Mitch

See it if you like large cast musicals based on true historical situations, touching on immigrants and race. Good story but so much is wrong.

Don't see it if you're hoping for an inspiring or uplifting American story (a la Ragtime). Wrong set, repetitious dancing, too many actors, little emotion.

See it if you grew up with Michael Jackson's music. It won't disappoint. The dancing and ensemble work together to tell one day's story in his life.

Don't see it if you're expecting a expose on the controversies in his life. This is about his musical life with some references to his family.

See it if you want to see a historically ground-breaking play that lacks the impact due to a more "aware" society (we hope).

Don't see it if good acting about a serious subject (pedophilia) is not enough for your money.

See it if you love Sondheim songs. A great new concept makes the original show feel new. When it works, it's great. When it doesn't, it disappoints.

Don't see it if marriage is sacred and you don't like to "think"...or you need a traditional plot... or if the original 1970 version is sacred.

See it if you're in need of a socially-relevant comedy about ex-cons working in a truck stop eaterie. Not extraordinary but very enjoyable.

Don't see it if you need to be wowed with deep meaning. The acting is good, the writing is good, and I never thought I would fall asleep. Not overwhelming.

See it if you can use a refreshing break from the terrible news. The dancing, music & performances are all fun. Rob McClure does a great job! Worth it

Don't see it if you want something profound. It's just fun. Nothing earth-shattering, but nothing bad either.

See it if you like backstage stories, good acting, a relevant look at 1950's racial past through the eyes of Black and White actors & theatre history.

Don't see it if you have no interest in the historical interaction of Black and White actors and how society has changed and not changed.

See it if you want to add to your Black-themed historical knowledge of musical theater, especially operetta-style, with cliche characters and ideas.

Don't see it if you want to see a musical that will move you (except a few Act 2 moments) or with musical themes that stay with you.

Also Some really good voices, although the overlapping lyrics often make it hard to understand what they're saying. In general, the lyrics were OK or mediocre. How did Tony Kushner take a potentially interesting situation (and forget to write a plot or characters that were more than cliche Blacks and Jews. I was uninvolved and I really wanted to be involved. I rarely turn to my neighbor at the end of Act 1 and say 'I think I hate this'.... Read more Read less

See it if you like drama told thru narrators who then act out some scenes with a few songs. ANOTHER coming-of-age story with nothing new. Good cast.

Don't see it if "Story-Theater" and Russian society is not your idea of excitement.

See it if you like well-written, family situations with a few twists. A great combo of top actors and solid direction for a good evening of theater.

Don't see it if elder-divorce and messy adult children are not your idea of a funny situation, or if you need shock value topics to entertain you.

See it if you loved the movie enuf that you don't need any contemporary relevance added to the original plot.

Don't see it if you expect a musical and want to be entertained for 2 hours (no intermission and no re-admittance!).

See it if you like Starmites or Be More Chill - cartoon plots, cartoon emotions, stick figures performing semi-rock songs with good energy and upbeat.

Don't see it if you want more than high school and millennial ideas of what life is about. It is much more enjoyable than Head Over Heels or Be More Chill.

See it if innovative dance, video, concept, staging w/ a young dynamic cast excites you. Same story, very different version. The ending still powerful

Don't see it if you don't like remakes playing with your original memory of WSS, you don't like serious stories, or you don't like previews. Opens Feb 20.

See it if a funny and moving story of progress in gay America through the eyes of a gay writer looking for his voice interests you. A quick 3+ hours.

Don't see it if you don't like gay-themed, sexually- explicit (no actual sex) stories, no matter how well done or if 3+ hrs w/2 breaks is impossible for you

See it if you love Tina Turner music used to tell the good and often awful moments in her life, as portrayed by a solid cast & an amazing leading lady

Don't see it if you are tired of music star bios and jukebox musicals, even if the story is well-told.

See it if you like Horton Foote plays - well-written depicting simple people from 1950 Texas with Foote's unique insight into the human condition.

Don't see it if you prefer the drama and despair of "Death of a Salesman" to a more simple family story of tempered anguish in the South / 1950s.

See it if you appreciate an emotional and mostly-entertaining story about the continuing impact of HIV on the Black community and all of us. Worth it!

Don't see it if you hated plays like Normal Heart or As Is that have something important to say while telling an upsetting story.

See it if you appreciate the art of "clowning" and/or you have young kids who enjoy clowns. The music and sound drive the entire show.

Don't see it if you want more than a few moments of fun and poignancy. When the clowns engage the audience (the interval & the ending), then it's mildly OK.

See it if you like paying a lot of money for a mediocre theme-park story with one famous song (good voices).

Don't see it if well...just don't.

See it if you enjoy plays that make your mind work hard while keeping you engrossed throughout. Good laughs & many disturbing ideas worth exploring.

Don't see it if you can't sit for 2 hrs 10 min without an intermission and are afraid to confront racial and sexual issues in our society.

See it if good inventive pop music with a simplistic plot is enuf: Black man framed by white husband of girl he screws is convicted & dies. That's it.

Don't see it if you care about clearly hearing more than 30% of the lyrics and if you want to care about the characters.

See it if you like movie star biopics with clever re-purposing of Judy Garland's many hit songs. For those who remember her and the studio system.

Don't see it if you have no idea who she is, the people in her career and what she is famous for.

See it if if you liked Starmites, Be More Chill and other not-so-deep musicals. Based on Macbeth and the creation of McDonald's it should be more fun.

Don't see it if if you want more than just a few good hearty laughs. Not fanciful enough and not insightful enough.

