BRUCE F 7160

See it if you like soap operas. This is a family drama with revelations that will make you cringe.

Don't see it if you want to see an intelligent piece of writing.

Also I don't have much positive to say about this play/production except for the set. The play has many quick scenes and the use of a turntable, upon which there are three different locations, helped move the play along. There isn't much good acting here especially by Allen McCullough who tripped up on lines from time to time and tripped on a piece of furniture. There were two understudies on tonight who were okay. A very unsatisfying evening.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a well written, absurd and funny play about white supremacy.

Don't see it if plays about white supremacy bother you.

Also The play starts out very funny and turns deadly serious. It is an indictment of white supremacy and is very relevant and scary having lived through the "Trump era" of politics. The play is about a town trying to hide its past. Something happens during the last five minutes of the play that, to me, was very confusing. I went home and found a very good article online that helped clarify for me what happened. Good ensemble performances with a standout by Austin Pendleton.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a play with a set up in the first act and alternate realities in the second and third acts. I know it's been done before.

Don't see it if ...well you can't. I saw the last performance.

Also I didn't see the point of the play. There is a set up in the first act at the end of which there are two possible courses of action for the two main characters. The second and third acts are what would have happened under each situation. Excellent performance by Hadi Tabbal.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a classic play that is rarely produced and relevant to our time. The staging is fantastic.

Don't see it if you don't like absurdist theater.

Also This is a play in which you have to just sit back and go with it. It is absurd. There is a message about the resilience of human beings. We keep recovering from the ills of the world and get through them although maybe just by the skin of our teeth. One criticism. The actress who plays Sabina uses some sort of accent and speaks very fast, especially in the first act. Many times it was difficult to understand what she was saying. Perhaps this was a director choice but I'm not sure for what purpose.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a brilliantly acted and written play.

Don't see it if you don't like two character plays or want to see a musical. This is an intelligent piece of theater.

Also Two men meet under certain circumstances. They are polar opposites. Yet they form a relationship in which they experience life's ups and downs, joys and hardships and are there for each other with successes and failures. This is a play about the importance of human connection.... Read more Read less

See it if you have a particular need to see a Martin McDonagh play. This play isn't in the same class as some of his other plays.

Don't see it if you want to hear/understand all of the dialogue in the play. The accents used make the play very difficult to understand.

Also Even with an assisted listening device, I probably missed about 25% of the dialogue. It's a good story. Nothing more.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see an exquisite production of a Sondheim/Lapine musical.

Don't see it if If you don't like musicals. There is no other reason not to see this.

Also The performances by the huge cast are all outstanding. The cow practically steals the show. The staging/direction is exceptional. This may be the best show that Encores! has ever produced (yes, I've seen all of them).... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy musicals with great singing, great staging/direction and great performances.

Don't see it if if you don't like musicals that take place during Nazi Germany.

Also Why did it take 25 years for this show to come to New York? Chip Zien's performance is outstanding. The six actors who play the Comedian Harmonists have fantastic voices as does Jessie Davidson. The score is also outstanding. Nothing really negative to say about the show.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see an excellent revival of a very, very good play.

Don't see it if plays about gay people and/or plays with male nudity bother you. The play is about a baseball player who comes out as gay.

Also The play is as relevant today as when it was written. The acting by Jesse Williams, Patrick J. Adams, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Michael Oberholtzer is outstanding.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a revival of a very good musical.

Don't see it if you expect to see anything ground breaking in this revival.

Also The good: Jayne Houdyshell, Marie Mullen, Benjamin Pajak, the Rock Island, Marian the Librarian and Shipoopi songs/scenes. The okay: Hugh Jackman. The not so good: Sutton Foster. She destroyed My White Knight. Is her voice not right for Marian? To me she made Marian seem like a minor character in the show. Or is that the direction? More not so good: the sets, the 76 Trombones song/scene. The song went on and on and the choreography was awful.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a play about white privilege using gay characters to illustrate the theme.

Don't see it if you don't like plays with gay characters.

Also The acting is very good. The play takes a while to get where it's going as we learn about each of the characters. It is funny and uses gay stereotypes a bit too much.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a new play that is relevant and beautifully written and acted. It is thought provoking.

