Bear K

See it if you love plays about theater, biographical stories with meat, wit, Hamlet, star turns, or debates about the roles of the sexes

Don't see it if you prefer substantive supporting characters, modest protagonists, shorter women, or mindless entertainment

Also Janet McTeer's wonderful performance unfortunately does not cause the actors playing her son, her lover, her lover's wife, or the critic to rise to the occasion. They are all too melodramatic, caricatures of the parts. The four people playing Sarah's fellow actors in her production of Hamlet provide way more nuance and natural action. The humor is exceptional, but one must pay close attention because sometimes the language blows through at hurricane force. As a writer, I am in awe of the poetry of the dialogue. It was difficult sometimes to distinguish whether the lines were Shakespeare's or the playwright's.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy schadenfreude humor, energetic acting/singing/dancing, inventive premises, or intimate theater experiences

Don't see it if you don't want to see the actors sweat and spritz, to hear clever lyrics set to pedestrian rock music, or to have the fourth wall broken

Also I can't imagine this being successful without the two creators taking the lead roles. It feels like two guys decided to put on a show and have fun. I am overwhelmed by the talent shown by the supporting cast/musicians.... Read more Read less

See it if you are LGBTQ identifying or know someone who is, love to support emerging writers, love eye candy

Don't see it if you have no interest in the gay subculture, intimate theaters, sex and drug jokes

Also People always say my novels require reading through the first three chapters to get into them and then the pay-off is big. Same here. I was underwhelmed at the beginning faced with a boring lead whose only emotional response to the end of a relationship is to be sulky. The scene in the diner almost wanted me to give up and leave, but that's impossible to do in that theater space without being hugely disruptive. After that, however, the writing became sparkling and sharp-edged, the lead settled into being the calm foil for the three whack-jobs closest to him who try to help him adjust to being single, and finally all four actors were comfortable and real. The last third is hysterical. I am downright jealous of a lot of the comedic lines and hope they don't unconsciously slip into my work. And I wonder if Dennis Corsi's directing style always involves putting the actors sprawled on the floor. It works.... Read more Read less

See it if you like a book written in verse, stock characters, over-the-top western/southern accents, cartoonish sets, and very tall men

Don't see it if you like songs sung on key, an absorbing plot, controlled acting, get vertigo from stadium-type seating, or need handrails down stairs

Also I left at the end of the first act. I was seriously dizzy sitting in Row K looking down what seemed like two stories to the stage. I felt dizzier closing my eyes, not to mention feeling left out I couldn't see the sexy albeit wooden sheriff. There's a reason I can no longer sit in a mezzanine or balcony. Management should make the sharply pitched seating in that theater clear before someone buys a ticket.
Aside from that, the rhymed lines seemed more contrived than original and the songs and the way they were performed did not encourage me to applaud. Worse were the one-note, stereotype characters, accents that were laid on thick for no reason, and a plot that might take four sentences to describe. You can't blame the Bard or my vertigo for this mess.... Read more Read less

See it if You love everything Harry Potter, West End transfers, illusions, and plays about parenting and coming of age or were shunned as a child.

Don't see it if You have never engaged with the Harry Potter phenomenon, get annoyed by unneeded theatrics, or have trouble understanding British accents.

Also I agree with those who say far too much talent and money has been wasted to make this. It's a great story that could be told in two hours on film. As a playwright, I admire the depth of the themes and the language and acting skill used to convey such intense emotions regarding universal, relevant issues. It is by far the best Harry Potter installment yet in terms of literary achievement (which is probably a slam on J.K. Rowling, since Jack Thorne wrote the play). But the movement, music, and illusions are unnecessary flourishes to telling the story and call attention to themselves in a way that detracts from trying to engage with such a compelling tale. Unfortunately, most attendees seemed to be so caught up in the theatrics they gave no thought to the profound issues addressed or the skill involved in writing that dialogue.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see funny plays about serious subjects, want to see the greatest play of the last century or don't mind ugly scenic design.

Don't see it if you don't like gay themes, shouting, dated material, or Nathan Lane

Also As a playwright, this was a must-see for me. The writing is a masterpiece, and that's the reason for the high score. The tricks and illusions and the revolving sets take away from the drama. The doubling/tripling of characters is distracting. I found myself trying to figure out which roles each actor was playing when it wasn't obvious because it was obvious when the leads doubled up. The music is clunky. There isn't enough use of bright colours for effect to warrant having everything so dreary.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy myths, imaginative staging, intimate musicals, breakout performances.

