Bruce 6

See it if entertainingly quirky tale of murderous plant; hear Menken's fine music, Ashman's witty lyrics; Christian Borle masterful in various roles

Don't see it if fatuous plot; 2 much Borsht Belt humor; some music dated; cast not uniformly strong; tho dark, this is no "Sweeney Todd"

See it if creative set/choreo/music; commanding Kathryn Hunter/Timon; resonant allusions 2 today's income inequality; Shake's incomparable writing

Don't see it if little depth or subtlety; after high-spirited farce turns into unconvincing tragedy; secondary characters don't register

Also Tho there is sometimes an issue in having women actors play male roles, this was done successfully in Timon where several male roles including Timon's were inhabited by women. Hunter physically embodies Timon. Though small in stature, her low mesmerizing voice & mastery of dynamic movement makes her the magnetic center of attention.... Read more Read less

See it if intriguing mash up of "Lord of the Flies" & the Scottish play shows how violence once unleashed can consume everything; shattering ending

Don't see it if energetic not great version of play; transition from childhood games to murderous actions much too abrupt

See it if shows dehumanizing racism vs black WWII soldiers; thru their work songs/choreo links racism 2 slavery; strong cast individuates each soldier

Don't see it if stodgy compared 2 today's imaginative race-based plays; flow of scenes formulaic; stereotypes abound but see below

Also Many of the characters in the play are stereotypes including the racially dismissive commander of the base, the viscerally racist white soldiers on the base and the exemplary Sidney Poitier-like black lawyer tasked w solving the murder. The portrayal of the sergeant who is murdered however is not routine. He is a self-made man who cannot abide weakness in his black subordinates, severely punishing black soldiers whose behavior he perceives reinforces white stereotypes about blacks (e.g., they are lazy, child-like). This graphically underlines how racism vs blacks can have the insidious effect of making certain blacks hate their own race.... Read more Read less

See it if creative staging; well-sung songs esp by J Jones/Roxanne; Drinklage's engaging; villain/De Guiche made 3 dimensional

Don't see it if songs pleasant not memorable, dumbed down 4 Drinklage who's not a singer; I've seen funnier versions; ending is maudlin/not moving

Also Spoiler/Not on the nose: In lieu of having Drinklage bear a big proboscis to mark his singularity & reason for self-doubt, the production just allows his dwarf stature 2 serve the same function. And it works!

There are 2 details to note on the staging:

1. In the cafe scene in the 1st act u see food grains streaming thru the hands of the kitchen workers. In the 2nd act, u see seeds streaming thru the hands of the nuns working in the garden. I think these gestures suggest the timeless nature of these basics of life, preparing food & planting crops, in contrast to the evanescent dramas of life presented on stage.

2. Many of the actors either move in slow motion or pause periodically while moving. My speculation is that this choreography is designed 2 give the scenes an old timey, cinematic quality, suggesting that the production we are seeing is an artifice, a type of fable, in contrast to the immutable basics of life described earlier.... Read more Read less

See it if urgent cry for help; graphically shows misery under AIDs threat/homophobia but shot thru w humor; talented cast

Don't see it if play hits you over the head w message, employs perplexing absurdism where straight drama would be more effective

See it if you love Morrissette's/M's super-emo songs sung affectingly; song "You Oughta Know" in 2nd act stops the show; @ times quite funny

Don't see it if u r not a fan of M's music/I'm not; lyrics unintelligible; scattershot "lifetime movie" plot; message-"nobody's perfect" is a big duh!