Don't see it if you do not enjoy seeing plays about racism and freedom.

See it if you want to see a revival of a 1990s rarely performed musical.

Don't see it if you don't like preachy shows. Evidently the book to The Life has been partially rewritten to no purpose.

Also I found the first act to be boring and I had no vested interest in the characters. That changed in the second act which I liked a lot more. There are two songs in the second act that are worth the price of admission--The Oldest Profession and My Way Or the Highway. The voices and performances are all very good but the show is way too loud. Again, evidently, the orchestrations have been rewritten. This is not the intent of Encores! which is to reproduce rarely performed musicals as they were originally performed. The shows should not be rewritten. See if for Ledisi. She is a knockout.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy opera. I don't but I see everything produced by Lincoln Center Theater since I'm a member.

Don't see it if you don't like opera.

Also Since I don't go to the opera, it's very difficult for me to judge the singing in this opera. I did think the entire cast sang beautifully. There are no "arias" in this piece. It seems like it's just text that's sung with music that I did not appreciate. I was very engaged with the story and am sure that I would have liked this much better as a play.... Read more Read less

See it if you like seeing plays that address serious issues of today. See it if you like to see fresh, new plays that are well written.

Don't see it if you want to see a musical. I can't think of any other reason not to see it.

Also This play has so much to say and it is so accessible. There is not a bad performance. The entire cast is amazing. For off Broadway, there is a great, serviceable set. The play runs three hours and the time flies by.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to hear the score. It's Sondheim. Need I say more? Also see it if you want to see/hear some great performances.

Don't see it if you expect to see the Company the way it was written. I still don't understand why the gender switch.

Also Matt Doyle is worth the price of admission. His show stopping song, Getting Married Today is performed to perfection but has so much slapstick stuff going on that it detracts from the song. Why? Why not just let the song be the humor? People popping out of refrigerators? Really? Also there was too much activity during Another Hundred People which I thought also detracted from the song. And I don't mean the interaction between Bobbie and her boyfriends. That's how the scene was written. Also what was going on right before Barcelona? Oh, I know it's where we're seeing Bobbie make up her mind about whether she wants a relationship with Andy. But the last line of Barcelona tells us that. Again, too much activity. I thought that I was watching the Keystone Kops. Katrina Lenk was awful. She can't sing the score. Being Alive was a disaster. All other performances were really good especially Patti LuPone and Jennifer Simard. And boy does Marianne Elliott love neon.... Read more Read less

See it if you insist on seeing an original musical not based on anything.

Don't see it if you want to see a comprehensible show.

Also The score is good especially the music. The performances were good as well. The tap dance number in the first act was fantastic. This being Lincoln Center Theater, the production design was excellent. However, I found the second act to be a repeat of the first act. We learn about the issues of the three main characters in the first act only to have those issues repeated in the second act. There is a beautiful song that Clare Boothe Luce sings in the second act but the scene that that song is in is way too long. The beach scene in the second act is confusing. What was going on? Overall, I was fairly bored by the show.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a rarely performed Sondheim musical and if you want to see outstanding performances from some great musical performers.

Don't see it if you are put off by the thought of seeing a musical about the assassination of Presidents or expect a traditional story line.

Also Ethan Slater, Judy Kuhn and Stephen Pasquale were outstanding. The song lyrics are the best part of the show. You will marvel, once again, at the cleverness of Sondheim. And the show does have a certain relevance to the state of our country today.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see some of the best acting that you will ever see on the stage and have an interest in the history of Lehman Brothers.

Don't see it if you want a play with dialogue between actors. There is some but in most of the play we are told the story w/direct address to the audience.

Also The set...I liked it in the beginning of the play but got tired of the it being spun around and got tired of boxes being moved all over. Perhaps I would have preferred a more realistic set instead of having to use my imagination. I also didn't like all the writing on the glass walls. I do realize that I had to use my imagination when the actors were portraying so many different characters but that didn't seem to bother me.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a well written, acted and directed play about race relations in the U.S.

Don't see it if you are looking for lighter fare. This play is a serious treatise on race although humorous in parts.

