Marc 7104

See it if you are Paul Bettany, Jeremy Pope, or Krysta Rodriguez fan as its been a while since all three were on a Broadway stage.

Don't see it if you are looking for the DEFINITIVE story of Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat because you will walk away even more perplexed

Also I was hoping to walk way from the play with a greater understanding of the relationship between Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat but instead I left with even more questions than I had before. Paul Bettnay and Jeremy Pope were masterfully transformed into the physical personalities of Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, but I am not really convinced that they truly embodied the legacies of these two creative artists. While I was fully interested in where this story was headed, I found myself BORED, easily distracted, and wondering whether what I was seeing was documentation of these two famous men's lives or a fabrication of them by someone who had never met them and that who wasn't even alive when these two men were making their impressionable mark on the world. I wished that I had left the theater feeling uplifted, but instead I left feeling disappointed and confused about what I had sat through for the last two hours.... Read more Read less

See it if you are looking for something that's gonna make you gasp, think, breathe, laugh, REPEAT, for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Check this out!

Don't see it if you ain't READY to be introduced to a BLACK EXPERIENCE, because this show ain't for Karens! WORD to the mutha!

Also As a black theatergoer, I was DEFINITELY NOT looking to experience another black play like Chicken and Biscuits and thus I put off seeing Ain't No Mo. However, after "EXPERIENCING" Ain't No MO, I can honestly say it was a good black theater experience. At the performance I attended, I did not have the pleasure of playwright Jordan E. Cooper portraying the character of Peaches, but instead had the pleasure to experience Nik Alexander as the character of Peaches and he was FABULOUS! In fact, the entire cast was wonderful. Crystal Lucas-Perry's character of the freed slave touched me in a way I was not prepared for. Her tears became my tears. POWERFUL. Actress Ebony Marshall-Olivera and Shannon Matesky's performances in the reality show members skit has me NOW looking as my favorite reality shows with some serious. side eye. The only CRINGING I found myself doing came with the opening shows's skit about former President Barrack Obama's BLACK presidential legacy - "N" word reference.... Read more Read less

See it if you a HUGE fan of actor/playwright David Cale's work. It's a story that will keep you intrigued until the very end.

Don't see it if one person plays are not your thing.

Also This 80 play is story headed by Marjan Neshat , the sole actress on stage, sharing with the audience a story that becomes more and more interesting by each minute. Ms. Neshat is amazing and I shouldn't be surprised by that fact because I was mesmerized by the previous two performances, the first I experienced was in the play English and then in the play Wish You Were Here. Playwright David Cale has woven a tightly knitted story that had me hanging on the edge of my seat until its very satisfying ending. BRAVO to all involved with this exciting new piece of theater.... Read more Read less

See it if you are ready to be challenged by the history of ANTI-Chinese immigration practices in early history of America.

Don't see it if you can't stomach the horrible American immigration practices put upon the Chinese people at the turn of the 20th century.

Also My experience of the first act of this new play made me look at my country through the eyes of someone other than my own. I was fascinated by that experience. It was UNCOMFORTABLE but interesting. However the second act of the play went in a completely different direction than I was expecting, ultimately boring and disappointing me.... Read more Read less

See it if and only if you are desperate to see a glimpse of Nancy Anderson and Carolee Carmello back on stage.

Don't see it if you love old musicals, or even if you respect the idea of the creation of Declaration of Independence. The production SUCKS on many levels.

Also I was excited to see this production as I have NEVER seen a production of this musical nor heard the full cast recording of the show. My ONLY knowledge of the musical is the song "He Plays The Violin" which I have attributed to the Broadway debut of actress Betty Buckley. Unlike the original stage production of the musical, this production has a ALL FEMALE CAST, which unfortunately is the shows DOWNFALL and just an UNNECESSARY, CONFUSING, and STUPID move for this show. To further complicate the historical figures being portrayed on stage are the matter of a PREGNANT actress playing Thomas Jefferson, a black actress with an afro playing John Adams, and two actresses (one black - Patrena Murray and one white - Nancy Anderson) sporting looks we normally attribute to Benjamin Franklin. On a whole, this gender-bending casting stunt proved more distracting than anything. My review could be summed up in two words - HATED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!... Read more Read less

See it if you have ever been a fan of Jefferson MAYS.

Don't see it if you are Dickens traditionalist as this one man show production will FOREVER change you idea of how this classic story can be told.

Also Before seeing this production, I was INTERESTED, but skeptical as to whether it could successfully be pulled off. When I learned that Jefferson Mays would be the guy taking on this task, I knew he was up to the challenge. Still, I was surprised when I found myself being pulled into the story in a way that I had never been before. That's the magic of theater. I recommend to you seek out this experience and be surprised when you discover something new about yourself.... Read more Read less

See it if you have been looking for a play about the five latina family members and the influence they have on each other's lives.

Don't see it if a five character play about the woman who make an memorable impression on the youngest member of their family, sound boring to you.

