MJRL

See it if You want pure entertainment, love masterful production values, can focus on projection and the puppet. Go see it for the puppet.

Don't see it if You want a musical that has memorable music, you can’t handle animal cruelty, or loud noises.

Also I honestly was purely entertained by this, and loved it. I went for the puppet, and got what I wanted. It was worth it for the masterful, lifelike manipulation of the King. Go see this for that, and the projections. I honestly focused on the brilliant projections on the sea, and didn’t allow myself to think about the less than stellar music. This was worth it for King’s entrance, and any time he wasn’t on stage.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see a masterful modern adaptation of Medea that is almost too relevant to our modern times. Brilliant acting that tears at heart

Don't see it if You don’t like Medea, non traditional storytelling, breaking the fourth wall, use of multiple languages, are SPOILER triggered by rape.

See it if you have ever read the monologues, this is the best you will ever see them performed. If you want an affirmation of life.

Don't see it if you don't like monologues, nontraditional, nonlinear shows, dealing with death, folk/song.

See it if You want an entertaining, big Broadway/Disney night at the theatre, with kids. It is a perfectly fine adaptation of the film.

Don't see it if You expect a thought provoking, experimental, kids free, night at the theatre

See it if You’re a fan of ‘The Great Comet,’ nontraditional storytelling, Greek myths, thought provoking slightly cerebral completely sung-thro score.

Don't see it if you want a simple, non complex story that wraps up neatly. A traditional big broadway musical.

See it if You are fascinated with the creation of the tabloid and insight into a powerful man, and want to see some powerful brilliant acting.

Don't see it if You don’t like flashy plays, heavy use of herbal cigarettes, no interest in the press.

See it if You love radical, dark, gritty, reinterpretations of classic musicals.

Don't see it if You are stuck on the classic, you love traditional musicals, like a dark house.

See it if You like experimental plays, bizarre concepts, plays that make you think.

Don't see it if You like traditional, linear, plays with resolution.

Also The play started out strong. I really enjoyed the concept, and the plays unique structure, but I almost wish that it had stayed that way. I am not sure where the play went, or what the playwright was trying to say. The strong concept that hit you right out of the gate slowly lost me as the play wore on.

The playwright’s obvious knowledge of traditional theatre forms, and jokes on that made me laugh. The character joking about feeling a strong sense to declare her transformation at the end of the play was funny, but in the end I felt there was no resolution, i felt the play went nowhere, but was that the point of this play? I don’t know. I think it’s ok to not understand exactly what this play was. It was absolutely unique.... Read more Read less

See it if Strong singing, well acted, see it if you're a Kushner fan.

Don't see it if You don't like sung through musicals, or cerebral lyrics, or metal chairs.

See it if You want to see a masterclass of acting by Cillian Murphy. If you like experimental theatre, or like the book.

Don't see it if You need to completely understand everything you are seeing. You don’t like loud noise, or can’t process grief.

Also I may not have processed, understood every word, or heard everything that happened, but I know/felt everything that was going on. The silent moments in this play were truly the best moments, and that’s what I walked away with, and will stay with me.... Read more Read less

See it if You’re a Susan Lori Parks fan, like nontraditional, episodic theatre, like being confronted by performance and performers.

Don't see it if You expect a traditional, linear, narrative.

Also I can’t wait to see what else this playwright has in store. No one leaves unchecked in this performance.... Read more Read less

See it if you like experimental theatre, poetical , epic tales of an immigrant family rising and falling, brilliant actors playing multiple roles.

Don't see it if you don't like epic, long plays that jump through history, third person narration, non traditional dialogue.

Also The acting was absolutely brilliant. It was a masterpiece just watching them change character on a split second. The language was beautiful.... Read more Read less

See it if See it only if you are a super fan of the film. If you have children. If you love Disney. If you want a light evening at the theatre.

Don't see it if You want thought provoking theatre, complex story telling, actually good production values, or if you need a completely respectful audience

Also I was expecting amazing production value because of the money Disney has going into the production, but the projections were extremely cheesy, and frankly bad. The Harry Potter play achieved actual stage magic that amazed me, and I expected a lot more from
Disney, and this production has a lot less special effects. I honestly wish I could get the past two hours back. Just watch the film. It’s better.

I enjoyed some of the additions added to the musical, but ‘Hygge’ has to be the worst musical number currently on Broadway, and I am saying this because I think it ruined the entire show for me. It could have been thrown away completely, and was a lame attempt at ‘Be Our Guest’ + the bottle dance in ‘Gaston.’

Patti Murin, and Cassie Levy were my reasons of finally going to see it, and they were great with the material. I enjoyed the acting.... Read more Read less

See it if you like the stars, want to see Ethan Hawke go full out, love Sam Sheppard.

Don't see it if you dont like plays without a tidy ending, you don't like dark comedies.

See it if you like Alice in Wonderland, want to see a GREAT ensemble, you like the music of Duncan Sheik/Steven Sater.

Don't see it if you want a traditional retelling of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, you have a problem with really bad british accents.

