Dr Paul

See it if you enjoy very good acting and line writing staged on an interesting set. Or love the world of competitive solitaire.

Don't see it if you want something to actually happen. It felt like Seinfeld without the jokes. Plus, competitive solitaire is not an exciting topic for me.

Also Long play without an intermission in a cramped space with meager bathroom facilities. It wasn’t the Gershwin.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy great acting and singing in a well written and staged feel good musical. Callum Francis is terrific and the entire cast shines.

Don't see it if want to hear great songs. The music is serviceable and does not detract from the show but couldn’t Cindi Lauper come up with a hit or two?

See it if you enjoy talented actors taking on multiple roles in a bare very stripped down Macbeth.

Don't see it if you don’t think 2 actors can handle all the roles in a complex play, or if you want to cover more Macbeth than is possible in 55 minutes

Also I’m not kidding, there is minimal staging. The special effects was a bright flashlight. Also, the take of the MacBeths as trauma survivors is interesting but minimizes the fact that they are monsters who cause the overwhelming preponderance of misery in the play. Focusing on their trauma required cutting out the trauma they inflicted, leading to a very short play.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see an astonishing performance by Nicholas Barasch in a well staged, well written, dark show with lovely music and a good cast

Don't see it if you want a big production, or don’t like dark shows about insanity, or want a happy ending

Also Seriously, Nicholas Barasch was a revelation. I sat in the front row and I was nervous that I was going to be attacked. Unless he is actually insane, he is a terrific actor. Plus he can sing!

It is mind boggling that this show was written by a high school student. Amazing!... Read more Read less

See it if you like a well acted Pulitzer winning, clever, resonant, updated Hamlet that leaves you smiling instead of gutted at the end.

Don't see it if you prefer traditional Shakespeare or don’t like plays that portray black culture or coming out (but what a coming out!)

Also This was my 3rd variation of Hamlet this season and probably my favorite one. I hope it transfers to Broadway, Circle in the Square would make sense.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy well updated and well staged Greek classics with terrific actors that pack a punch surpassing pretty much everything written today

Don't see it if you are easily depressed, this is a dark and humorless production. Also, the payoff for this over 3.5 hour show could have been bigger.

Also Seriously, don’t see this if you are depressed, the death scenes are drawn out and excruciating. I couldn’t bear to watch the first one. They are even timed. Harsh.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy well acted and sung musicals with good songs and a great story. Good staging in a small space. Actors play multiple roles well.

Don't see it if you don’t like musicals about teenage girls dealing with high school problems and divorced parents, or don’t like fairy tale musicals.

See it if you enjoy French language shows, acrobatics, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, or big ambitious musicals that are sung throughout

Don't see it if you are expecting another Les Mis. The story is barely sketched out and the songs are not memorable (except for Esmarelda’s last one).

Also The music is canned with some live strings added for show (or union rules). The sets are a combination of digital background with a few actual moving pieces mostly used for the acrobatics. The choreography is mainly parkour which makes no sense in a Victor Hugo story, but what the heck, Akhenaten made juggling a unifying theme in a story set in ancient Egypt.... Read more Read less

See it if you like well written and well acted one woman autobiographical shows about coming out, or are a fan of Jade Anouka.

Don't see it if you don’t particularly care about one woman autobiographical shows about coming out

See it if you like Sondheim or great theater. This is a superb production of the classic show, minimally but effectively staged, with a perfect cast.

Don't see it if you want big sets or don’t like Sondheim or fairytales. But go anyway, use your imagination and just enjoy.

Also Neil Patrick Harris was excellent in the original Encores! production but Brian D’Arcy James allows Sara Bareilles to shine brighter. Patina Miller plays the witch straighter than Heather Headley. Joshua Henry makes the most of his limited role as Rapunzel’s prince. The understudy was adequate as Milky White but I hope Kennedy Kanagawa is not out long, he did better cow expressions. The audience was very enthusiastic tonight but the show at City Center felt like more of an event, maybe because it was a more limited 2 week run. Or maybe because I was third row center there instead of eighth row side here, which occasionally blocked some of the actors behind other actors.... Read more Read less

See it if you like a clever complicated and funny storyline told by a really amazing all-star cast. Staging is efficient and effective.

Don't see it if you want a more substantive ending. Entertaining, yes. Worthy payoff, mmmm… Oh, right, also don’t see the show if you hate women.

Also Maybe I’m just down because millions of women have just had a basic human right stripped away by 5 men and a c*nty in a bad way woman. See the play, you’ll know what I mean.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a superb Hamlet. Updating works well. Replacement Gertrude is fine but does leave you wondering how good was the original

Don't see it if you don’t like Shakespeare, or updated Shakespeare, Hamlet, or English accents. Or don’t like excellent acting. Really, just go see it.

See it if you like Philip Glass, like juggling, or like big giant spectacle modern opera.

