Big Blue Fan

See it if you want to see a good Jew tell both good and bad jokes and stories.

Don't see it if you don't like one man shows or Jews.

Also This guy was damn funny at times. Moments are a bit slow , but he had a nearly full house laughing for most of his 80 minutes on stage.... Read more Read less

See it if tonight. It is the last performance

Don't see it if You dislike seeing dysfunctional people portrayed in a small theater space

See it if You were a fan of the Talking Heads back in the day, and want to see Byrne with a cast of superb musicians and singers

Don't see it if You want to see a play or a musical...this is a concert in a beautifully restored 1903 theater

See it if You can handle a night of real theater dealing with the serious subject of PTSD

Don't see it if You prefer musicals or can't sit for over 100+ minutes without an intermission in somewhat uncomfortable seats

Also Well directed by Sean Derry, and a fine effort by the two accomplished male actors. While the subject has been covered before, and there are no surprising wrinkles, it provides a night of fine theater for those who may be interested in this type of show.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see something very different.

Don't see it if you want to see real mainstream theater.

Also Promo didn't accurately describe this rather bizarre piece of theater. It was hard to comprehend the playwright's meaning, nor do I see a correlatin to A Clockwork Orange. Yet I still liked it, but I did have a beer and a few bottles of sake prior to the show.... Read more Read less

See it if if you like Dateline type murder stories

Don't see it if you have no interest in a murder phobic young woman in an apartment on the LES in 2011, who actually lives above a woman who gets killed

Also It was interesting to me when this true story comes together at the end, as I grew up down the block from Kitty Genovese. Google it if you are too young to know about her. However, as theater this is not very good. I do understand how life altering this would be on a person's soul, and for that I am truly sorry for the young woman that bares her soul in the final act of this play.... Read more Read less

See it if like slow paced stories less than 90 minutes.This crime drama,with simple sets, looks at police detectives , and the good in criminals

Don't see it if you can't use some imagination and forgive flaws in the story ,which I think are done on purpose by Kessler

Also This is a fairy tale showing the good and bad things in all people, be it whether they themselves are good or bad. Cast was really good.Detectives were portrayed in a negative light, out for their own selfish needs. The two criminals showed humanity and kindness.The central figure goes to prison for a crime he didn't commit to help catch the real killer. The play is good if you just accept it for what it is .... Read more Read less

See it if you have any interest in the conflict between Israel and Palestine

Don't see it if you are looking for serious theater or a comfortable venue to see a show in. The writing has potential but it needs work, even as a farce.

See it if a spoof on what "art" is , mixed in with a bit of a love story , would possibly entertain you

Don't see it if if you dislike long , slow, drawn out plays. Seating was uncomfortable and first act was too long

Also Cast of 16 , playing 28 parts, gave it their all. Play needs to be tweaked a bit, but good effort for the first time playwright.... Read more Read less

See it if you like or dislike evangelism , and want to see a comical look at it through the eyes of God, and performed by 3 skilled actors

Don't see it if you are either deeply religious , or don't believe in God or religion.

See it if you can take a one-two punch of powerful theater. First was a twisted tale involving cloned children, second a piece on a woman's suicide

Don't see it if you are looking for light entertainment. Churchill plays is brilliant on many levels, while Norman's is so real, but maybe a tad too long.

Also Great pairing of plays. Both with interesting parent and child relationships ; A Number involves a father whose wife commited suicide, and his son gets cloned, while in 'Night Mother a mom talks with her unhappy daughter. Same simple set for both stories . The two men in A Number ,very much like an episode from The Twilight Zone with Rod Serling,were very good, and the ladies in Night Mother were both superb. Wish I knew of this Pulitzer Prize-winning play before having to experience it first hand.... Read more Read less

See it if you like short vignettes back to back to back for about 90 minutes by a talented writer, who also directed the last story

Don't see it if you need elaborate staging or comfortable seating

Also First story- one man discussing Hitler and other cheerful thoughts. Inter-racial date in second act was cleverly written. The last was a one woman solo, telling a tale of a boy she dated in high school who was later killed in the Las Vegas massacre that recently occured. She questioned what his fate would have been if she went to Japan with him instead of not meeting him at the airport the day of the trip.... Read more Read less

See it if you need a refresher course on women's lib movement

Don't see it if you are sick of #metoo crap and miss the good old days and Leave It To Beaver. Meanwhile SNL has a singer with slutty open blouse !