Also Zabryna Guevara and Daphne Rubin-Vega's performances alone are worth any price of admission to this new work. These five Latina actresses are given the opportunity to strut their stuff in full display in playwright Quiara Alegria Hudes's play. Each bring something different to the table and the combination of having Latina stories told and celebrated through these actresses is a WIN WIN! In addition to this talented cast is pianist Ariacne Trujillo-Durand who really gets the dance party started with music to entice your spirit to get up and join the party.... Read more Read less

See it if a three-handed drama about childhood friendships and the life they grow into sounds something you would find interesting.

Don't see it if strife between friends and family barely surviving life is just to close to your real life, and you just need a night to escape the drama.

Also First off, I hate the title. It's just too much for the mouth. However, I didn't let it ruin the POWERFUL PERFORMANCES of Jon Norman Schneider and Rob Yang, two men, playing the roles of two older woman, and not loosing a beat as those two old woman raged on in conversation. BRAVO! The third cast member, Cindy Cheung, plays the husband to one of the older women. She brings your A game to the table and the three of these actor play a fascinating verbal game of baseball that would make Abbot and Costello's Whose On First rountine look like child's play. BRAVO to a talented trio of actors.... Read more Read less

See it if you are looking for an interesting new play that is sure to punch you in the gut and you never saw it coming.

Don't see it if you are looking for a play that isn't LOUD, REAL, HONEST, RAW, and IN YOUR FACE because you will be in for a real surprise.

Also This new Bruce Norris play "sounds" an awful lot like it was written in the voice of any of Stephan Adly Guirgis plays. With that said, it is a powerful piece of theater. LOVED actors K. Todd Freeman and Susanna Guzman rich characterizations respectfully of their characters of Gio and Ivy. When the surprise reveal happens on stage, it is a powerful moment. There was nothing dull about this new play. Check it out!!!!... Read more Read less

See it if you are dying to see Linda Lavin back on stage in all her glory.

Don't see it if you are turned off by the idea of sitting through a WEIRD, OFF, QUIRKY new play just to see Linda Lavin's return to the stage.

Also The last time I saw Linda Lavin on stage was in 2015 in Richard Greenberg's play Our Mother's Brief. That was seven years ago too long for this diva to be away from the stage. Though the play is another kind of New York story, Lavin becomes this typical New York character as if it were her second skin. This UNUSUAL play is full of New York characters even though by the end, the two leads find themselves somewhere in the midwest, with a corn field in tow. LOVED that stage transition from big city to wheat field . This hour and 45 minute play seems a bit too long for its own good. By the end of it, I found myself COUGHING up hay right along with the lead character.... Read more Read less

See it if and only if you are a fan of Gabriel Byrne.

Don't see it if you ever wondered whether an autobiography would make a great one man show. FYI! This former autobiography isn't the one!

Also I went to see this show based on my love of actor Gabriel Bryne from the HBO series In Treatment. I want to know the man behind that characters I have seen him play in movies and TV shows. Well, this stage adaption of his autobiography pulled back the curtain to the man behind all those characters I have seen him play on TV and in the movies. While I enjoyed the first 45 minutes of this 90 minute one man play, I found the pacing of the play JARRING and CLUMSY at the abrupt halting of stories right in the middle of them down right DISAPPOINTING. I'm not sure if that was a device of director Lonny Price, a sign that this material was a book prior to it being a stage play, or whether is was due to actor/author Gabriel Bryne's uncomfortableness with revealing all the ugly details of the stories that make up is molested childhood. Whatever the reason, I found the transition between stories JARRING and DISAPPOINTING.... Read more Read less

See it if and only if you are seeking shelter from a terrible rain storm, but that the minute the rain storm is over, please get move on your way.

Don't see it if you have ANYTHING other to choose to see, even it that thing to see is Camp Siegfried.

Also Playwright Will Arbery's skill (or rather lack of skill) for writing dialogue had me pondering on the idea that I could be a playwright. That seven minute exchange between characters Peter and Basil using the word FUCK back and forth SOURED me to the LOW BURN of a "play". Despite Ken Leung's convincing portrayal of the Greek character Basil and the fabulous Quincy Tyler Bernstine, these two talented actors skill could not raised this dead corpse of a play,... Read more Read less

See it if you are already a Mike Birbiglia fan. You will be talking about this play LONG AFTER you leave the theater. It's truly BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't see it if a smart play about life doesn't interest you. Crawl back under that rock you live under and wait to win the ticket lottery for Music Man.

Also Mike Birbiglia has done it again. I became a fan with his last Broadway play - The New One. This new play of his is quiet poignant! I excitedly sat in my seat prior to the play starting and by the time it was over, I was filled with joy and just didn't want it to be over. THANKS Mr. Birbiglia for lifting my spirit for the 80 minutes I sat in the theater that afternoon and for the memories I now carry with me as I walk through this world, a little lighter in heart and happy in spirit.... Read more Read less

See it if you are looking for something new, different, interesting, and heart- warming.

Don't see it if you are not interested in having a transformative theatrical experience, because this show will more even the harden of hearts.