Don't see it if you don’t like Philip Glass, don’t like juggling in operas, or don’t like big giant spectacle modern opera.

See it if you like a light hearted Faustian tale superbly sung and acted, like grand opera without the deaths, or like Stravinsky. It’s in English!

Don't see it if you want a more serious story, don’t like grand opera, or need to go to the bathroom frequently.

See it if you want to see an operatic adaptation of Hamlet with an amazing mad scene and reasonable modern music. Ophelia should have been naked.

Don't see it if you don’t want to see Hamlet sung throughout, don’t like modern operas, want to hear To Be or Not to Be, or don’t want to see a fat Hamlet.

Also Really, what was the thinking behind skipping the most famously soliloquy in Western literature? Too daunting a task to set it to music? It makes NO sense!... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy well acted, sweet little productions of classic Russian literature with some music thrown in, performed in an intimate setting

Don't see it if you want to see big production, or longer plays, or don’t like coming of age or Russian stories, or want more music or less music in plays

See it if you want to see 2 actors playing off each other perfectly in an absorbing, intimate, but mostly sad play.

Don't see it if you want more action and perhaps less than a 30 year jump coda that kind of smooths over the gut-wrenching story. Deus ex time machine

See it if you want to see Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga do Shakespeare, both are very good. The lighting was good too. Didn’t care for Malcom

Don't see it if don’t want to see Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga kind of upstaged by the staging, or prefer a traditional staging in general. Sum < Parts

See it if you enjoy Broadway classics done very well with great leads (Henry & Mueller) or want to see anything Renee Fleming does, even small cameos

Don't see it if you don’t care the classics in general or Rogers and Hammerstein in particular. But you should, they are classics for a reason.

See it if you like superb singing and acting and can tolerate a modern staging set in the Rust Belt. Sierra was very good and Camarena was amazing.

Don't see it if you don’t like updated settings or hyperkinetic sets with video. I actually got a little dizzy watching this Lucia/merry go round.

Also The barrio setting worked for me, and every singer/actor was very strong. The giant overhead video was occasionally distracting but marvelous during the mad scene, showing her inner delusional state in a way that was not previously possible. The sets were not too distracting when still but VERY distracting when revolving or zipping all over the place. Bob Hope, really? Lucia made a complete 360 during her mad scene, which took you out of the moment. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. But overall a terrific must see Lucia. 95 for singing, acting, and creativity less 10 for the over active staging.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a charming silly romantic clever musical, with a strong cast and likable songs, very similar to Desperate Measures

Don't see it if you don’t like small scale productions (but done very well!), don’t like silly shows (very silly!) or don’t like walking almost to NJ (far!)

See it if you enjoy the classic play updated and given an over the top production. Great acting in an intimate space

Don't see it if you enjoy sparse or economic productions. It felt like a high school theater class was given a million dollars and a huge stage to fill

See it if you want to see 3 great actors making the most of great dialogue, and don’t require a substantial story - if you enjoy wine without the meal

Don't see it if you want to see a story where something actually happens, not just snappy dialogue, or don’t like minimal stories about low-life characters

See it if you like great acting. And penises. JTF plays his Modern Family character and Jessie Williams and Patrick Adams are excellent.

Don't see it if you want an actual coming out story, or women, or don’t want to see gratuitous nudity. Only the literally biggest scene needed full frontal

See it if you have a heartbeat. Phenomenal everything. NPH was INCREDIBLE. I LOVE Sara Bareilles and she may have been the weakest lead. Just see it!

Don't see it if you don’t want to mortgage the house to buy tickets. I bought my ticket last October. But mortgage the house anyway. You won’t regret it

See it if you enjoy solid singing and acting with clever staging in a classic grand opera, or enjoy puppetry, or have never seen Butterfly before

Don't see it if you don’t like opera, puppets scare you, or you require great not solid singing in order to see Butterfly again

See it if you want to see 2 great singers/actors performing multiple roles with thick brogues and no props in a charming fantastical story with whales

Don't see it if you want scenery or instruments, have difficulty following story lines or filling in blanks, need subtitles, or prefer big productions

See it if you enjoy great actors playing profoundly damaged, sad, and dark/evil roles in a harrowing pedophilia story with no winners, only survivors

Don't see it if you want scenery or a story NOT about pedophilia. The 1st Lady’s secret service presence made for a weird vibe (unlikely to happen again)

Also Some people have disliked the play’s comedic elements or its gentle portrayal of a child molester, but I feel it adds more power to the climactic scene. Possible unfortunate but appropriate choice of words there.
Also, this is nitpicky but no incest occurs in the play as some reviews have mentioned - the characters are not related by blood.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy big Broadway shows with all the trimmings, well sung, acted, staged, and paced. De Shields is of course the highlight, see it soon

Don't see it if you need more memorable songs or don’t want to see an adolescent love struck Orpheus on helium

Also If you saw Eurydice at the Met see this show for a fun contrast

See it if you want to see a remarkable McAvoy and supporting cast that matches his energy in a reimagined hip hop Cyrano without prosthetic proboscis.