See it if you've never read the book or seen the movie. It's important. Otherwise, it's a well-told but not-necessary expensive ticket.

Don't see it if you are well-versed in the original film/novel and want to be moved beyond what you already know and appreciate.

See it if you like "angst" musicals, this one about a "fat black gay" man who is writing a show about writing a musical. Funny & powerful sometimes.

Don't see it if strong language, gay sexual themes, & the effects of his family's Christian anti-gay doctrine.

See it if you're interested in the family story of a gay Ugandan who's reality is threatened by his nation's laws & his brother's Christian dogma.

Don't see it if you're tired of listening to the insulting arguments by The Church about homosexuality resulting in violence and prison...as in Uganda.

See it if a 115-minute musical comedy about a small town of warm, kind Canadians showed travelers how we ought to respond to the Sept 11 attacks.

Don't see it if you are too jaded to appreciate good kind-hearted people singing and dancing with kindness in their hearts.

See it if you like seeing good actors make something out of nothing and if you like political back-stories. Professionally done & at times interesting

Don't see it if you prefer absorbing theatre with a purpose and great insight.

See it if you love to watch two absolutely amazing actors perform a gentle story of injured people learning to share their pain and calling it love.

Don't see it if you expect a play of consequence. This is at most a 'character study' starring 2 great actors (Audra,Shannon) making each moment believable.

See it if you like your shows to mix joy with ideas, stories with poignancy, stand-up with relevance - a thought-provoking educational romp.

Don't see it if you can't stand solo shows (with 2 more people!), are closed-minded Trump-ites, and don't respect or like women.

See it if you want a pleasant musical with some extremely funny lines and enjoyable musical numbers based on a movie plot.

Don't see it if you want something totally original and full of surprises with spectacle and originality.

See it if you appreciate Shepard dramas of despair with self-indulgent long-ass monologues and a hard-working cast without a pay-off.

Don't see it if you don't appreciate Shepard plays and his take on life as an existence of despair.

See it if you like a clever fun story about older sisters with two wonderful actresses (and a surprisingly good male actor too).

Don't see it if you need purpose or relevance beyond a good surprise and well-thought-out characters.

See it if you like serious musical fables with little humor but romantic themes told through jazz/folk musical numbers. Good cast commands the stage.

Don't see it if you prefer traditional musical comedy or don't like re-telling of love-themed classical fables.

See it if you have a sense of humor about death, and like refreshing musical comedy numbers with a touch of heart -some fun magic too.

Don't see it if you didn't like the film although it's just different enough from the film to feel "new".

See it if you like masterful surrealism told with massive doses of social commentary plus lots of technology and of course the great Bryan Cranston.

Don't see it if you're looking for romanticism, upbeat fun. This is a tale of woe with so much irony, it can burn you.

See it if you like Motown era songs, and quality jukebox shows "Jersey Boys" and "Beautiful". Too much narration & not enough dramatic action.

Don't see it if you don't know and like the Motown music (shame on you) or you don't care about pop/R&B music history.

See it if you like a mix of family and political drama and can handle heavy Irish accents over a 3 1/4 hour running time. Good acting & direction.

Don't see it if you prefer your drama to be American contemporary themes and you have a short attention span. And if Irish accents drive you crazy.

See it if you value long-lost female-written plays from an earlier time but with relevant themes comparing religious fads vs deep conviction. 90 min.

Don't see it if you have no interest in a one-room old-fashioned family drama with only one major concern: dancing as a tool of the devil.

See it if you can overlook a simplistic plot/theme a la "Starmites" (Sci-Fi w/no depth). Staging & cast work hard to deliver some humor w/ the angst.

Don't see it if you don't like pop/rock musicals and need multi-levels in character, plot, and theme. This is a one-note pony about teenage angst.

See it if you are willing to forgive the bad and be amazed at the stagecraft. The critics were wrong to slam it but come with low expectations.

Don't see it if the best visuals in history are not enuf to overcome the fact that we all know the story details at every turn.

See it if your taste likes a combo of humor and provocation in extraordinary writing. Good cast but the extra-powerful need for love is missing.

Don't see it if you can't sit thru 3 hours of gay-themed family issues, even with lots of laughs. It's a good revival of an extraordinary play.

See it if you are willing to simply enjoy a great office party talent show with 2 worthy voices with 2 great duets in Act 2. Unremarkable but fun.

Don't see it if you cannot get over your jaded, cynical, bah-humbug, NYC self. Very cheesy with 5 smiley backup singers. 2 hrs w/intermission is a bit long

See it if you like well-written characters, emotional situations told thru a new lens, and a playwright who actually cares about everyone in his play.

Don't see it if you can't handle gay themes even when told with heart and intelligence.

See it if you like good but not great drama with only one relevant message. It gets emotional but it feels like it was written years ago. Good acting.

Don't see it if if you want deep insight into characters and clever perspective on a gay marriage theme without great insights.

See it if you are open to a weird combination of fun, often very funny and silly, with serious themes of gay acceptance, musical with dancing kids.

Don't see it if you bring hate and homophobia with you and don't like traditional musicals.

See it if you want to feel the reason we all work in theater. Many performers are stand-outs. The show delivers dancing joy. Badly dated sometimes.

Don't see it if you're dead or hate musicals. There are very old references that Bennett would have updated. (Please let someone update it on his behalf!)

See it if you like stand-up about cynical (and funny) family issues

Don't see it if if you want more than a good Netflix comedy special

See it if you like heavy British accents and snooker (which is more fun than the script). Much of the cast is good, but acting & direction is uneven.

Don't see it if you want a play that makes a point, any point. It fails to be funny enough to make you forget its flaws.