Also I missed it at Lincoln Center but am so glad I got to see it in N.J. Go!... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy smaller musicals with a beautiful score and outstanding singing.

Don't see it if you expect to see a big, brassy musical.

Also This is what I would call a chamber musical. It is almost operatic at times. Small story, great lyrics and singing. It runs 90 minutes with no intermission and is just the perfect length for the story being told. Also there is no mood broken by an intermission. The entire cast is excellent.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy very funny plays about a family coming apart, love, marriage, commitment and mostly communication.

Don't see it if you want to see a heavy drama or a musical.

Also What a treat to be able to see James Cromwell and Jane Alexander on the stage. They are outstanding. And are we getting tired of Michael Urie's same performance every time we see him on the stage? You bet we are (leave your hair alone for one minute!). Did I mention how very funny the play is? I didn't stop laughing. It's not the best play that's every been written but I had a great time.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy old fashioned musicals and/or are a fan of Jerry Herman. Also this is a chance to see a rarely performed show.

Don't see it if you don't like more traditional musicals.

Also It has been said for decades that the problem with Mack & Mabel is the book. And it's easy to see why. However, this is a chance to hear a fabulous score (they don't write them like this anymore) performed by top notch performers. Also the sets, costumes and lighting are excellent.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a play, set in the 1930s, that has relevance to today.

Don't see it if you enjoy lighter fare.

Also I don't mind long plays but this felt too long. The acting is very good especially by John-Andrew Morrison who plays a gay clothing designer who dreams of designing clothes for Josephine Baker. The play deals with abortion, birth control, looking for jobs, black lives in New York City, gay discrimination all set in 1930s New York City but having much relevance to today. The play certainly evokes what it must have felt like living in Harlem in the 1930s.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see great acting. Judith Ivey and Edmund Donovan are outstanding.

Don't see it if you want to see a play with any relevance.

Also There are way too many stories going on in this play. A town that's fallen apart. Romance. A mentally challenged man. A teenager who is coming of age. A nosy neighbor/friend. What's happening to towns in the U.S. that have lost manufacturing. Too many creaky plot devices to get characters on and off the stage. I was never vested in any of the characters.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy plays that are thought provoking related to issues in the Black queer community.

Don't see it if plays about HIV and AIDS bother you.

Also It's difficult to say that I enjoyed this play as it deals with some difficult issues. Nevertheless, the play is well acted and staged and does help you understand what it means to be gay and Black in our society today.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy plays where you have to figure out what the playwright is trying to say. I usually do.

Don't see it if you want to see a comprehensible play. I had no idea what was going on especially in the final one third of the play.

Also This is my fourth Lucas Hnath play. I really liked the first three. Not this one.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to have a fun time. The show is delightful and clever. It definitely helps if you know Macbeth.

Don't see it if you want to see a serious drama.

Also I had such a good time at Scotland, PA. It was just what was needed for a rainy/snowy day. This is not heavy theatre but a light and fun musical. The score is not great. There are no memorable songs but the cast delivers. Ryan McCartan was out but Jimmy Brewer was wonderful. For me, Jay Armstrong Johnson can do no wrong and he was very funny.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy plays where you need to think about what the playwright is trying to say (I do!).

Don't see it if you expect easy answers or want to see a light comedy or musical.

Also The play is about an "everyman" or "anyman" as he/she moves through all of life's events--childhood, death of parents, career changes, marriage, aging, death, etc. and the commonality of this in us humans. The play is well acted.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see masterful acting in an absorbing play that keeps you guessing where it's going.

Don't see it if you don't like stories that are narrated instead of being acted out. Some of the play is MLP's character speaking directly to the audience.

Also There is much of the play in which Mary Louise Parker's character is speaking directly to the audience. I would have rated the play higher if there was less narration. Exceptional acting by both Mary Louise Parker and Will Hochman. Also beautifully staged.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a funny, well written one person play about Bella Abzug that is masterfully performed. You will learn a lot.

Don't see it if you don't like one person plays. Otherwise see it.

Also Harvey Fierstein is a genius. The research that went into writing this play is plainly evident. The performance is masterful. Funny and very topical. You will learn a lot about Bella Abzug who was a very important political figure.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy historical plays with exceptional acting. Brian Cox is outstanding as LBJ.