Also From the moment it started, this was like NO show I have ever seen and that's a good thing. I love that I did NOT figure out the twist in the show until almost the end of this play (with music). This play invited the audience into the ART OF REAL STORY TELLING. I loved and was surprised by that element, especially because it was done so well and so effortlessly. LOVED the quirky and poignant use of folk music to connect to vastly different cultures showing the audience that we are all more alike than we are different. Bravo to actors Billy Eugene Jones and Chris Myers and folk music performers Shaun & Abigail Bengson. DON'T MISS SEEING THIS SHOW!!!!... Read more Read less

See it if and only it a two-handler play about PRE-HITLER angst youth makes you think, yes that's sounds like an interesting afternoon of theater.

Don't see it if you have the chance to see anything else, even if the only other play to see is Evanston Salt Costs Climbing. It's a lesser disappointment.

Also I pride myself on seeing a play knowing as little about it as possible so that I don't bring all these expectations into the theater with me that afternoon. Due to the world we live in, with the constant bombardment of information, it is sometimes impossible to hold that mind set. Surprisingly, I was able to do that for the play Camp Siegfried. And ironically, if I had know the scope of the play - that it was a two-hander and what the subject matter was, I would NOT have wasted my time. Alas, all I knew about the play was that it was playing at the Second Stage Theater Company. What I discovered was that being a part of the Second Stage Theater Company 2022-23m theater season was NOT a good enough reason to blindly purchase a ticket to this production. From the moment it began, I was BORED. My boredom turned to anger when the background of the play revealed itself to me. Even though the two actors were SKILLED, I easily UNINTERESTED in the play and couldn't wait for it to be over... Read more Read less

See it if you are a fan of Francis Jue.

Don't see it if you have high expectations for this off-Broadway play about about Asian characters because you will be disappointed by this presentation.

Also I went into this play knowing NOTHING about the storyline and thus I had no expectations. I was excited to see that Francis Jue was in the cast. I have been a fan of his for years, most recently from the TV series Madame Secretary. As the play progressed, I didn't know what to think. I saw the story going in one direction and yet instead it went in a completely different direction, but NOT IN A GOOD WAY. I found myself BORED, UNINTERESTED, and looking forward to this hour and 45 minute play to be over. To my surprise, there was a plot shift within the play during the last 25 minutes of the play that really held my interests, but the ending on the play was ABRUPT, like a lead pipe hitting the ground. If I had to do it all again, I'd skip this experience.... Read more Read less

See it if a two-handed play about two women examining the choices they have made surrounding the scientific career path choices appeals to you.

Don't see it if a two-handed play about two women examining the choices they have made surrounding the scientific career path choices doesn't appeal to you.

Also Halfway through this play it was revealed to me that there was NO possible satisfying ending to this investment in my time I sat there in the theater watching this play vomit all over itself. My initial reaction was that the younger actress had been completely miscast, unable to fully command the stage with the veteran actress. After further inspection, I came to realize that the veteran actress had been miscast as well. The story is INTERESTING. And even though the writing/language was CLUNKY and overly laden with scientific jargon, the premise of the story was INTERESTING, however, neither of the two actress were skilled enough to really make you believe that they were at their core, birth mother and given up at birth daughter. To top off how WRONG this play went was the ENDING. Instead of the stage going dark after the last line, both actors bowed their heads as if praying. Then they stood up together facing the audience, which was surprisingly applauding. It was just WEIRD!... Read more Read less

See it if you are a fan of musical theater because NOBODY does it better than Stephen Sondheim. PERIOD!!!!!

Don't see it if for some reason you aren't a fan of Stephen Sondheim musicals. This CLEVER musical is one of his best. SHAME ON YOU is you disagree!

Also This 35 year old Stephen Sondheim musical is once again delighting audiences with its return to Broadway. As fate would have it, Sondheim's lyrics are as timely as ever for this 35 year old masterpiece. Ive seen may variations of actors playing the Baker and his wife, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and he Wolf, and of course the Witch. At the performance I attended, actors Stephanie J. Block and Sebastian Arcelus, Krysta Rodriguez, Katy Geraghty and Andy Karl, and Montego Glover rounded out those roles. LOVED the casting, and especially loved David Patrick Kelly as the Narrator/Mysterious Man. But my favorite character of Milky White was FABULOUSLY portrayed by actor/Puppeteer Kennedy Kanagawa. Even though over the course of the last 34 years that I have lived here in NYC and have either seen the original production, the Broadway revival, the Encores production, this current Broadway production, or via the PBS original cast airing on TV, I am still enamored by this work.... Read more Read less

See it if you are looking for an intimate musical that has something to say about the value of the human spirit that can be found in each of us.

Don't see it if an intimate look at the lives of this two character exposed in this beautiful little musical is not your thing. SHAME ON YOU!