Don't see it if you don’t care for hip hop versions of the classics, dislike tired codas reminiscent of Harry Potter (but sadder) or want to see a huge nose

See it if you have even the slightest desire to see burlesque and are comfortable with gender fluidity. This is a wildly entertaining show!

Don't see it if onstage sensuality offends you, if you prefer to see beautiful bodies of just one gender, or if you’re a religious conservative or old fogey

See it if you enjoy RAILROAD LABOR HISTORY, mostly great singing, old mostly American songs, some decent dancing, or RAILROAD LABOR HISTORY

Don't see it if you don’t enjoy RAILROAD LABOR HISTORY, errant harmonies, a missing upright bass (fiddle, mandolin, banjo, and a P-Bass?) or awful cellists

Also The bass guitar worked for 2 songs, otherwise it was jarring. One of the low voices sang what sounded like searching wrong notes in two of the early ensemble numbers, and was shaky on a later one (if it was train whistle imitation it didn’t work). The cello player appeared to be someone who picked it up for this show or last played it in elementary school (but nice voice!). Otherwise the singing and other instrumentalists were quite good. I hope they make some adjustments, because these issues are amateurish blemishes on an otherwise professional and entertaining show.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy well acted plays that have a steady buildup to a (spoiler) message ending. This play is economical (short) with some laughs

Don't see it if town council meetings bore you or you don’t like being reminded of American atrocities or continued capacity for further denials and cruelty

See it if you are interested in women of color telling their stories in frank and direct yet entertaining ways.

Don't see it if you are not interested in black female culture, have no feminine side, or are sexist or misogynistic.

See it if you are a Will and Grace fan, Messing is terrific! Also has an excellent supporting cast playing multiple roles in a touching story

Don't see it if you are not a Will and Grace fan or are not interested in life of a woman and her family plays

See it if you enjoy well acted and well staged dark comedies, or are a Game of Thrones fan.

Don't see it if you don’t like dark comedies or Game of Thrones, or love Game of Thrones and don’t want to see Theon abused again.

See it if you love classic comedies or Angela Lansbury

Don't see it if you don’t care for classic comedies or Angela Lansbury

See it if you love classic Broadway. It’s a great production with great singing and acting and nice sets. Enough said.

Don't see it if you don’t like classic Broadway, or mildly updated to be less sexist classic Broadway

See it if you like dramas with a capital D, great acting, and interesting sets (this is as retrospective review and I remember a big open house thing)

Don't see it if you prefer lighter stuff or musicals.

See it if you enjoy raunchy humor, New York City life humor, or dirty puppets!

Don't see it if you don’t enjoy raunchy humor, New York City life humor, or dirty puppets! But pull that stick out of your butt and see it anyway!

See it if you like Richard Strauss, short grand opera, great singers (especially Lise Davidsen), Greek tragedies, or have daddy issues.

Don't see it if you don’t like opera, relentless tragedies, stark portrayals of madness, or if you want more beautiful Strauss rather than just 1 interlude.

See it if you would like to watch a great actor playing several roles in a one man, dated but still sweet, romantic comedy.

Don't see it if you don’t like one man shows or 1950’s romantic comedies. This could have been done by 5 or 6 actors but David Greenspan won me over.

See it if you like superb acting from the entire cast, especially Crystal, Paymer, and Graff, in an engaging enough story with nice staging.

Don't see it if you need a great musical experience - the songs are serviceable but you won’t be humming anything as you leave the theater.

See it if you read the Le Petit Prince in high school and loved it and don’t mind digital backgrounds and canned music, and enjoy some acrobatics.

Don't see it if you don’t like canned music/digital backgrounds or a show that is all over the place, never deciding if it’s a play, musical, or circus act.

See it if you want to hear some classic songs performed and staged very well, with lots of clever touches and laugh out loud moments. Great puppetry!

Don't see it if you prefer an innocent Seymour and a happy Hollywood ending. There were some sound issues early on but hopefully that was just a glitch

See it if you want to see some great acting and singing and don’t care about tired storylines and middling songs

Don't see it if you want to care about the characters on stage or at least hear some good songs and not a whole evening of filler material gamely performed

See it if you love Pippin, this production works in every way. If you don’t know Pippin, see it and be amazed. Yes, I did Pippin in high school :)

Don't see it if you don’t like musicals, don’t like the circus, or don’t like being entertained beyond belief.

See it if you want a to see a great story with great actors singing some very good songs about high school and family. U/S Josh Strobl was amazing!!!

Don't see it if you don’t care for high school themed musicals or want an escape from the real world with less drama and a straight forward happy ending.

See it if you want to see 3 great actors at work in a raunchy Shakespeare send-up

Don't see it if you don’t like raunchy fantastical bloody spectacles that treat death and destruction in a farcical manner