Also Just read her book. Actors were talented but this was mostly torture to sit through on uncomfortable bench seating with pillows stapled on as back rests...was tempted to rip off the pillow and sit on it. Show had a Part 2 talk session but I had no interest in that so I left... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see some serious talent up close in a small but comfortable venue on the Lower East Side

Don't see it if you won't like a musical intertwined with ballet , about ghosts and an older married woman who has an affair with a younger married guy

Also Beautiful voice for lead actress, and beautiful dance throughout by the lady in red. You don't see a much better performance off broadway than this.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a work inspired by the comedy of Mel Brooks, Neil Simon and Carl Reiner.

Don't see it if you don't have heart beats and breaths to waste. This was utterly unacceptable to be seen on the island of Manhattan.

Also The show director and writer should stick to his accounting practice in New Jersey. My dad was stationed at Fort Dix during World War 2 and he is rolling over in his grave from this musical. I gave it 3 points...one for each of the comic geniuses who inspired Mr. Milstein !... Read more Read less

See it if you open minded to one man's dual view of racial bigotry told with humor and a few sad tales of profiling

Don't see it if you are close minded and have no interest in feeling the pain of another human being due to prejudice

Also Wanted to see this show as I had a friend growing up who had a white father and a Haitian dark skinned mother. At a certain age his social life became quite complicated as a result of young women not knowing what to think of him, this being in the mid 1970's. His life was not that easy, but he became a medical doctor and overcame much bigotry and preconceived notions of what he could or could not do with his life. I liked this show, and the performer was quite good, but I don't think we are anywhere close to having a society without dislike for the unfamiliar. The union of a man and a woman from a different ethnicity is a beautiful thing, but unfortunately in this world their offspring may encounter difficulties as told in this show.... Read more Read less

See it if you are old enough to have seen Freddie Prinze, a cutting edge comedian , who died way too young

Don't see it if you never saw him perform at clubs or on television, or if you don't want to watch the sad demise of a shooting star

Also The solo show was quite masterful as I felt that Mr. Prinze was in the room. The routine on Johnny Carson was spot on ; just the way I remember it when I watched it as a teenager.... Read more Read less

See it if to see a great revival of a minor work of Tennessee Williams. Cast were all superb and I am not sure why the reviews are not more positive

Don't see it if you cant sit through 100+ minutes of dialogue with southern accents and no intermission.

See it if you aren't prudish and would like to see a 90 minute play that is a mash up of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf" & "Key Largo" on steroids

Don't see it if simulated sex, cursing, violence and infidelity make you uncomfortable, and you only like white-bread. characters and white picket fences

Also The show is so well cast. Great writing and direction make this a fun evening out.... Read more Read less

See it if you are either familiar or not familiar with the work of Gurney. Two short plays in act 1 and one after intermission.

Don't see it if Second play thought provoking but could do without. First very good. Third a masterpiece. Laughed a few tears ! Go see this Gurney tribute

See it if you would like a historical play based on real event involving the IRA in 1979. The play shows how a militant changed after 30 years

Don't see it if you have trouble understanding actors with Irish accents, and you like fast moving shows. First act was longer but well written & performed

Also Second act needs work as it gets a bit silly in the middle. However the ending overcomes the flaws and makes this a worthwhile show to see.... Read more Read less

See it if you like a good farce performed by a super talented cast. I wanted to leave after 15 minutes but it got better with time

Don't see it if silly sketches like those on SNL do not appeal to you. You won't like this if you can't appreciate the effort of the cast

Also Why no photo of a little Ron Howard...or did I miss it ? Why no mention in the Playbill or online of the actress who sings about her miserable step-child ? She was really good !... Read more Read less

See it if a tale about a conflicted young man and an older woman meeting 25 years after their initial meeting intrigues you

Don't see it if you don't like soap operas or you are not sympathetic to euthanasia

See it if a one woman show about a troubled teenage Irish girl living with her mom in Manchester in the 90's is something of interest to you

Don't see it if you are looking for something light and fluffy. Show ran 55 minutes and needed all your attention to get the crux of the matter

See it if you might like a show about a possible work place romance , and the consequences that come from the suspicion of the office workers .