Don't see it if you are not interested in political history or the climate of the U.S. in the 1960s.

Also This is a history lesson but told in a very interesting way. An enormous cast as only Lincoln Center can do. Brian Cox is a bit too loud but all of the performances are excellent. The staging is excellent too.... Read more Read less

See it if you are a fan of Marisa Tomei. (she is fantastic) or want to see a play by Tennessee Williams.

Don't see it if you expect to see a play like A Streetcar Named Desire or The Glass Menagerie. This isn't.

Also I know that there has been a lot written about this play being a comedy. And it is funny. However, I think that the play is about sexual longing and frustration and that gets lost because the play is on the light side. Both Marisa Tomei and Emun Elliott are outstanding.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy plays with extremely well fleshed out characters. This is a play about a 50 year old man in crisis.

Don't see it if you only like musicals.

Also I liked the play a lot but didn't like the ending. I thought it was too "pat." I didn't really believe that Wheeler had changed despite everything that he goes through during the play. Ian Barford's performance is outstanding.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a musical about the current political environment.

Don't see it if you want to see a musical with a good score and is something more than amateurish.

Also Conrad Ricamora was out. Billy Bustamante was outstanding. The score is terrible. There are rap and country songs and anthems and ballads. It's all over the place. The real star is the set. An interesting idea to have Asian American actors playing characters that are White Americans (such as the Vice President). This is a good reflection of how White Americans used to play Asians in theatre days gone by.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see an intelligent beautifully written & acted play about changes in the gay community & how we learn about the past & remember.

Don't see it if plays about gay people or AIDS bother you. Although the play is very funny, it is a drama. If you want something light this is not for you.

Also Theatre is story telling. I usually don't like plays where the characters tell you what happens instead of acting it out. In this play we get both and it works beautifully. The writing is intelligent. The play is very funny, poignant and sad. The performances are outstanding especially by the actors who play Eric, Toby, Walter and Adam. There is no set (well there are two platforms and a chair). Nevertheless, the staging is exceptional. In my opinion, the one brief bit of nudity is not gratuitous and the one "sex" scene is staged almost like a ballet. I can't wait to see both parts in the same day in December.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy seeing non-traditional theater "adapted" from the film The Jazz Singer.

Don't see it if you want to see a traditional musical or play.

Also The show is in two parts (no intermission). In the first part the actors announce who they are playing and discuss creating a theater piece about The Jazz Singer (I think although I'm not sure since I really couldn't follow what was going on). The second part is a partial re-enactment of the film (I think although I'm not sure since I really couldn't follow what was going on). There was a lot of discussion about "black face" performances but to what resolution? See the film instead. Good singing.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see an exceptional original musical with relevance to our times. This show has an outstanding score.

Don't see it if you are put off by mythology.

Also How refreshing to see/hear an original musical. The performances are outstanding without exception. However, the best part of the show is the score which is sung beautifully. Amber Gray is phenomenal as are Andre de Shields and Patrick Page. I didn't like the second act as much as the first and I didn't warm up to the characters perhaps because of the story being told. I felt a bit distanced. Great staging.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy plays about the effect that parents have on their children.

Don't see it if you want to see a musical or want to see a play with a satisfying resolution.

Also I really liked the first half of this play. The four children were fantastic. Superb acting. And the writing was wonderful too. The playwright really captured how impressionable children are to their parents' actions. But the second half was disappointing. The big secret seemed to be contrived and, for me, the payoff just wasn't there.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy musicals with great spectacle, staging, lighting, sets, costumes and performances.

Don't see it if you don't like musicals. Otherwise, see it!

Also I loved the first act much more than the second. And that's not because the story became much more serious. Two scenes went on too long and it just seemed to have filler until the ending. However, there are so many wonderful things about this show. The songs are cleverly integrated into the book. The sets, lighting and costumes are spectacular. And so is the staging. The vocals of the three leads are outstanding and the supporting cast is excellent as well. Go and have a good time.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a musical with great music or enjoy very offbeat musicals.