See it if heartbreaking; richness of novel w multiple story lines showing residents' misery & moments of grace; includes scabrously hilarious putdowns

Don't see it if overlong, unfocused w far 2 many characters & plot lines; still this is breathtaking achievement making us c humanity of the marginalized

Also The production set in a halfway house/HH on the Upper West Side/UWS has a large cast of characters, including adults who are beleaguered by a full range of problems (poverty, drug addiction, PTSD, domestic abuse, criminal behavior, etc.), their victimized children & the overmatched HH staff. Guirgis/G, w the keen eye of a sociologist, shows the HH residents and staff as a distinct subculture both crushed by their problems but also striving 2 be relevant. Part of the cast is a weed-eating goat (!) who has become a celebrity & who G cleverly uses 2 make important pts in the play. Spoiler alert: The goat is slaughtered by one of the residents, serving as the proverbial scape goat for the sins of the HH residents. When the slaughter of the celebrity goat becomes the reason that the HH is closed down by the disapproving UWS community, it becomes clear that the HH denizens have symbolically become scapegoats for the community-at-large.... Read more Read less

See it if full Broadway spectacle, big cast, set & costumes flood your senses; fun 1st act send-up of love songs; Karen Olivo outstanding lead

Don't see it if little nuance or wit; no original music/all juke box love tunes; 2nd act is cliche-ridden & melodramatic; the opposite of Sondheim

See it if shows religious conservatives as deep/thoughtful; clearly explains their anti-LGBT/abortion stance; key insight: sex looms behind doctrine

Don't see it if every character is hyperbolic particularly the Christian warrior/Ann Coulter stand-in & the confused wreck; lacks satiric edge

Also Periodically interrupting the voices of the 4 graduates is a deafening, cacophonous "Tower of Babel"-like sound; this is initially blamed on a malfunctioning generator. But you may intuit it's likely something else: the theatricalized "voice of God," letting us know what the deity thinks about this welter of harsh Christian voices.... Read more Read less

See it if uses material from extraord Anna D Smith interviews about Crown Heights race riots capturing radical diffs in black/Jewish perspectives

Don't see it if padded, do not need to hear from so many strident black/Jewish leaders saying the same thing; relentlessly serious, would benefit from humor

Also Before launching into an intensive examination of Crown Heights (CH), playwright Smith has the actor communicate materials from several interviews that are more abstract. One is w a professor of astrophysics from Columbia who explains why building a bigger telescope, that can incorporate a broader range of objects, minimizes distortion of the objects. Smith appears to be saying that is the approach she has taken in the play. Rather than focusing narrowly on one set of participants in the CH dispute or only focusing on one aspect of the dispute, she interviews participants from all walks of life w differing priorities. In effect, what Smith is doing in the play is building a capacious vehicle for examining the CH incident & the Crown Hts community in an effort to avoid providing a distorted view of all the forces at play. Pretty heavy stuff.... Read more Read less

See it if sexy propulsive dancing by 7 sensational dancers; tells vivid individual stories of black women caged by patriarchal society

Don't see it if stories told via DENSE poetry; individual stories not well integrated; black feminism moved past this show’s focus on black male oppression

See it if harrowing feminist tale; in set as stark as the moon, tells hellish tale of Syrian female refugee w/ dreams crushed by tribal purity rules

Don't see it if awkward flashbacks; inconsistent feminist pt of view: protagonist oscillates from compliant 2 outraged; SPOILER: violent end 2 abrupt

Also Multiple possible meanings for "power strip": (1) the electrical conduit used by the refugee to plug in her heater & phone; (2) the fact that the woman has been stripped of her power by the patriarchal society in Syria & as a refugee in a refugee camp in Greece; and (3) the woman's genitalia/she refers to her vagina as the strip between her legs & wonders why men imbue it w such power/significance.... Read more Read less

See it if shows what a jungle high school is; joyous dancing; creative sets; clever connect'n human/animals seeking dominance

Don't see it if none of songs, lyrics, performances are memorable; jokey, not hilarious; conclusion "don't be so mean" to each other is weak

See it if brilliantly shows how Sally becomes inspiration 4 two powerless women, inching towards a new understanding of their relationship

Don't see it if many dramaturgical problems including irrelevant characters & illogical plot lines blunt the play

