Karen 8280

See it if you want to see a Broadway show at off Broadway prices

Don't see it if you are wedded to the Debbie Reynolds movie version

Also An excellent show. Great singing, dancing, story.
But, barely resembles the movie version. I almost wonder if there were two Molly Browns...The movie version is wonderful and this version is magnificent.
You can hear the Meredith Wilson music that was not so obvious in the movie.
Anyway - see it and enjoy it as it is and don't compare it.... Read more Read less

See it if you are a fan of George Orwell

Don't see it if you never heard of Animal Farm

Also Very well done version of Animal Farm. The actors portray the animals on their hands and knees.The mimicry is excellent.
I have two complaints - there should have been a few more actors - 4 actors for a myriad of characters can be confusing.
And it was too long. Although fairly faithful to the story, it could have been cut.
Otherwise, a pretty scary story that was written in the 1940's and could be about what is happening today.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a Broadway show at off Broadway prices

Don't see it if you don't like silly, serious-ish, fun musicals

Also A big show in a little space. Marvelous costumes, great choreography, wonderful singing.
So, if the story is a little silly - emojis who live in a smart phone, with problems - the singing and dancing and sparkles may win you over. It did me.
I found it very reminiscent of SpongeBob SquarePants, the Musical. Which means it seems to be aimed at the younger set with enough adult humor to keep the parents entertained.
Oh, and part of the plot is about building a (fire)wall to keep out new emojis. So, maybe a little political?
PS I really enjoyed SpongeBob, so if you did, too, you will enjoy Emojiland.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see 2 iconic actors

Don't see it if you can't laugh at dementia

Also I went to see Len Cariou and Craig Bierko, so I wasn't disappointed. I am a senior but I didn't find the show emotionally involving. The woman I went with, also a senior, was moved to tears. So, I guess it just depends.
There is a lot of funny stuff in the show, so if you can laugh at the slow descent into senility you can enjoy the humor.
BTW, just so you know, the theater is small and cozy. You are close enough to the actors to spit on them - and vice versa. Sometimes Len Cariou spits. Fortunately, he is only spitting on Craig Bierko so you should be alright...... Read more Read less

See it if you like Irish Fringe

Don't see it if thick brogues get in the way of enjoyment

Also The male actor's Irish brogue made a lot of what he spoke unintelligible.
And the Irish vocabulary just added to the confusion.
I'm sure that this is a good show. It deals with abortion and relationships.
Too bad I couldn't understand a lot of it.
I wish that foreign actors would tone down their accents to make it a little easier to understand.... Read more Read less

See it if you have the patience to sort out the plot

Don't see it if you don't want to do a lot of thinking while the plot lumbers (literally) on...

Also The scenery is the scene steal-er here. Large plywood forms - moved by machinery and stagehands - steal the show.
And the background music is also compelling.
The story, about who is to blame for a train wreck, moves back and forth and gets confusing.
But it is still an entertaining piece for afternoon or evening.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy great singing and clever lyrics

Don't see it if you would rather see more adult entertainment

Also Perhaps more for children, this musical is very clever and entertaining and much fun.
Forget you are an adult and let this fantasy of a real incident catch fire with your imagination. It is almost worth it to see the Cardiff Giant puppet - all 10'4" of him.
King Kong, move over.... Read more Read less

See it if you love Love, Actually and you love having fun

Don't see it if you want to be sad at Holiday time...

Also I enjoyed this very much and I didn't even see the movie.
Well, I saw some of it - about halfway thru and I still enjoyed the show.
I enjoyed the music and the clever lyrics and the costumes. A lot of work went into this parody.
At the end, I could not believe that there were only 6 actors doing all the characters. There must have been a lot of backstage workers helping to change the costumes!... Read more Read less

See it if you want a serious musical and you like the music of Alanis Morissette.

Don't see it if you like your musicals big and splashy and funny

Also This is a lot of show. Drug abuse, rape, racial issues, gender issues. The cast is listed as she/her, he/him, they/him, etc.
The singing is powerful, the choreography is angry.
There are so many threads here that it really does take 2 hours and 40 minutes to unravel them.
And a lot of good resolutions - or almost resolutions.
I do recommend it.... Read more Read less

See it if you are a fan - must see

Don't see it if you never heard of Harry Potter and you don't want to start now

Also I am not a Harry Potter follower. I had to read a synopsis before I went.
Even so there were references that I didn't get.
It doesn't matter.
The story is absorbing and the special effects are stunning.
If you are a fan it is a must-see...you will LOVE it!
But be warned - you need a whole day. This is not something that you can see only one part, or out of order. It is a full story and you need a full day.
Enjoy.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to listen to a woman talk about her life