Don't see it if you don't like small Lower East side performance spaces with uncomfortable seating.

Also The actors were all very good, and the play was staged quite well.

See it if You want to see a great entertainer accompanied by a highly skilled pianist, doing Bowie

Don't see it if You can't sit on the most uncomfortable seating at any important venue in NYC for 2+ hours.

Also Sven is a super freak not be be missed . He will be great in the upcoming Rocky Horror Picture Show for sure. Hope they bring it to America.... Read more Read less

See it if You like a short play , which makes it's point using minimal staging. This dark comedy is performed beautifully by the cast of 7

Don't see it if you don't like a farce on the U.S. government , domestic terrorism, or abrupt endings

See it if You like a farce about a serious subject that is very well acted by the three performers

Don't see it if you are a friend of Gwyn

See it if You want to waste a couple of hours. Has a few chuckles but this show needs a lot of cleaning up. Actors do what they can with the material.

Don't see it if You are looking for a good set, good plot, and an ending that makes sense. Divorce is not much fun...Exes wasn't either .

See it if you like plays with a good message, with a simple set , at a nice off-Broadway venue

Don't see it if you are not a fan of the Archie Bunker type characters, or not interested in homosexual character driven plays.

See it if you like small intimate theater that is very well acted. The music is haunting but the shadow dancing was not understood by me

Don't see it if you like fast paced musicals, and are not willing to listen to a slow, but well told story about not being boxed in by one's memories

See it if you are a fan of real theater with deep insightful dialogue and banter.Sheer brilliance loosely based on Chekov's Uncle Vanya

Don't see it if you are looking for light subject matter and can't focus for 2 hours , and not willing to venture down to Alphabet City

Also Cast was awesome, writing is just the way I see the world...it was scary to be sitting in the audience but I felt like I was watching myself on stage. Wheelhouse is a great company. Wanda June was brought back and I think this will run way longer than it is scheduled for too. Go see it !... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a somewhat comical view of dying from the perspective of two different culures, and involving a disfunctional family

Don't see it if you don't bring a padded seat cushion. The seating at La Mama Downstairs is horrific. Good actors but first act is really slow

See it if you want a brief history of what made Orson Welles great, and how his later career ended before his sudden death

Don't see it if you are not familiar with Mr. Welles and are too young to get the references to performers and celebrities of the 70's and 80's

Also Mr. Demas excellent as Orson Welles, and a fine job by Mr. Pilkington and Mr. Mundy. Worth the trek to 4th street , and great gnocchi down the block from the restaurant owned by Luzzo's.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to be surprised. This play was wickedly good. Entire cast was multi-talented and the production was tight with no glaring miscues

Don't see it if a biographical drama about a female abortionist in 19th century NYC would not interest you, but you would be missing a worthwhile night out.

See it if you don't understand family disfunction and never saw someone go through cancer therapy

Don't see it if you expect to see a good play worthy of your time

See it if you like historical plays and can handle an accurate portrayal of slavery in America

Don't see it if you would not like an implausible tale, set in 1863, during the Civil War, and that was filled with violence and portrayed bigotry and hate

Also Five actors did the best with what was written. The story kept evolving, and adding new details , however, like some cakes, it had too many layers and was overdone.... Read more Read less

See it if a different way of presenting Shakespeare would be of interest to you

Don't see it if if you like big productions in a comfortable venue.

Also Actors were all very good, especially T. Colton as Macbeth.

See it if you would like 5 short plays performed by a cast of ten talented actors , each with a varying theme of betrayal by one's mind.