Also Play set on roof of bldg in St. Louis centers on meeting of 2 long-time friends 2 hear news on radio about the impending launch of Sally Ride as 1st American woman in space (broadcast is used brilliantly as ambient voice of outside society). Friends were aspiring poets who now work as waitresses & are trapped in unsatisfying relationships w men. In short, they’re powerless in a man's world. Ride has become a touchstone 4 these women as one who is both able to succeed in a man's world and is able to thrive w/o being dependent on a man. As time goes by, the 2 women, under the influence of Ride, start to understand that their friendship may be something more akin to Ride's loving lesbian relationship. Tho this play has ingredients 2 be a powerful feminist statement, the experience is unfortunately hindered by pointless characters and subplots.... Read more Read less

See it if truncated script/small cast/no frills set drives plot relentlessly forward; Corey Stoll strong as Mac descending into madness

Don't see it if should be other-worldly & macabre, but isn't; focused on Macbeth, Lady Mac, an operatic character, barely registers

Also What Doyle appears to be doing in this production is trying to turn Macbeth into a universal tale about the dangers of political ambition & power. But he does this at the expense of effacing or underplaying elements that make Macbeth uniquely macabre including the 3 weird sisters/witches & the kinky gender & power inversion of Mac & Lady Mac ("unsex me").... Read more Read less

See it if fun vibe; gets audience raucously involved; very clever ability to build on comedic references thru-out evening

Don't see it if fluff; rhyming & concepts rarely brilliant; has soft core of inoffensive sentimentality; would work better in more intimate setting

Also Props to Lin-Manuel Miranda & other producers of the show. We came to performance by winning the show's lottery. Rather than placing us in seats that couldn't be sold, we were seated in the best seats then available, close up in the center orchestra. Now that's the way to run a lottery!... Read more Read less

See it if agonizing story of celebrated fencer H Mayer's attempt 2 transcend Jewish issue as pure "sportswoman;" poetic script, athletic choreography

Don't see it if consists largely of series of monologues; contrived in pairing Mayer w far less important Jewish athlete who faces her Jewishness head-on

Also The playwright presents a nuanced portrait of Mayer in "Games." The play shows how Mayer, driven by her single-minded desire to win, tries to avoid dealing with the larger stakes involved in her participation as a Jew representing Germany in the Nazi Olympics. At the same time, the playwright uses his creative prerogative to impute to her flashes of recognition of her role as a Jewish symbol. That underlines the difficulty in evaluating her place in history: depending on your perspective Mayer is either a flawed figure who fails to acknowledge her Jewishness or a heroic one whose focus on individual achievement & impressive performance stand in opposition to the Nazi claims of Aryan superiority.... Read more Read less

See it if Kafkaesque; staging, esp sound, brings transcript 2 life, but it's the raw acting by Emily Davis as Reality that grabs u by the throat

Don't see it if word for word rendering of transcript omitting redacted parts: bad: missing context; good: turns into type of foreboding mystery

Also There are many issues external to the play that the play causes you to think about such as: Was Reality's punishment (see Wikipedia) proportionate to the crime she committed where the report she provided to a news source apparently did no harm to the US? And does it make sense to punish whistleblowers like R so severely when they are critical sources of information about wrong-doing? The play itself gives you a good sense of what it's like to be an isolated citizen facing the full might of the state. Alternately foreboding and heart-breaking, Reality's experience in the interrogation is shown to be Kafkaesque, akin 2 a bug being squashed by a tank.... Read more Read less

See it if teems w action; Brian Cox shows LBJ as arm-twisting force of nature

Don't see it if biopicish/uninspired; never shows us LBJ’s inner life, what drove LBJ 2 endorse Vietnam War expansion crippling his Great Society initiative

See it if delightful: 1st half by 3 skilled actors playfully show what lies behind the actor's craft

Don't see it if off-point: 2nd half tale of leading lights in Comm Russia theater snuffed out by Stalin; does not directly address central ? why theater