Don't see it if you don't want to listen to a woman talk about her life

Also Too long. Too much information. Could so with some condensing.
The woman who opened the show was funny and I expected the lead would be too. They had us practicing clapping and laughing as the show was being taped (for TV?).
They needn't have bothered - there was almost no laughing and only one instance of clapping.... Read more Read less

See it if you like old Cole Porter musicals

Don't see it if you want a little more relevance in yur musicals

Also A musical from the 40's. Fun, tuneful Cole Porter songs.
Very good singing typical of The York Theater.
Just go to be entertained and don't expect any deep thinking or moralizing.
Ethel Merman imitator sometime catches Merman's vocals.... Read more Read less

See it if you like your Shakespeare set to music

Don't see it if you don't like Shakespeare even if it takes place in the 70's with music

Also A musical adaptation of Macbeth with fun and drama, 70's style music and a bloody unhappy ending (what do you expect with Shakespeare...?)
Very tuneful and entertaining. Re-imagining the 3 witches as a 3-hippie Greek Chorus is very clever and moves the story along.... Read more Read less

See it if you like historical drama - esp Lyndon Johnson

Don't see it if long, historical drama bores you

Also Lyndon B Johnson last years of his presidency.
Very well done.
Scary how you could change some names and it could be set in 2019.
A little too long.... Read more Read less

See it if you like rap/hip hop improvised

Don't see it if you don't like rap/hip hop

Also This is a lot of fun, and the performers are fast and clever.
Each show is improvised from the audience's suggestions, so each show is different.
Hard to describe.
Just go and enjoy.... Read more Read less

See it if you like time travel

Don't see it if you don't like time travel

Also A surprise.
I didn't expect such a big show in such a small theater (59 E 59th's black box).
It was funny and touching and romantic and gently political.
A real treat.... Read more Read less

See it if you have 2 hours to pass

Don't see it if you have something else to do...

Also Very disappointing. The synopsis promised a funny show, but the tag line, "Who knew divorce could be this much fun" is the funniest part of the show.
The audience laughed 3 times during the show.
The performance promised 2 hours, 15 minutes. The show actually ran 1 hour, 50 minutes.
Thank God. I don't think that I could have sat for another 25 minutes.
Maybe they thought that it would run longer because of all the audience laughter.
Too bad...... Read more Read less

See it if you like Andrew LLoyd Webber

Don't see it if -maybe you can't afford it...

Also The show has been playing for 31 years so it must be something to see.
See it.... Read more Read less

See it if you don't mind one-person serious shows

Don't see it if you prefer lighter fare

Also Even though you have two actors you have 2 one-person shows as they never intertwine.
The actors are masters at storytelling and the 2 hours fly by.
The is mostly an ego enhancing experience for both men as I don't see anything of real importance in the stories other than that they each have their own story to tell.
And Gyllenhaal's story shifts back and forth in time and subject so fast that by the time you have figured out that he is back to the original story he is already on the second story.
Still, a valuable time to spend in the theater.... Read more Read less

See it if you like Sondheim

Don't see it if you don't like Sondheim

Also With Sondheim you either hate it or love it.
I love it.
And I love Raul Esparza who is magnificent. It is worth the price of admission just to see him doing bits while others are singing.... Read more Read less

See it if you are a left leaning political woman

Don't see it if if you are a right-wing conservative

Also Fascinating storytelling, purports to be mostly true.
Holds your attention regardless.
Interesting debate at the end - may be different at each show.... Read more Read less

See it if you are interested in Walt Whitman and LGBTQ matters

Don't see it if LGBTQ and PC turn you off

Also Interesting take on Walt Whitman and LGBTQ matters. Starts with a birthday party, morphs into a trial.
Beautiful singing voices.... Read more Read less

See it if you like singing and dancing and want to have a good time

Don't see it if you like heavy dramas

Also Oh, I enjoyed this very much. Lots of singing and dancing and even a message about bullying.
And great costumes.... Read more Read less

See it if you like musicals and Cole Porter

Don't see it if you like dark, heavy musicals (go see Oklahoma...)