Also A friend of mine suggested the two handed musical to me. To my surprise, I LOVED every minute of it. At the beginning to the musical, I could not help but wonder how these two characters lives would eventually intersect. At every turn I kept guessing wrong connection. When it was finally revealed, I loved the surprise as if I had actually figured it before hand, of which I had not. TWO POWERFUL performances by Luba Mason and Caesar Samayoa made this experience more than I could have hoped for. I laughed and cried during this 100 minute show and left the theater feeling better for having had the experience. This was once of those POWERFUL theatrical experiences. Thank you Ellen Fitzhugh book writer/lyricist and Michael John LaChiusa for the music.... Read more Read less

See it if and only if you are a diehard Funny Girl fan, or a fan of Lea Michele, or a fan of Julie Benko.

Don't see it if you are expecting the WOW of the other big 1964 big musical, Hello Dolly. Despite the update of this musical's book, it has arrived DOA!

Also I had never watched the movie Funny Girl from beginning to end until two months before I was experienced the 2022 Broadway revival. To my surprise, I was NOT impressed by the movie (with the exception of the performance of the songs Don't Rain On My Parade, and People). I specifically waited until after Beanie Feldstein left the show before taking the show in. And while I did NOT see Lea Michele in the title role, I did have had the pleasure to catch a performance of Julie Benko on August 30th. Ms. Benko was CHARMING in this "warhorse" of a 58 year old musical. Unlike Beanie Feldstein, Julie Benko has a singing voice and the ability to belt out both Don't Rain On My Parade and People as if the songs were written just for her. So, if you aren't able to see Lea Michele in the show, make sure that you at least get to see Julie Benko. She 's truly worth the ticket. In addition, LOVED Peter Francis James' as Florence Ziegfeld. Great casting move!... Read more Read less

See it if you are looking for a non-traditional kind of play about parenthood.

Don't see it if you walk through the world judging life as only being black or white. This play highlights all the GRAYS that OVERWHELM our everyday lives!

Also I'll be the first one to admit that I am NOT a fan of three character plays. And as irony would have it, there was a fourth character in the play that we NEVER see. However, this play was filled with those INTERESTING, messy, complicated, and crazy moments of the characters lives that make them a unique kind of mirror by where the audience was able to see themselves reflected back with no excuses. I LOVED and LIVED for surprising element of playwright Grant MacDermott. I loved experiencing the unfolding of this unique play happening before me. This is what THEATER is all about.... Read more Read less

See it if and only if you are super hard up to see two BLASTS from your 1970's TV past - Hal Linden and Bernie Kopell - in person, before they die.

Don't see it if you have ANYTHING else to do- counting dust balls under your bed, cleaning the grout from your shower ties or alphabetizing your recipe book

Also I grew up watching Hal Linden on the TV show Barney Miller and Bernie Kopell on the TV show Love Boat. I loved those shows equally and respectfully for different reason. Each of these actors brought different levels of acting ability to each of these different roles they portrayed on their perspective TV shows. Fast-forward to FORTY-FIVE years later, there I am, sitting in the Theatre at St. Clements's watching Hal Linden and Bernie Kopell in the play Two Jews Talking, and COMPLETELY bored off my ass and filled with EMBARRASSMENT for having chosen to be there that afternoon. I could not help notice that EVERY time Bernie Kopell delivered a line, he was looking off stage right for his line. Being that I was seated in the third row (a seat I had NOT CHOSEN), I see the glare of light coming from his teleprompter just off stage right of the stage. When I realized that he was READING his lines from the teleprompter and had NOT memorized them, I was DONE with this production.... Read more Read less

See it if you are a fan of Wendell Pierce. You will NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!!! The buzz from London's West End is ALL TRUE!

Don't see it if you are not a fan of Arthur Miller's work. Every word of this three hour and 15 minutes production is in tact from the original text.

Also I saw the 2012 production of Death of a Salesman starring Philip Seymore Hoffman. Hoffman was amazing in the lead role, but to be honest, I didn't remember ANYTHING else about specific about that production and so I didn't bring any of that baggage with me into the theater that night I saw this currently production. This ensemble of eleven actors, several who play multiple roles, is TOP NOTCH! Their performances had me surprisingly gasping at every pivot turn in the story. It's a POWERFUL piece of theater that SHOULD NOT BE MISSED! Wendell Pierce is destined for a Tony Award this season for his performance.... Read more Read less

See it if you are looking for a play that going to make you look at the world quite differently after experiencing it. The trip is worth it!

Don't see it if you are not ready to have you notion of the world and how it works ROCKED to its core. You'll never forget this play after seeing it.

Also From the moment I saw the set, I knew that this was going to be a very different experience. Before the play started, the director made an announcement that actor Peter Gerety was out sick with Covid and Peter Maloney would be in the role at this performance carrying a script. I frowned at this announcement, but to my surprise Maloney walking around on stage with a script in his hand DID NOT TAKE AWAY from the play one bit. In fact, it actually made his quirky character even more a "personality". This ensemble cast of nine worked together like a well oiled machine as characters exited and entered and exited again all throughout the play. Collectively as an audience, we were like flies on the wall watching this intimate "dance" of human patients interacting at the most venerable moments of their lives inside this medical office waiting room. You held your breath in anticipation of the results of each patient and their surgeries. REVETING stories and performances. DON'T MISS SEEING IT!... Read more Read less

See it if and ONLY if you are trying to impress out-of-town guests with a FREE theater experience.