Also Play starts off w story that God created theater to relieve men and women of their boredom. Pretty funny and insightful. I wish Brooks had fully expounded on that observation in developing this performance piece. Instead, what we get is a disjointed piece that starts w the light of the actor's craft and ends w the darkness of a story about political suppression. That story, more in the nature of an illustrated lecture, is not riveting theater. Moreover, if Brooks was using the Russia story as evidence that theater/freedom of expression stands between us and political darkness, he could have made that point much more clearly.... Read more Read less

See it if 1st play: uses acute theme of exploded universe in need of healing; 2nd play: affecting perf by PJ Channes as wife extirpating husb's ghost

Don't see it if 1-idea plays; 1st play CLUMSY in juxtaposing events of traumatic 1968 Biafran war & crippling 2012 memories; 2nd play jokey & WAY TOO LONG

See it if Ian Barford's commanding perf as Wheeler/W, man furiously trying to remain relevant, merits Tony consideration; side-splitting one-liners

Don't see it if doesn't dig deeply into roots of W's behavior; a little flabby: some plotting superfluous or not credible

See it if have striking separate dance/movement interludes to communicate inner thoughts of characters; good ensemble

Don't see it if anemic; tries but fails 2 explain Zeitgeist of millenials; story has no arc, focuses on neuroses of main character but fails to develop this

Also Anne Tyler's "Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant" is the classic of contemporary literature reflected on by the book club. Here's the problem: the major themes of Tyler's novel: alienation, perspectivism (chapters told from perspectives of different characters), the critical role (positive & negative) being a member of a family can play in the members' lives do not intersect with the issues addressed in Sunday. Instead the characters use their reflections on the book to bring out their random obsessions (e.g., about toxic masculinity) and then use differences in their opinions about the book to underline fault lines in their relationships. The play would have been stronger had the playwright used a novel more relevant to characters' lives and one better known to the audience.... Read more Read less

See it if hilarious slave master role playing; delicious satire of overwrought group therapy; upends conventional perspectives on race

Don't see it if counterintuitive racial perspectives not fully explained; group therapy satire goes on far too long; conclusion unsatisfactory

Also SPOILER: Play very ambitious showing pernicious effect of slavery by examining 3 interracial couples trying 2 work out sex problems thru slave/master role-playing as part of group therapy. Couple 1: black woman finds her male partner's whiteness 2 be poisonous. She tries 2 overcome by paradoxically embracing subordinate sexual role in a slave master relationship. Couple 2: black man in relationship w white woman only feels seen when he's recognized as black stud. Once again paradoxical since man is empowered by being objectified. Couple 3: white man in black/white gay relationship vigorously rejects claim that he's white or any color for that matter. Unlike man in #2, he only feels seen when he is NOT defined by his race. Playwright appears to be saying that racial attitudes, rooted in slavery, are much more complex than we appreciate & this emerges particularly clearly when seeing couples navigate sexual relations. Great concept, not always realized theatrically.... Read more Read less

See it if graphically shows how dehumanizing it is to work 4 min wage in big box store; actors work their a**es off 2 make funny

Don't see it if cartoonish & shallow; lethargic pace; characters 1-dimensional; pt-less mystery @ end

See it if rich in ambiguity; Lucas Hnath raises interesting ?s about what is real/what's not, how manipulation is key 2 effective communication

Don't see it if haphazard; story starts out strong portraying relationship between medium & subject, loses its way w irrelevant characters/plot

See it if all hell breaks loose when wife expresses desire 2 divorce; Jane Alexander funny/moving as wife seeking to be noticed

Don't see it if tame "Neil Simon"-ish humor, never raises searching questions about marriage; children's reaction 2 divorce cartoonishly overwrought

Also One of the central comedic exchanges is between Jane Alexander and her gay son played by Michael Urie. He is shocked, shocked that at or near 80 she still cares about sex. If that's your idea of humor, you're in for an entertaining evening; if not ...... Read more Read less