Also A delightful show with great choreography. Some of the moves look so risky that I wouldn't do them without a harness.
My big complaint is that Corbin Bleu is a great dancer and he isn't given enough to do here.... Read more Read less

See it if you don't mind a new take on an old classic

Don't see it if you loved Oklahoma the movie - this ain't it

Also Not quite your Grandmother's Oklahoma. Darker, with a shocking ending.
But even so, the beautiful music shines through.
And there is free chili and wonderful cornbread served at intermission.
Also - there is always a problem with theater in the round (or, in this case, horseshoe). Probably the best place to sit is at one of the tables - but these tickets cost over $250.
A good show, but if you have only enough money for one musical see The Prom...or Tootsie.... Read more Read less

See it if you like Jerry Herman and you miss him

Don't see it if you don't like musicals

Also So entertaining. Such beautiful music. Wonderful production numbers and a heartbreaking, almost true story.
See it if comes around again.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to hear songs about death

Don't see it if death turns you off

Also It advertises itself as; "We're Gonna Die is a non-musical/non-play/non-concert that is not about dying. It's a celebration of the things we do, say, and sing to keep ourselves going as we hurtle toward the finish line. Through a series of stories and songs, Young Jean Lee’s We're Gonna Die, under Raja Feather Kelly's new direction, offers proof positive that being alive is about more than just awaiting the inevitable."
But, damn it, it is a musical, a play, a concert and all about death.
Spoiler alert, We're all gonna die is the closing number with lights, balloons and streamers.
Okay - if that's your thing.
The audience loved it.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a classic by Brecht

Don't see it if you prefer comedies

Also 3 short stories dealing with losing your home and identity.
The Jewish Wife by Brecht is a classic and so well written - subtly warning of the coming storm before it came.
The other stories are interesting.... Read more Read less

See it if you like dramedies

Don't see it if you like something a little more substantial

Also A pleasant enough way to spend an afternoon or evening. Good, not great theater.
Stunning first act ending. No spoiler alerts here.
James Cromwell is a gentleman on the autograph line. Brings his own gold sharpie. Poses for photos.... Read more Read less

See it if you like a mystery with relevancy

Don't see it if you prefer light fare

Also Very well written and absorbing.
Like a mystery to solve, but with serious race relations.... Read more Read less

See it if Do you like marionettes? With live singers?

Don't see it if Do you like marionettes? If not - stay away...

Also So clever! So entertaining! Not just for children. Marionettes acting A Christmas Carol. With a Chanukah scene and singing in English, Spanish, Czech, and Swahili.
If you can't see it this year - see it next year!... Read more Read less

See it if you'd like to see Stephanie Powers and Harry Hamlin

Don't see it if you don't care for 2-person shows

Also Entertaining if a bit confusing. The 2 actors play several sets of brother and sister.
Interesting.... Read more Read less

See it if you like all incarnations of A Christmas Carol

Don't see it if Bah, Humbug

Also A play with music, alternately joyous and dark, this Christmas Carol rushes by and drags.
It starts with music and and dancing and carol singing. And handouts of cookies and clementines.
And it gets dark as we meet Ebeneezer Scrooge.
I think that it is mostly very dark - too dark for young children.
There is very little scenery but there are 2 snowstorms with real snow (so you can save the money you were going to use to see Slava's Snow show).
Tiny Tim at the performance I saw is really using a walker, and tugs at the heartstrings the way Tiny Tim is supposed to.
And there is extra singing, dancing, and bell ringing at the end, so don't rush out.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see Albert Einstein singing and dancing

Don't see it if Albert Einstein was actually some sort of great man for you

Also A lot of singing, interesting choreography.
But what was the story about?
A singing/dancing fantasy of Albert Einstein.
Try to get a discount...... Read more Read less

See it if you liked it on Broadway - an excellent off-off production

Don't see it if you don't enjoy good music and fun

Also I saw The Drowsy Chaperone 3 times on Broadway. I LOVE the show. This is such an excellent re-production. Of course, there are things they couldn't do - but they did so much that I am not going to quibble. The costumes were professional - worthy of Broadway.
Too bad it is playing for only a week.... Read more Read less

See it if you are a teen-ager

Don't see it if you are tired of teen-age angst

Also Well, I enjoyed it.
Not at first because I was unfamiliar with the characters.
But once I caught on to what was going on I really enjoyed the music and the lyrics and the making-myths-fun.I think that the kids really enjoyed it, so be a kid, remember what it was like when we didn't fit in, and enjoy the sly humor in songs like LOST (in the woods in New Jersey).... Read more Read less

See it if you are a Marilyn Monroe fan

Don't see it if you didn't like Marilyn

Also The actress does an adequate job of impersonating Marilyn. The songs are all familiar but since Monroe didn't do her own singing the actress doesn't quite get the voices of those who dubbed her so beautifully.
Still, it is an entertaining 75+minutes.
Most of the audience are Monroe aficionados and love all incarnations of her so they love wherever she shows up.
There is a 2 purchase minimum for food/drinks, but I don't think that the prices are unreasonable for a nightclub setting.... Read more Read less

See it if you like intense showmanship

Don't see it if you want more of a show for your money

Also Very intense, very well acted. You do begin to sense what is coming and you are waiting for it to happen.
Be warned that there is a lot of verbiage and esoteric references to language and literature.
And I wonder, personally, if the whole thing isn't an exercise in story writing.... Read more Read less

See it if you like Tennessee Williams - stories about passionate women

Don't see it if you don't like Tennessee Williams

Also Marissa Tomei is on fire. Her lonely character comes alive and passionate when she meets an equally lonely truck driver.
There is a Greek (Italian?) chorus that sings and moves the story along.
It ran 2 hours and 30 + minutes when I saw it. Probably could have used some cutting.... Read more Read less

See it if you like long (2 hrs,45 min) shows about loser type mid-life crisis men

Don't see it if 2 hr 45 min is a little too long to watch losing after losing after losing...