Don't see it if you value TRADITIONAL PRODUCTIONS of Shakespeare because this is about as NON-TRADITIONAL as you can get from a production of Shakespeare.

Also I HATED IT from the moment to began and just couldn't wait till it was over. I would have gotten up and left afteronly seeing a few minutes of it, but I had invited a guest to accompany me, and out of respect for her, I sat and gritted my teeth through the entire hour and forty minutes to this "production". Surprise surprise, I am NOT A FAN of these Public Works "INFUSED" Shakespeare productions. It was not the evening of Shakespeare in the Park I was expecting. It was FAR WORSE!!!!... Read more Read less

See it if you are interested in seeing a new artist explore a new work.

Don't see it if you are looking for a conventional play. This show is anything but conventional (its biggest selling point).

Also Written and performed by actor/playwright Jade Anouka, Heart: A POETIC PLAY, was truly poetic in verse and that's specifically what I MOST DISLIKED about the play. I came to see a play and not poetic verse being performed. Other than numerous moments where I felt like I was at a poetry battle and not a play, the story-line of the "play" was about as non-traditional as could possibly be with the African American main character discovering that she is a lesbian after bitter divorce from her former white husband. INTERESTING premise which was explored nicely.... Read more Read less

See it if you are looking for an OVER-THE-TOP, LAUGH-OUT-LOUD, PEE-IN-YOUR-PANTS evening in the theater.

Don't see it if you are easily offended by hearing the word CUNT spoken out loud. If so this is NOT the show for you!

Also I just didn't not know how much I needed to see this show until I was there in the audience experiencing the show. This cast is packed with seven FUNNY ladies who will have you wetting yourself due to you finding yourself doubled over with laughter. Julie White is simply BRILLIANT with her ability to make you laugh one minute, then cry the next and back to laughing. Rachel Dratch BLEW ME AWAY with her FULL-ON COMMITMENT to her ZANY character. The surprise for me was Julianne Hough's Broadway debut in the role of Dusty. She more than held her own on that stage of Broadway veterans. BRAVO! Make sure you catch this laugh fest before it closes.... Read more Read less

See it if and only if you have been LONGING to see Julia Murney return to the stage.

Don't see it if you are looking for a theatrical escape for the summertime heat. My advice for you would be go get sunburned which you would enjoy better.

Also Whether or not this new musical was attempting to be a new version of INTO THE WOODS, it didn't even come close to the original, not even in theory! My advice to the book writer Music and lyricist creators would be to SCRAP EVERYTHING and start over. PERIOD!!! Despite my disappoinment with the show there were three noteworthy mentions for this production. The first being Jake David Smith in the role of Price Oliver. This actor is a rising musical star leading man for sure. The second highlight being the Tobin Ost's Sceinic design and Caite Hevner's Projection design. And the third highlight of this production is the comedic efforts of actress Vickie Lewis. Nice to see this veteran comedic actress return to the stage even though it is in the disappointing new musical.... Read more Read less

See it if and ONLY if you jonesing to see actress MaryLouise Burke.

Don't see it if your ticket cost more than $4.50, because you will have paid too much and NOT gotten your money's worth of the theater-going experience.

Also I was drawn to this production to see MaryLouise Burke on stage, PERIOD! I was also happy to learn that Omar Metwally was in the play as well. I had no idea what the play was about but I was sure that I was in for a treat because I like these two actors. Boy was I WRONG! Knowing something about the play you are about to see other than whose in it would have been helpful to me in choosing to see this play or not. Don't misunderstand. I like quirky. I am a HUGE fan of quirky. MaryLouise Burke has made a career on playing quirky characters, that as an audience member I can't help falling for. This was NOT one of those plays nor one of those performances. Clocking in at an hour and fifty minutes (without intermission), I can wholeheartedly agree that sixty minutes would have been more than enough of a serving of this play. If I had to describe this play as a meal, I'd say that it was an appetizer that ate like a entree leaving no room for the main course nor dessert.... Read more Read less

See it if and ONLY if you are a Deirdre O'Connell fan, but please know that THIS play is NOTHING like the brilliant play Dana H.

Don't see it if you have high expectations for a play about a town and a few of its inhabitants being anywhere close to interesting, because they're NOT!

Also Corsicana,the play, is best described partly by the definition of the word BANAL, as so lacking in anything interesting as to be sadly boring. Clocking in at 2 hours and twenty minutes, this snooze fest is mastered by director Sam Gold, but it will NOT be remembered by the time next year's Tony Awards ceremony. The ONLY interesting element of this production is the scenic design by Laura Jellinek and Cate McCrea. I sat bated in my seat, anticipating the next physically shifting of the entire stage into several different and yet interesting positions. It was this movement that kept me engaged and sadly not the story nor that "acting" being depicted on the stage in front me. Oh well!... Read more Read less

See it if you are a fan of the animated film and a fan of Disney in general!