Don't see it if you will be influenced by the very low scores given on this forum. It is also not a "100" as it was awarded for Friday's performance.

Also The Trainer and Gun were the longest and well acted. Mr. Freeman was very good in both skits. This is not conventional theater but it was much better than I expected after I saw the reviews on Show-Score. If you want to really know what bad theater is , go see Fort Dicks, like I did last week. Betrayed By The Mind looks like a Tony winner compared to that garbage.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to be reminded how little the world has changed since this was penned by the great Irish playwright so many years ago

Don't see it if you are unable to concentrate and sit for 2.5 hours of intense theater depicting a hostage situation involving 3 men from different nations

Also So glad I went to see this opening night, which went off pretty smoothly to this novice reviewer. Good house too considering the blizzard and chaos around NYC tonight... Read more Read less

See it if for one of the playwright's later, lesser seen works, about a cast of misfits who bare their souls in a small dingy California bar

Don't see it if you don't like the same old cocktail of misery ,loneliness, yearning and sadness , mixed with alcohol

Also If you love T. Williams this is must see. Cast is great. Intimate small venue out of a long lost era. A night out to escape your own troubles in these crazy modern times. Go see it.... Read more Read less

See it if a semi-biographic drama about the Nazi turned US citizen Werner von Braun would be of interest to you

Don't see it if History and two hours of tedious theater is not what you are in the mood for

Also The story is a bit slow and dragged out, but I liked it as the actors were really talented. It was really interesting to see what a complex life this man lived, and how he served the needs of two countries, and for such different purposes. He did whatever it took to accomplish his goal of attaining inter-planetary travel.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to be treated to a night of really good theater in a small venue , unfortunately with, uncomfortable seating

Don't see it if You are sensitive to the playwright portraying a character who may or may not, have Asperger's Syndrome.

Also Larry Phillips is masterful as Troy , and is a fine playwright. The entire cast was really good. I'd like to know how he came up with the character of the dentist, and how he knew so much about the the way insurance policies work.... Read more Read less

See it if you like a show revolving around the age old dilemma of finding a mate before it's too late, after a long term relationship ends

Don't see it if you don't want to see a small talented cast treat you to a cute musical in a small cozy venue

Also Man....those seats are uncomfortable and it's not because I'm old and I have a bony ass. My daughter complained too about her back. But we liked the show anyway !... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see an early work of JP Shanley . Both the female and male characters were well cast, and the 65 minutes was action packed.

Don't see it if a highly unlikely tale of two angry lost souls who meet in a Bronx bar one night would not be of interest to you.

See it if you can sit for 90 minutes for a well told tale, set in ancient China, about a man who goes against his principles, and it's consequences

Don't see it if a light fluffy show, or musical is what you are in the mood for. The theme is not new, but the story is told so well, that it should be seen

See it if you are open to a historical show about Korean women enslaved by Japanese soldiers for sexual purposes during WW2, while being set to music

Don't see it if you are so critical that you demand Broadway Tony winning actors to entertain you. The cast is young and did a really fine job.

Also Disregard the 2 hyper-critical Critic reviews as they may know more about theater than I do, but this show was really good. It could somehow try to squeeze in a short intermission , or cut a scene or two to get the running time down to less than 90 minutes.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to learn things and be entertained at the same time. Baba had me on the Brink of sheer happiness. Great show for people of all ages

Don't see it if A little bit of cursing will offend you. Otherwise go and see why The NY Times endorses this great one man show

See it if you are a fan of the playwright, or are interested in the women's movement

Don't see it if 3 disjointed vignettes about the suffering of woman is not what you want to think about in your leisure time

See it if you are curious about the complex Tennessee Williams- William Inge relationship

Don't see it if you are uncomfortable with homosexuality and foul language .

Also Ignore the NY Times and theater snobs. This play was really good. Mr Villa was superb ; Mr. Isaac did a fine job as well. Set was beautiful, and for two hours I felt like I escaped back in time to intimately observe two troubled ,complex men , who would become recognized as great American playwrights.... Read more Read less