Also The show needs to be much more subtle, and completely reworked. It has some great moments, but it hits the audience over the head with the problems Alice is having, and its message. I have no idea why it is set during World War II. It needs to set up its story much more clearly, and set up why we care about the main characters more. I was just confused about why I should care. It was absolutely worth seeing because of the ensemble. Heath Saunders, Grace McLean, Wesley Taylor, and Colton Ryan were the best parts of the show and killed it. The entire ensemble was great.... Read more Read less

See it if MUST see for Bryan Cranston’s masterful manipulation of IVH’s trademark use of cameras.

Don't see it if You don’t like nontraditional theatre. The characters were somewhat non engaging, and I did find myself bored when Cranston wasn’t on stage.

See it if See it for the brilliant performance by Elaine May who completely deteriorates infront of your eyes as she loses more and more of her mind.

Don't see it if you are easily upset by the process of getting older, and losing one's mind, senility, and taking care of one's mother/grandmother.

See it if you love Bob Dylan, you like untraditional narratives, multiple characters, piecing together a story.

Don't see it if you want a traditional musical where music directly carries on the narrative, or exactly reflects the situation. Clear cut main characters

See it if you have ever felt lost, or unseen. If you want to see a musical that deals with these sensitive topics, you want a cathartic experience.

Don't see it if you have a hard time dealing with sensitive subjects such as suicide, and depression.

See it if You want to see a real time extremely topical drama unfold in front of you. If you like Scandal.

Don't see it if you are expecting likeable characters.

See it if You are interested in "The Troubles," dark humour, irish history, great storytelling.

Don't see it if You don't like violence, or long nights at the theatre.

See it if You love immersive, and different kinds of theatre. If you want a completely new experience, and love Hitchcock and Macbeth.

Don't see it if You can't stand 3 hours, or walk around through a 5 story warehouse, or if you arent interested in a fully immersive story.

See it if You loved The Great Comet. You love folk music, love innovative/untraditional staging and storytelling. Love Greek mythology. Want new music

Don't see it if You don't like untraditional musicals, or completely sung through scores.

See it if Immersive, non traditionally staged, double cast, heavily integrated with song and dance production of a Shakespeare classic appeals to you.

Don't see it if You expect a traditional production of Shakespeare, and don’t want to have your view blocked, or have to turn to see the actors around you.

See it if You are a fan of Adam Driver. He steals the show.

Don't see it if You want a fast paced, dramatic, action driven, night at the theatre.

Also The first scene’s exposition nearly killed me. I was so bored. The most interesting part of this play was Adam Driver, and he should be the deciding factor on whether one should see the show or not.... Read more Read less

See it if You love Carol King and want to learn about her life. Want an entertaining, light, night at the theatre.

Don't see it if You expect anything other than a typical jukebox musical that blasts through snippets of songs written.

See it if You want to see a brilliantly performed Arthur Miller classic, that delves into complex human behavior.

Don't see it if The everyday seems boring to you. If you don’t like period dramas.

See it if You want a nice, light, entertaining night at the theatre with some serious themes.

Don't see it if You are looking for a provoking, experimental, thought inspiring night at the theatre.

See it if You like abstract musicals, nontraditional styling, can focus on the music and not the plot.

Don't see it if Like traditional, PLOT DRIVEN, shows that make sense, tidy up neatly at the end or Big, flashy musical numbers.

Also I love Grace McLean, and I love her music. I had such high expectations about this show. The music was gorgeous. It was introspective, but I was expecting more traditional storytelling about the life of Hildegard von Bingen and I just sat through this musical confused. The ending was abrupt, baffling, as we had no context to what was happening in the world. Sometimes the looping/beat boxing felt out of place, and the actual libretto/text felt out of place. I wish she had more time to write this musical because it seems like there wasn’t enough time to investigate all the themes that she wanted to.... Read more Read less

See it if You love fun, non traditional, non reverential, interdisciplinary pieces of theatre.

Don't see it if You don’t like INCENSE, nudity, burlesque, sexual humor, nontraditional episodic narrative told through movement/songs, not words.

Also The show started off with the strongest act, and I was immediately hooked. I loved the choreography and how referential it was to other dances. In a market that is over saturated with interpretations of Alice in Wonderland, this was definitely original.... Read more Read less

See it if You love Dave Molloy’s work, and sound, and genius lyrics. You are addicted to the internet.

Don't see it if You don’t like a capella, mostly sungthrough musicals, cerebral pieces, nontraditional, non action based pieces.

Also Once again Dave Molloy has created a genius score on themes that you wouldn’t even think would work. If you love his sound, and think he is a genius, you will love this show. Not every character’s story works. There was one moment that I thought didn’t work at all, but as a whole, this piece was beautiful, and spoke to me, and spoke to a time where people are more interested in staring at their screens for various reasons than engaging in the world. There are no judgments made against the characters who do so, but it’s just presented as truth.