Don't see it if you want to see a light musical comedy.

Also The music is the best thing about this show. The lyrics, not so much. There are two stories going on here--one about a faith healer who has come to the U.S. from the Philippines to restore his reputation and one about the faith healer's grandson who has come too and decides that he wants to stay in the U.S. even though he would be undocumented. I really don't know why the first story is being told and didn't see how it relates to the second story. The immigration story is much more interesting but has much less time devoted to it. Also the show runs close to 2 hours without an intermission and is way too long. The performances were all good (including the supporting actors) but I didn't find anyone outstanding although everyone was giving it his/her all.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see an outstanding performance by a playwright/actor in a play about the difficulties that Black actors have in our culture.

Don't see it if you don't like one person plays or plays that are "preachy."

Also The play is about a Black actor who is auditioning for the lead in a production of Othello. The actor doesn't agree with the White director's "take" on the character of Othello. I know that theatre is a collaborative effort but the director is "king." If an actor doesn't like the director's interpretation then he shouldn't be in the play. So the premise of the play doesn't ring true. Other than that, the play does discuss the issues with Black actors having leading roles in classic plays. It is a bit repetitious. Loved Keith Hamilton Cobb's performance.... Read more Read less

See it if you like plays that address controversial issues--in this case homophobia and the relation between church and homosexuality.

Don't see it if plays about homosexuality bother you.

Also Although the play is set in Uganda, the issues that the play addresses are much more universal. Homophobia exists all around the world (even in the U.S.) The acting is outstanding. There is a lot to digest here.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a light musical about teenage angst.

Don't see it if you want to see something very deep or want to see a play.

Also I enjoyed the first act and thought that the performances and singing were all really good. The second act is a train wreck. The score becomes repetitive and the book completely falls apart. Having not read the book that the show is based on, I have no idea if this follows that story. Will Roland and George Salazar were both excellent. Jason Tam is a lot of fun with his Keanu Reeves imitation.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a classic play that's been transformed to modern day and deals with the immigrant experience.

Don't see it if you want to see a light play or musical. This play is very funny in the beginning but becomes very intense toward the end.

Also The play deals with the immigrant experience using the classic story of Medea. Great acting by all and a very well written play. There are several monologues by Medea that explain how she and her family came from Mexico to the U.S. that are particularly moving.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a light musical with a very bizarre story that doesn't always make much sense.

Don't see it if you want to see a dramatic musical or straight play.

Also Cute is the best word to describe this musical. The lead actor, Andrew Mayer, is terrific. The lyrics to the songs are very clever. But the story doesn't make much sense. Spies and immigrants? There is definitely a political statement being made about immigrants in there somewhere.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a completely new interpretation of a classic American musical.

Don't see it if you want to see a traditional production of Oklahoma!

Also For the first three quarters or so of the first act, I thought that what I was seeing was a pared down version of Oklahoma! I was enjoying it immensely. The staging, performances (for the most part) and singing (for the most part) were all excellent. Then, with the scene in the smokehouse, which is done completely in the dark, I started to change my mind. This odd staging continued with the camera man in the scene, the ballet at the beginning of the second act and the second scene performed completely in the dark. I honestly do not know what the director was trying to say. I thought the fact that Judd is sympathetic was an interesting take. Damon Daunno, James Davis and Ali Stroker all excellent. Rebecca Naomi Jones was awful. I mostly had a very good time, enjoyed hearing the score and thought that the staging was interesting. But...... Read more Read less

See it if you are interested in plays that address LGBTQ issues and modern day relationships.

Don't see it if you are do not like plays with LGBTQ themes.

Also Great writing, great acting. The play is about modern day relationships, how we create families and what constitutes love. The play is very well done and highly recommended.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see two masterful actors in a beautifully written play.

Don't see it if you want to see a musical or don't like plays about relationships with just two characters.

Also The play is beautifully written...almost poetic at times. Two criticisms. I would have been very happy if the play had ended after the first act. I found the second act to be a bit repetitious. Audra McDonald seems to be speaking much as she did in Lady Day At Emerson's Bar and Grill. Nevertheless, a treat to see these two fine actors on stage.... Read more Read less