Read more Read less
See it if There are some beautiful moments here, some great dialog, and the cast is really outstanding, plus Cumming sings; if that's enough, go.
Don't see it if First two acts, lots of laughs and outrageousness, moves nicely, but third scene tries too late to turn the ship, crashes badly
Also While sparks of genius fly throughout, the play badly needs a strong e... Read more Read less
See it if Three talented men sing the words to an old album of black men singing on chain gangs in the south; a brief narrative, lovely music, moving
Don't see it if you want a play or any expansion on the story behind the album or what it means today. They just sing the album. Could've been much more.
Also Show-score should not be mixing the reviews from the earlier, intimate... Read more Read less
See it if you enjoy beautiful singing and dance; this is a joyful, enchanting show, with great talent onstage & magical stagecraft
Don't see it if You don't like music-and-dance-focused pieces, prefer dramas/serious thought pieces, although there is a lot to think about here
See it if You love theater that challenges you. Show explores Japanese culture from a Japanese-American POV, hitting all the cultural highlights
Don't see it if You’re triggered by the title. No one commits suicide in the show. but suicide is referenced. Also if you only like trad stories/ messages.
Also Impossible to explain this show, and yet it sits in my brain like a be... Read more Read less
See it if You’d like to be carried away to London, Scotland, and over the ocean to Appalachia. This tiny show feels as big as the world
Don't see it if You need linear shows, don’t want to hear diverse opinions, or can’t handle a full range of powerful emotions onstage
Also The three actors take on their roles so fully it’s as if they’ve stepp... Read more Read less
See it if You have a cheap ticket: there are elements of a good play here - dance, folklore, a moral - but it’s like someone took scissors to it
Don't see it if You want coherence, a sensible plot line or ending; you don’t want to be hit over the head repeatedly with the play’s purported moral
Also The play teases with possibilities. The program asks for audience part... Read more Read less
See it if You’ve followed Van Halen over the years and would enjoy talented actresses acting out the highlights, with some recorded music & no singing
Don't see it if You haven’t followed the band’s antics. I would have preferred a mash-up of acting, videos, lip synching, to break up the story
See it if you love B'way, tap dancing, great singing. Worth going just for O'Hara's "I Hate Men" & her fights with Chase's character, priceless
Don't see it if Look, this show is really cheesy, it's dated, it's thematically challenged, and you won't learn much, that's just "Kiss Me, Kate"
Also Some bits were overlong and the show has not been successfully updated... Read more Read less
See it if you love the theater, the pure joy of seeing 2 great actors burning their way through a thoughtful and relevant script; you want 2b moved
Don't see it if your theater has to hit you in the face with lights, song, dance; this one is pure poetry
See it if you don't want to miss a stellar performance by Cranston, despite a loud, TV-screen-filled production with odd swings in tone
Don't see it if you don't want to watch a lot of TV; there are many screens and much of the time the actors play to the cameras, not the audience
Also The show is fun and loud, and Cranston gives it his all. But there are... Read more Read less
See it if You’re happy to hear some good songs in lovely voices and strong acting; not really a musical, unfortunately
Don't see it if You’re hoping for a powerful musical with show-stopping or original numbers; very much like a black Glee episode with a gay rights theme
Also Hate to be down on this. Some lovely moments, beautiful voices, but se... Read more Read less
See it if You want history laid out before you as if you’d stepped back to Calais and seen this human tragedy with your own eyes. Powerful, must see.
Don't see it if You have a bad back and can’t get a good seat. Some people sit on floor. Also if loud sudden noises trigger you.
Also This is theater for today—meaningful, diverse, eye-opening, profound. ... Read more Read less
See it if you're obsessed with the story of Reality Winner and need to see her arrest acted out minute by minute
Don't see it if you're hoping for any insights at all. The (excellent) actors literally just walk through the arrest transcript, censorship included.
Also So much could be done with the story of Reality Winner, from the reaso... Read more Read less
See it if you have any interest in women's rights, our government, the constitution. But this is not a play, more a presentation of events and ideas
Don't see it if you want a light, upbeat show; you don't want to learn; you hate women (I guess) :)
Also Lots of triggers here around sexual assault. If that's you, come anywa... Read more Read less
See it if It seems the Times and I saw very different plays. I found the first part a bit silly, while the rest pulled me in completely
Don't see it if you need perfection; the tone in the first act needs work, as we take the women seriously one minute and not the next. Still, enchanting.