See it if thrilling propulsive performance of 80s rock n roll by skilled young musicians; hyperkinetic choreo; Brenock O'Connor's revelation in lead

Don't see it if disappointing 2nd Act; predictable cliched tale: teen rebellion thru rock n roll opposed by evil priest; needs work b4 opens in move 2 Bdway

See it if graphic portrait of despair in failed mining town; mine's dominance brilliantly evoked; Edmund Donovan shatteringly portrays mental illness

Don't see it if tho Hunter's plays are usually terse & unshowy, this one is melodramatic & contrived

Also My guess is that Hunter wrote this play, set in a small fictional mining town in Idaho (Greater Clements) in 2017, in part, 2 deal with the question: how could rural voters so overwhelmingly vote 4 Trump in 2016 when the vote appeared 2 be vs their own interests? In this case, the residents of Greater Clements vote their own town out of existence, ending many essential services. Judith Ivey, the central character in the play, whose family has been in town 4 generations, [SPOILER] votes 4 this proposition b/c she is both aggrieved by how the town has treated her family & resentful of how rich outsiders are taking over the town. (Her son's mental illness manifests itself in hallucinations about horrors associated with the mine.) As her friend points out, Ivey's vote makes no sense; it is nihilistic & self-destructive. Thus was Trump elected by those fueled by despair & resentment.... Read more Read less

See it if shows women in 1935 terrified by men, w gun-toting Fefu @ center; scene of friend in bed voicing her paralyzing fears makes u shudder

Don't see it if u don't like strange plotless avant garde plays; some characters extraneous; rotating diff parts of audience 2 see diff scenes a distraction

See it if 2 c amazing staging; cinematic flow of scenes; set in future when Harry has son, resonant story of father/son conflict

Don't see it if need 2 know Harry P basics 2 appreciate this update; much of the plotting is illogical; by 2nd of 2 parts, the wow factor has disappeared

Also The staging gives u a sense u are in a mysterious world of wizardry including:
- special effects that cause characters to magically materialize & disappear, and evil spirits to fill the hall
- use of lighting that produces a "chiaroscuro" effect of shadow & light that painters use to enhance dramatic effect, and
-dynamic choreography, featuring characters flipping their long black capes in unison, accompanied by stark sounds, giving an impression of a coordinated display of a flock of strange birds.

In all, I have never seen a production that so successfully integrates the set, costumes, lighting, sound, special effects and movement to evoke a world so completely unlike our own. Bravo to all the professionals who brought this about!... Read more Read less

See it if thru plot centered on Berlin artists' ineffectual reaction 2 '30s rise of Hitler, raises deep ?s about artists' duty 2 deal w Trump

Don't see it if awkward/very meta; adding new scenes w/ a talky "Kushner" character 2 original drama turns this into meh drama w commentary bolted on

Also Here's what I think happened in the remounting of this play. After seeing the cruelties of the Reagan admin Kushner/K wrote the 1st version of this play borne out of his conclusion that Reaganism was similar to the rise of Hitler. Then when Trump came along, he concluded, oh my God, it's even more like the Hitler scenario than b4 where the failure to stop an autocrat early (Reagan) led to something even worse (Trump). To explain the remounting of the play he introduced a wry new character, who is his alter ego, to explain WHY he revised the play. In the process, this morphed into a play w commentary bolted on. That's one problem. The other problem is that in this early play K has not yet figured out how to personify ideas in characters as he memorably does in "Angels". My guess is that were this not a "Tony Kushner" play, The Public would not have produced it.... Read more Read less

See it if strong Aidan Quinn/Kristine Nielsen as couple; shows devastating effect of loss of central thing in life: 4 Quinn his job, 4 Nielsen her son

Don't see it if not as moving as original; weaknesses in plotting exposed; few actors provide combo authenticity/gentle satire roles demand