Don't see it if you are looking for some "Lion King-esq" musical because this musical isn't in the same ballpark and thus should be judged on it's on basis.

Also I attended the June 5th matinee performance (for the first time in the shows' eight year Broadway run). It wasn't until intermission that I learned that the performance I attended was COMPLETELY cast with UNDERSTUDIES in EVER role plus five additions to the swing cast ensemble. Guess what? Those UNDERSTUDIES were FANTASTIC!!!! Frank Viveros (Genie) and Pierre Marais (Aladdin) were the perfect paring, as if they had been originally cast in those roles. Keep up the great work!!!!... Read more Read less

See it if and only if you enjoy filling up your spirit with yet another stereotyped black play about young black men in the correctional system.

Don't see it if you are TIRED of experiencing another STEREOTYPED story of young black men. SHAME ON EVERY theater company producing this kind of work!

Also As a Black theatergoer, I am PERPLEXED by the barrage of STEREOTYPICAL black plays getting greenlighted for production by all these Broadway and off-Broadway theater companies. In this time of "WHITE GUILT" being shown by theater producers in the form of greenlighting what seems yo be to be almost ANY substandard black play ever written, I as a black man theatergoer have to sit through these HUMILIATING productions, one after the other, an be ASSAULTED by these STEREOTYPED stories again and again and again. This is NOT the way to bring a new black audience to the theater. SHAME IN YOU for thinking so.... Read more Read less

See it if you are a fan of playwright Tracey Letts work. This one is not to be missed.

Don't see it if a new play which acts as a mirror to reveal the REAL TRUTH about the UGLY PAST of our American country doesn't sound interesting you.

Also I have been a fan of Tracey Letts ever since I sat on the edge off my seat for the 3 hour and five minute production of August: Osage County. Years later, I laughed my ass off as I experienced his clever play about relationships - and Linda Vista. This new play of his uses the backdrop of a local city council meeting to surprisingly reveal the TRUTH about the real history of the town's namesake. The brilliance is that you don't see the punch coming and not seeing the punch coming makes the receiving of the power of the punch even more devastating. WAKE UP AMERICA! A revolution of truth may be heading to your community soon enough.... Read more Read less

See it if the story of friendship is important and relevant to your life.

Don't see it if the story of five woman's friendships are forever changed by the Iranian revolution happening all around them.

Also DISCLOSURE: A woman friend of mine saw the show before me and hated it. As irony would have it, I don't value that woman's opinion on theater and thus, I came to see the show for myself. I enjoyed the show. As a man, I found it surprisingly interesting. As a NON-Iranian, I found it to be a fascinating insight into woman on that side of the world who are surprisingly similar to American women in the way they deal with their friendships. I loved the wedding thread of the story which had me guessing -guessing wrong, but still guessing- as to who would be getting married next. It was an interesting story about friendship and how the importance of friendship plays a role in our very existence in the world.... Read more Read less

See it if and ONLY IF you are a homesick South African longing for a taste of home and even then you would probably still be disappointed.

Don't see it if you are searching for a "WELL-STRUCTURED" new musical worthy of the Miriam Makeba story because this ain't it!

Also I make it my practice to go into seeing a production knowing as little as possible about what I am about to see as possible so that I do NOT bring high expectations into my theater-going experience. So, in preparation for seeing this show, I chose to NOT even read the about the show information sent to me along with my ticket. NOT READING the about the show information proved to NOT SERVE me well. When the show started, I was COMPLETELY lost as to who the main character even was. I hated the staging of the show with the band on stage. The sound quality for the show had the music TOO LOUD and the vocals TOO LOW. I HATED the costumes of the "greek chorus". I hated the presentation - GIMMICK-
of the presentation of the story. It was DISAPPOINTING. It was a wasted evening of too much effort with an UNFLATTERING, UNSATISFYING, UNENJOYABLE result of a lot of effort. The ONLY bright spot of the project it self was the Somi Kakoma. Her voice was amazing. HER vocal skills are magic... Read more Read less

See it if you like baseball or the nude male form or if a clever story about class, race, and sexuality in America strike your fancy.

Don't see it if you hate baseball, or you don't like seeing FULLY NAKED MEN up close, or if a truly American story about coming out make you uncomfortable.