Don't see it if you want happy endings, have trouble with accents, or don't understand racism.

See it if you like family drama as the backdrop for musical numbers.

Don't see it if you want to be entertained by dance numbers, beautiful sets and costumes, or plots based on someone doing something really stupid.

Also I strongly dislike plots in which the protagonist does something really stupid like lying to grieving parents and we have to wait throughout the play for the character to finally tell the truth and be absolved for his transgression. I can't sympathize with the lead and can't fully embrace the show. As a writer, I stay far away from this kind of plot device, which is overused.... Read more Read less

See it if you love Glenn Close, historical plays, intimate theaters, and inventive sets

Don't see it if you don't want uneven acting from the cast, a foregone conclusion, or American vernacular used by a 15th century, rural, French family

Also The play does a good job of exploring the particulars of the Joan of Arc story. While Joan's lines sound like "The Waltons" playing characters in "Game of Thrones", the others sounded more convincing as plain people with average intelligence and some knowledge of the world. When she told her mother she was the Maid, it would have been better for her to say she was La Pucelle to better link her to the prophecy. The Lady of the Court could have been played better. That would have given the contrast with Isabelle the substance it deserves. And what's with turning Arc into a surname?... Read more Read less

See it if you like predictable plots, indulgent set and costume design, fairy tales, or little escapes from the real world

Don't see it if can't stand to see another "girl is transformed" story or hear more old-fashioned Broadway music or watch a vacuous, unchallenging story

Also As a playwright and librettist, I would love to have productions like this (and "Frozen" and "Aladdin" and similar) all housed in some family-friendly entertainment complex specially designed for them and leave Broadway theaters available to sink or swim on productions that are meant to provide more meaningful, thought-provoking experiences. These fluff pieces with elaborate staging prevent serious theater that costs a lot less from being produced.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy pop music, fun plots, inventive dancing, anachronism, well-done verse dialogue, rampantly diverse characters and dancing sheep

Don't see it if you dislike jukebox musicals no matter how well constructed, LGBTQ themes, or having a fun time in great seats

Also This was just fun wrapped around a very in-the-moment message about acceptance. As someone working on a jukebox musical, I am thrilled to see a fantastic example of the genre. The songs stand up as buoyant, emotional flights of verse. The comedic acting was overall first rate and the verse dialogue really works here. It's rare I find choreography original anymore, but they have succeeded. Having an all-female rock band is gratifying given the origins of the material. And the Hudson Theater has the widest, most comfortable seats of pretty much any place in town sitting within a beautiful restoration.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to support more straight plays on B'way (pun intended), enjoy fine acting, want a laugh, or have never met a non-binary person

Don't see it if you want an ending that makes sense, can't endure a lot of redundant yelling, or need to understand every bit of staging

Also Spoiler alert: I will be describing much of the second half of the play. There is no big surprise or anything, other than that it does no seem to arise organically from the first half.
As a playwright who is just starting to be produced, I have a particular eye out for flaws in plays that make it to venues where the writer actually gets royalties. I was grinding my teeth that Matt (I think that's the character's name) makes no effort to explain himself when his brothers and father are arguing about what he is doing with his life. It makes no sense at all given that he isn't ashamed of it. He is allowing them to go over their arguments at least four times each, which gets boring, and cut him out of their lives. It would have been much more realistic for him to have finally explained more fully what he wants now in his life in order to keep the family peace.... Read more Read less

See it if you love plays with strong women, Laurie Metcalf, Edward Albee, or depth and wit or want to see a masterpiece of theater.

Don't see it if you will be offended by the use of words not used in polite company, don't like Laurie Metcalf, or think all plays must have a plot

See it if you want to leave the theater thinking, admire plays with older actors, or enjoy the words as much as the staging and performances.

Don't see it if you have trouble with accents, want a happy ending, or don't enjoy plays about mature characters.

See it if you enjoy musicals about relationships and magical moments.

Don't see it if you demand clear endings or traditional story arcs.

Also The stories are interwoven beautifully. The humour is fresh and natural. The emotions are genuine. The play is very Chekhovian. A lot happens in one night that will live with the characters forever, but nothing is resolved. I find plays like this far more profound and engaging than ones that have an MFA-approved plot structure.... Read more Read less

See it if Like pop music

Don't see it if You don't like pop music