Also This play is a tale of 2 cities: Houston & Atlanta, representing the old & new South in 1950. It's no accident that the couple's son expresses his homosexuality in libertine Atlanta. Or that their son's grifting lover from Atlanta (never seen on stage) makes his way to Houston where he haunts the couple and destabilizes their relationship. Foote is telling us: by 1950 the ways of the new South are starting 2 invade & upset the old. Also this is a tale of 2 races: the white family that is the focus of the play and the black servants who take care of them. The whites are shown to be full of sound and fury, obsessed w money & a risible racist conspiracy theory involving Eleanor Roosevelt & the black servants of Houston. The black servants, though beset by weightier problems, are portrayed as dignified and uncomplaining.... Read more Read less

See it if Henry is a marvel, utterly convincing as a man crushed by system, w a voice of great emotional range; fine dancers bring action alive

Don't see it if story w little nuance; much of the music sounds the same; lyrics simplistic/uninspired; still affecting b/c of Henry

Also The music and lyrics are by Ross Golan who writes contemporary hip hop and R&B music. This may be a stretch but in "The Wrong Man" he appears to be trying to capture the heartache of ordinary people in the same way as does country and western music. Take, for example, "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash which features a man who shot a man in Reno who ends up in prison and pines for freedom. Cash's music is elemental and unsparing. Here a black man is framed for shooting a man in Reno and also ends up in prison, losing his bout to win his freedom. Though Golan's music is more complex, it communicates an elemental story of justice denied, which, like country and western music, packs an emotional wallop, particularly when placed in the hands of a great artist like Henry. Too bad there is not more variety in music or nuance in lyrics since this good show could have been elevated to a memorable one.... Read more Read less

See it if Fierstein, a force of nature like Bella, is a good person to play her; reminds us of how far women have come b/c of Bella

Don't see it if broad caricature of Bella telling a lot of lame Borscht Belt jokes; need dramatic situation or foil 4 Bella to galvanize the play

See it if poignant interaction of dying woman who will not go quietly/those honoring her; dance scenes brilliantly reveal inter-generational dynamics

Don't see it if 4 some Nelson’s approach/observing everyday scenes among family/friends is agonizingly slow; I find it revelatory here

Also It's important to note that the subject of the choreography of the dying woman is bringing alive everyday actions: walking, sweeping a floor, etc. That’s precisely what Nelson does in his plays, finding the significance, even spirituality, in everyday interactions about basic things. Here that’s death and dying. In this play, you get a bonus: very well-done dancing of 3 cleverly-choreographed pieces that show the creative vitality of a fading candle. Thru these 3 pieces you see this intergenerational cycle: the older generation critically judging the younger (the dancers are the choreographer's daughter & niece), mirrored by the younger generation looking back at the older for her blessing.... Read more Read less

See it if celebrates cycle of life, how day-to-day living is an evolutionary triumph, featuring lyrical script/fine ensemble/self-deprecating humor

Don't see it if no clear plot; some may c play w Chris played by 1 character after another as a gimmick, but works if u realize Chris is Every(wo)man

See it if witty 1st Act shows Macbeth character’s path to become the "Burger King;" clever songs; hilarious use of 3 witches as provocateurs

Don't see it if in 2nd Act becomes overwrought & didactic when has 2 deal w/ Mac/Lady Mac's guilt & self-destruction; Sweeney Todd it's not

See it if powerfully illustrates how US prison system mistreats Muslim w controversial political views; actors talented musicians

Don't see it if meandering; story arc predictable; music could be used more effectively/see below

Also Music is used as a central element of the story, serving as the backdrop for the relationship between the younger and older brother. Perhaps this is asking a lot of this vehicle but there is the potential to use the music in a much more targeted way to capture the younger brother's evolving relationship w his jailed brother. For example, the playwright could have shown how (i) the younger brother initially struggles w/does not understand a jazz piece being composed by his jailed brother, (ii) then rejects it associating it w his brother's rage/criminality, and (iii) finally comes to accept & understand it as a reflection of brother's complex personality/yearning to break free from racism/oppression.... Read more Read less