Also As irony would have it, a 20 year old play with a gay black character as the center of the story still is a vibrant and relevant as it was with it first appeared on Broadway back in 2002. This production is lead my the lead actor Jesse Williams, whose manhood is matched by NO ONE else in the cast. The cast is excellent, with Patrick J.Adams putting in a stellar performance along side lead actor Jesse Williams. I am NOT a fan of baseball, but I'd make a play for home base with either one of these cast members. DO NOT MISS "SEEING" this show!!!!!... Read more Read less

See it if you are looking for a new contemporary play that will challenge even the most progressively thinking audience member to examine life choices

Don't see it if you are not open to a multitude of the very wide gay experience. This Tri-generational gay family with make your conservative head explode

Also As a gay black man experiencing 21st century theater works in New York City, I was taken aback by the depiction of this black family with a Tri-generational gay thread running through it as something to ASPIRE to , but not something that is really real. It was such a foreign concept and I keept feeling like I was on the outside looking through a closed window and NOT like I was inside the home, interacting with this "colorful" cast of characters. There were TOO MANY themes running all as once - elder statesman dying, Gay father's dealing with white husband and straight work place and young son grappling with gay boyfriend's NON-MASCULINE persona. In fact, I'm still unpacking all my discomfort and I saw the play three days ago. Contemporary theater is supposed to challenge our way of thinking, but not drown us with too much subject matter to think about all at once.... Read more Read less

See it if you are a fan of Debra Messing and if you are looking for an interesting play which reminds us to make the MOST of our lives here and now.

Don't see it if a 90 minute play about an aging woman reflecting on the choices and consequences of her life doesn't interest you.

Also I have been a fan of Debra Messing ever since I watched the first episode of Will and Grace, but to see her on stage is a real treat (the last time being in the 2014 production of Outside Mullingar). Knowing ahead of time that the play was only 90 minutes, I couldn't help but be skeptical as to how her character would age from 18 to 100 years old without the aid of special effects make-up, but what I forgot was that I a good actor could convey that difference in age and Ms. Messing DELIVERED that message with a punch to the gut in spades. In addition, I LOVED Enrico Colantoni as the character Kenneth. His performance broke my heart. BRAVO Mr. Colantoni! In addition, the entire cast was excellent. Go out and see this play! I'm planning on returning with a special friend.... Read more Read less

See it if and only if you would enjoy a 50 minute diatribe by an angry black man positioned like a modern day Christ on a cross.

Don't see it if you have ANYTHING ELSE better to do, even if it is something as mundane as sitting home and counting countless jars of unwanted pennies.

Also In the vain of the letters INRI written above the head of Christ on the cross, iNegro, a rhapsody, depicted a black character positioned on a cross in modern day garb RANTING at full-speed about the pitfalls of being black in America today. As a black man, I was OFFENDED and EMBARRASSED by this assault on me as a member of the audience and of the greater black community. I have one thing to say to writer/"performer" Kareem M. Lucas. My advice is GET DOWN OFF THAT CROSS and make the world better for our black community and instead of bitching about it from a cross on a stage to a relatively EMPTY audience.... Read more Read less

See it if and only if you are hungry to see another Alice Childress play on the heels of the successful run of Trouble In Mind.

Don't see it if you "ain't interested" in seeing another play about black people set in a time when Black people were not thought of as full citizens.

Also With all its faults, I enjoyed playwright Alice Childress's play Trouble In Mind, but I am sorry to admit that I DIDN'T enjoy Wedding Band. Despite the powerhouse performances of Rosalyn Coleman, Veanne Cox, and Thomas Sadoski, I was DISAPPOINTED by the rest of the cast. As I write this review, I am still not sure if the writing was stilted or just that certain performances by certain cast members were the cause for my disappointment with the play. All in all, I could have skipped this experience especially being that I had to travel all the way to Brooklyn to see it.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see an actress and a play whose performance and words will long me ringing in your ears after you leave the theater.

Don't see it if you are not a fan of one person shows as this master actress plays all the characters -making each character as memorable as the next.

Also OMG! Where has this TALENTED young actress, Felicia Curry, been hiding her talents? Writer Caleen Sinnette Jennings's fascinating story of growing up in Queens New York during the 1960's was like sitting down on a roller coaster ride I will not soon forget and after experiencing it, I am compelled to run out of the theater screaming to everyone I encounter that they need to make sure to NOT MISS seeing this exciting piece of theater.... Read more Read less

See it if family dramas are your thing. There's PLENTY of family drama to go around in this play.

Don't see it if you don't find the discovery of family secret bombshell interesting.

Also I LOVED the set design of this play, housed at New York's Signature Theater. However, I was NOT impressed by the cast of actors who's skill level varied and was overly delinquent in specific cast members - Harrison Chad and Midori Nakamura - the two weakest links of the production. Being that I saw the seventh preview performance, I hope that by opening night, the performances have been tightened up, but I am NOT holding my breath. Ironically, I liked the play, but not as much as I could have if those two weak links were REPLACED by a better "working pieces".... Read more Read less

See it if you value the ability of music to tell you a story you thought you know but surprisingly discovery a much more layered experience.

Don't see it if you are expecting a traditional musical. This show blows the hinges off what a traditional musical can be and give you a richer experience.

Also I entered this musical knowing only a little bit about Nina Simone and was pleasantly surprised and blown away by a powerhouse performance of Laiona Michell. Ms. Michell, takes on not only Nina Simone classics, but othr songs fromm the same era and turns them into Nina Simone classics, at least that how I will now see them. LOVED the theater which housed the show at the New World Stages. It completely heralded the intimacy of the writing and only served to propel the performances of the show itself. BRAVO to a job well done on many levels!... Read more Read less

See it if you are in the mood for a combination of Sarah Silverman's comedy and the genre of musical theater.