Also Definitely an anti-hero, a loser at a mid-life crisis just keeps showing us how pathetic a loser he is.
Billed as a comedy it starts funny, but eventually disintegrates into a sad drama.
Look, the writing is very good as are the performances, but a comedy - give me a break.
The revolving set is clever, too, giving us several different scenes in a 3-part set.
Some strong female characters in this male-dominated (literally) story.
Caveat - full frontal nudity.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy a story being revealed little by little

Don't see it if you like your stories straightforward

Also A comedy/drama - how can I describe it?
I enjoyed this and I don't know why.
Revealing the story little by little, and maybe not all of it ever, kept my interest.
The child actors were perfect. The adults were as good as they needed to be.
If you go I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.... Read more Read less

See it if you have ever had a bad online dating experience

Don't see it if you never dated online

Also A surprisingly entertaining show.
A lot of audience participation and clever improvisation - it would make each show different.
It is supposed to be based on true experiences. If so, some of the online responses will tickle you, and some with shock you.... Read more Read less

See it if you remember Rita Rudner fondly - she doesn't disappoint

Don't see it if you like more seriousness in your romantic musical comedies

Also It's like a stand-up routine expanded to have a story line.
Anyway, it is fun.... Read more Read less

See it if you like spectacle

Don't see it if you prefer your dramas non-musical

Also I know where Cher's costumes and sequins are going when her show closes - Moulin Rouge is full of spectacle.
A cross between La Boheme and La Traviata. It has to have an unhappy ending, so why is the audience laughing and cheering?
The songs are familiar to those who have been following the movie - and they LOVE it!. The medleys are also familiar to the initiated, but I was not one of them.
I enjoyed the spectacle - you can enjoy it, too.
PS. Stay for the post-show number. Although you might not be able to see it as the audience is already on its feet blocking the stage.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a Broadway quality show at off Broadway prices

Don't see it if you don't like musicals

Also The first act was too long and too much going on.
Also, the band is too loud
I changed my seat for the second act, away from the band, and found it a delightful show.
The scenery, done by James Morgan of The York Theatre, is MAGNIFICENT.
The show is too good for this theater - it deserves a better venue.... Read more Read less

See it if you are interested in Walt Whitman and LGBTQ matters

Don't see it if if LGBTQ and PC turn you off

Also This starts as a Birthday party for Walt Whitman and morphs into a trial of his negative beliefs.
The singing is wonderful as is the music, but it goes a little too far with its PC.... Read more Read less

See it if you love musicals

Don't see it if you remember the original play and the movie

Also I didn't see it with the original cast. I suspect it was a better show.
I thought that this Eliza was a little too old.
And not being familiar with Shaw's original ending I was somewhat put off by the use of the original ending instead of the movie ending.
All that being said the music is beautiful, the voices are excellent and the set(s) are wonderful.... Read more Read less

See it if you want a one person show

Don't see it if you think you are going to see a magic show - THERE IS NO MAGIC

Also Advertised as a magician does a myriad of tricks for our entertainment... Wrong. There are no magic tricks just pantomimes of magic tricks.
Maybe this is a good show, a lot of work went into the presentation - but when you suggest that there is going to be magic THERE SHOULD BE MAGIC. I would never have gone to this show if I had known that there was no magic (oh, yeah, she pulls a large kerchief from her chest at the end).
Big disappointment.... Read more Read less

See it if you are interested in newspaper historical fiction

Don't see it if British/Australian accents turn you off

Also I found the first act long and often boring as Lamb puts together his newspaper staff.
The show catches fire in the second act.
I don't see why the Murdoch character is up for an Tony over the Lamb character. It is the Lamb character that does all the work (and acting).... Read more Read less

See it if you are a fan of The Office

Don't see it if if you never heard of The Office

Also I have to say right off that I have never seen The Office so the parody was lost on me. But I can say that the audience recognized the characters and laughed their a**es off.
That said, I have to say the the lyrics were entertaining and the choreography was magnificent.
And I am now interested in seeing The Office.... Read more Read less