See it if sensitive portrait of lonely veteran creative writing prof; clever riff on Crime & Punishment; controlled Parker performance breaks ur heart

Don't see it if not much action, but director & actors breathe life into haunting play

Also In play while prof is creatively blocked, a novella pours out of her alienated student. Spoiler: The novella centers on an inexplicable murder where the murderer in effect takes over the life of the person he murders. We strongly suspect the novella is autobiographical but don’t know for sure. As in Crime and Punishment where we sympathize w the murderer because of his good deeds, we have come to sympathize w the student b/c of his gift/kindnesses to the prof in her time of need. What Rapp has done in his play is to channel Dostoevsky, presenting the story clinically, without moralizing, keeping the audience guessing & leaving it to them to draw their own conclusions. That the prof would tell her students is good writing.... Read more Read less

See it if brilliant riff on "The King and I" told from Chinese perspective; wild satire of US democracy & Trumpism; plus a piercing love story

Don't see it if confusing; lush score not work well w/ jagged satire; not for those who dislike uber-meta/self-aware vehicles

Also "Soft Power" will be hard for some people 2 get comfortable w because its structure makes it hard 2 comprehend. But if u go w the flow u may start 2 appreciate how daring it is. Spoiler: By the 2nd Act you find that China 50 yrs in the future is the dominant world power & we are seeing a musical that was written in our current time 2 promote China's view of the world/its projection of Soft Power. This musical reverses the colonialist premises of "The King and I" so that Hillary Clinton is the leader who needs to be saved by a civilizing Chinese adviser. Just as the King is enamored of Anna, Hillary falls for her adviser. The musical broadly satirizes America & its govt since the Chinese view a democracy that can select Trump over Clinton as crazy. Bracketing the musical is a play about how the musical came to be made featuring playwright DH Hwang. In the musical, a love story has a happy ending; in the play/real life it's more complicated. Confusing? Yes. But overflowing w ideas.... Read more Read less

See it if some astute observations on growing up black in a narrow-minded white NE town; sharp perfs by Javier Munoz, black dad, & daughter Kara Young

Don't see it if tries to do much too much; different plot lines involving unhappy fathers, disgruntled teen & her teacher, simply don't cohere

See it if searing comedic duel between creativity/art of cooking & commerce 4 restaurants; Raul Esparza remarkable as pro chef in technique & ego

Don't see it if characters sometimes speak in cliches; play becomes repetitive in 2nd Act; NY Times dislikes/still I found bracing & entertaining

Also This play is set in a super-realistic kitchen in a restaurant where Esparza lovingly & obsessively prepares meals. It features 4 contrasting (somewhat stereotypical) characters: the genius temperamental chef who claims 2 care nothing for $, his exasperated investor-partner who fears bankruptcy, a sexy, manipulative consultant who introduces controversial new ideas on how to save the restaurant & a waiter. Toss well & u have a delicious comedy 2 which playwright Rebeck adds philosophical seasonings as each side is locked in eloquent but destructive verbal combat. In most plays like this, the waiter would play a minor role. Here, however, Rebeck, makes the waiter, a young African-American man, a central character who displays wisdom that his elders w vested interests do not possess & who heroically brings order to the chaos wrought by their egos. Thru the waiter Rebeck makes a bigger pt: in a world rent by entrenched interests, u need balance & accommodation 2 forge ahead.... Read more Read less

See it if poetic rumination on long-term marriage, & problems after death of partner; Pryce raging, Atkins flinty are masterful

Don't see it if some may be off put by the fractured & ambiguous plotting of play; scenes w exasperated children are flat