If you have always wanted to hear a musical calling out internet commenters, or using the phrase “I’ve been cancelled” in a brilliant way. This is for you... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see a revival done right. Henry Haden Patten steals the show.

Don't see it if You don’t like classic musicals. Can’t sit for 3 hours.

Also It’s refreshing to see a revival actually take the material and make choices to bring agency to the lead female character. I could see Eliza actually watching, and observing everything around her.... Read more Read less

See it if You’re in high school, fan of joe iconis, want a sci fi take of the high school loser trope.

Don't see it if You want intellectual, thought provoking, lyrically masterful, complex musical theatre, with 3 dimensional women.

Also I personally enjoyed my time with ‘Be More Chill.’ I enjoyed the sci fi take, and thought that was very original, but I thought, do we need another high school boy who doesn’t want to be a loser anymore? The women are very flat. But Will Roland was an absolute star, Jason Tam was perfectly cast, and the understudy I saw for Michael stoke the show. I was entertained.... Read more Read less

See it if You love Daveed Diggs, discussions of complex issues on race, slavery, Black Lives Matter, fantastic acting,

Don't see it if A confrontational approach to racial power dynamics a la the Stanford Prison experiment would be upsetting.

Also The most realistic (to a degree) of Susan Lori Parks plays, and maybe the most directly, and obviously relevant to what is happening with Black Lives Matter. It is a must see. Truly fantastic acting, and the single tears falling down Daveed Digg’s face at the end of each act made it for me.... Read more Read less

See it if GLENDA JACKSON! You want to see an absolute master at work. A great ensemble piece. If you like nontraditional casting, and Shakespeare.

Don't see it if You don’t like Shakespeare or Phillip Glass. Prefer traditional Adaptations of Shakespeare or don’t have a long attention span.

Also I don’t like King Lear as a play, and I really enjoyed this production. It is 100% worth seeing for the tour de force performance by Glenda Jackson, and the wonderful portrayal of the fool by Ruth Wilson. This production balances the foolishness of Lear at the beginning, and made me feel for all three of his daughters, feeling awful about their cruelty to him.... Read more Read less

See it if Like Sondheim, like paired down musicals with minimum set and costumes. Like to think about what you’re seeing.

Don't see it if You like soaring melodies, want a straight forward narrative, if you want to see giant production numbers.

Also This musical has always been considered problematic because it is told backwards. I think they did a brilliant job of working through this, and staging it, and it is a must see if you are a Sondheim fan, and want to see a great version of this production. I just have a problem with how outdated it seems. The character of Mary is hardly fleshed out at all, and I did spend a lot of time trying to see if the year jumps lined up with what happened.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see two brilliant actors deliver serious monologues, if you are a fan of Jake Gyllenhaal or Tom Sturridge.

Don't see it if you don't like monologues, you don't like heavy subject matter involving death and parenthood.

See it if You want to make Fetch Happen. You want a light, funny, amusing night at the theatre. You enjoyed the film.

Don't see it if You hate the movie, or can’t get over that it is different from the film. If you don’t like satire, or you want serious theatre.

See it if You love the Great Gatsby. It is meant to be heard out loud. But don’t confuse that for a play. It is a reading, with actors.

Don't see it if You expect drama or you can’t sit in a theatre for 6 hours. It’s not that. It is a reading of a book with staging.

See it if you want to see a brilliantly written, and acted play about a homosexual man dealing with his lovers, and his mother.

Don't see it if you don't like frank conversations about sexuality/sexual situations. If you don't like stories that feature homosexual men.

See it if you are a Harry Potter fan. You want to see stage magic.

Don't see it if you don't like fanfiction. You cannot separate the images of the characters in your head with the actors on stage. You cannot watch 7 hours.

Also The more times that I see this, the more I have extreme issues with how much this seems like a fan fiction. The issues with the plot points, and with things that contradict what was said in the book bug me more and more as I am less distracted by the stage magic. But I one hundred percent recommend this play for people to see because of the fantastic acting (Anthony Boyle steals the show), and the marvelous stage magic that makes you wonder how on earth they pull it all off. It makes you feel like magic is actually real, and it brings me back to my childhood.... Read more Read less

See it if you love the world of snooker. It was entertaining, but pointless. See it if you love snarky commentary on snooker playing.

Don't see it if you are expecting the hilarity of 'One Man, Two Guvnors' because it does not live up to that. The plot completely fizzles out.

Also I personally couldn't care about the world of Snooker, and that was half of the problem. Ben Schnetzer was the best part of the show, his acting was great.... Read more Read less

See it if You like a strong, all female cast, dealing with topics such as bullying, and beauty standards in a 1986 African school.

Don't see it if You don't like mean girls, gossip, school lunchtime, or bullying.

See it if You love immersive theatre. You love Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and also the backstory of Alice Liddle and Lewis Carroll.

Don't see it if You want to be in charge of where you're going. You want a linear narrative.

See it if You love history, you love witty and smart wording. You love a love story.

Don't see it if you absolutely hate rap, and wouldn't be open to it.