Don't see it if you are still dealing with the trauma of having been being a bedwetter. This show will literally rub your face in it, while smiling at you.

Also I was excited to possibly catch an in person glimpse at Sarah Silverman the author herself, but she was not in attendance at the performance I attended. The show is IRREVERENT in ever sense of the word, but with a lot of heart. Lead actress Zoe Glick was the bright ray of sunshine to this cast of newcomers with the exception of Bebe Neuwirth as the character of Nana. I enjoyed the show, only I wish that there was at least one song I left the theater humming.... Read more Read less

See it if you love musical theater and a Sondheim musical was just what you were looking for.

Don't see it if you hate musical theater and are not a fan of Sondheim. This show could be just the thing to change you into a Sondheim fan for life!

Also I had the privilege to see the original 1987 in person and again many times via the live taping of the ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST, which stills airs on PBS stations around the country. Subsequently, I saw the 2002 revival (DISAPPOINTED by the casting with the exception of Vanessa Williams). HATED the 2012 Central Park Delacorte Theater production, despite loving Dona Murphy, And finally, just HATED the 2014 Fiasco Theater Company production at the Laura Pels Theater for EVERY REASON you could think of. This latest production is the closest production that mirrored the original production and that made me satisfied. The cast was WONDERFUL and the show surprisingly felt even more relevant today, 35 years later. Why? Simply answered, its the genius of Sondheim. DO NOT MISS seeing this production.... Read more Read less

See it if and ONLY IF you have NEVER had any experience with this piece of work being performed as play or the poorly conceived 2010 movie adaption.

Don't see it if you saw the original production or if you ever read the play, because this production will leave you scratching your head asking, what the..

Also Shange's series of 20-22 poems, expresses many struggles and obstacles that African-American women may face throughout their lives. The poems are choreographed to music that weaves together interconnected stories. I was dumb-founded/ and disappointed by how much this NEW choreography for this current production OUTSHINED the simple beauty of Shange's words. The ONLY two pieces I found in tact from the play I read in college were Lady in Green's "somebody almost walked off wid alla my stuff" – and Lady in Yellow's "graduation nite". The rest of the play seemed to be new or HEAVILY EDITED of the remaining 20 "choreopoems" that I was either unfamiliar with or uninterested in.... Read more Read less

See it if you are looking for a play that speaks to race in a way that will open you to NEVER be able to look at it the same way again, which is good

Don't see it if you are not looking to have your understanding about race in America challenged, stretched, examined, because this play will do exactly that

Also Dominique Morisseau has captured a unique black voice that speaks to all audiences no matter their color about the pitfalls and hurdles about being black in America both during slavery times and in modern day university setting. DO NOT MISS experiencing this play in all its magic. The cast is powerful and will blow you away by their subtle, funny, brash, and intelligent performances that you will never forget as you walk through your own life to discover these same characters already walking through your current life.... Read more Read less

See it if and only if you aren't able to get an appointment with your therapist this week. Trust me,THIS will be the topic of your next therapy visit!

Don't see it if you really expect a linear case for the play to give even one explanation for the existence of God. The title is a complete MISNOMER!

Also From the moment I stepped into the theater and saw the set, I immediately realized that this is NOT going to be ANYTHING I perceived it to be and of course it wasn't. Thought gifted acted by Kyle Beltran and Will Brill, The play was flawed and CONFUSING, and I'm pretty sure was going in several different directions all at the same time. What? In the end, I left the play not liking either character for different reason, and also not liking the play itself, specifically due to the CONFLICTING messages it left unaddressed.... Read more Read less

See it if and only if you are you are "jonesing" to see Roslyn Ruff (or Priscilla Lopez) on a NY stage again after a 16 month absence.

Don't see it if you were hoping for the next best on stage experience of the puppetry of The Lion King because you will DISAPPOINTED by everything else here

Also I was must admit that I was NOT prepared of expecting the "THEATER OF THE ABSURD" which I experienced. My IGNORANCE of Thornton Wilder as an ABSURDIST playwright and not a as classical theater playwright proved to be my downfall as a lover of this production. While I appreciated the mainly "ALL BLACK CAST", NOTHING could have prepared me for the appearance of the Wooly Mammoth and Brontosaurus Dinosaur on stage with the plays' character treating these two appearances like the family's pet dogs. The one thought that kept shouting loudly in my head was WTF! Has the theater world gone mad or am I secretly a patient in the asylum unbeknownst to me?... Read more Read less

See it if you are looking to hear a NEW voice in the theater community with something interesting to bring to musical theater.

Don't see it if you are looking for a fully developed musical theater piece, because it is still being developed into a pearl with each nights' performance.

Also I LOVED discovering the talented lead actor, Sean Ewing. It was exciting to watch his character's development throughout the musical. This little gem of a show could really be DEVELOPED into a new Broadway musical, but it will need some trimming, cutting, and molding, and maybe even a number of cast changes if it hopes for a run on Broadway.... Read more Read less