Also Central enigma is which member of couple has died since the death of one is mentioned while both appear in scenes. Spoiler alert: ambiguity renders theatrically husband's dementia: the confused state of mind of Pryce whose memory & other faculties are fading in his old age (playwright Zeller previously focused on this in "The Father"). "Storm" in title is mentioned frequently by characters, serving as a metaphor for the cataclysm of the death of one long-term partner & the loss of powers of the other who rages vs nature and his fate.... Read more Read less

See it if riveting plot in 2 parts/6.5 hrs that echoes Howards End; innovative structure for portraying gay community; amazing Paul Hilton as Forster

Don't see it if you expect updated "Angels in America", but wonderful showing inheritance/good & bad passed from 1 generation of gay men to the next

Also The Inheritance is 1st play seen in a while that I think will last. Not only is plotting in both parts so fascinating and unpredictable that 6.5 hrs fly by but the play reinvents theatrical devices that make the story vivid & fresh. Device 1: set within the action is a group of actors who stand around a rectangle in the middle of the stage. They serve as a stand-in for the community of gay men, a new type of Greek chorus. Out of that group emerge characters who take part in the action and then melt back into the scrum. Device 2: EM Forster is an actual character in the play. He stage manages the action, cajoles & argues w the characters to dig deeper into their motivations. It's as if the play is being willed into existence before our eyes. Finally, contemplate the resonant use of Christian themes - the part 1 ending evoking Jesus at the Last Supper & Lois Smith's brilliant soliloquy in part 2 about the Christian duty to deal w outcasts. Here Forster's "only connect" becomes only love!... Read more Read less

See it if 1st several scenes where famous/not-so-famous historical wives rendered like TV “Real Housewives” amusing at times; cast better than script

Don't see it if skits are thin & jokey; final “woman let me roar” scene is tedious & sophomoric

See it if mentalist routines beautifully constructed; Brown low-key & funny, interacts well w audience

Don't see it if feats performed in 2nd act so perfect/symmetrical that illusion of the supernatural/sense of wonder is blunted; some patter is anodyne

Also You go to a "magic" show like this not only to be wowed by the tricks but to be entertained or enlightened by the accompanying patter by the illusionist. Brown's patter, disclaiming his supernatural powers, emphasizes that the audience is fooled because they are prisoners of their own narratives about how the world is supposed to operate. A nice sentiment but not that revealing. I prefer the late great Ricky Jay's spiel where he told you precisely how he did a stunning card trick. You knew how he did the trick and still were amazed by the outcome. Now that's magic!... Read more Read less

See it if Pinter is lapidarian in constructing dialog; precisely constructed world that is incestuous & filled w secrets & 2x dealing; expertly acted

Don't see it if good but not Pinter's best; not dramatic, essentially displays class of arts-related people who use adultery to relieve their boredom

Also Acting Pinter requires mastery of dialogue, posture and most of all the silences between words. This cast like no one I’ve seen displays those silences brilliantly to echo the emptiness in the lives of its characters. Innovative structure: the play by starting after an affair is over and then progressively going back in time to the 1st flirtation allows Pinter to put the affair under the microscope and show the unreliability of memory.... Read more Read less

See it if creatively moves across centuries 2 show Catholic hospital as sanctuary 4 healing; shows key clash religion/science; spurs audience particip

Don't see it if jumps around, no sustained, deep exploration of themes; use of humanitarians Mother Seton/Pierre Toussaint as major characters is contrived

Also Spoiler alert: Experience takes place in 3 parts, in 3 different places: initially in a courtyard on a site near where St Vincent's used to treat AIDS patients where music & dance are performed to evoke the gay lifestyle in the Village; then on to Rattlestick theater where the formal play is put on; finally in a procession of cast & audience members to an AIDS memorial in the shadow of one of the St Vincent's buildings converted to a co-op/condo. Some may find this approach to be illuminating; others like me may find this to be a little too hippy dippy.... Read more Read less