MJRL

See it if You enjoy dark comedies, gallows humor, Martin McDonagh’s other works, if you’re a fan of Mark Addy or Dan Stevens.

Don't see it if You want to see a happy comedy, or don’t like dark subject matter, dealing with executions.

Also Not my favorite Martin McDonagh play, but I enjoyed it.

See it if You want to see a haunting tale told in an atmospheric location, brilliant acting, and you like scary stories.

Don't see it if You don’t like jump scares, ghost stories, easily predictable plots, low budget sets for a high price ticket, uncomfortable chairs.

See it if you want to see a play that has been perfectly cast, with each actor shining in their role. A hilarious family drama that really resonates.

Don't see it if you don't like dark comedies, intense family dramas, or don't like August Osage County.

See it if You enjoy a modern reinterpretation of a classic, brilliant acting, hilarious feminist reading of the material.

Don't see it if You don’t like feminist reinterpretations of classic novels, that sometimes go too far and hit you over the head with the material.

Also I really really enjoyed the first act. But I ended up felt like I was being hit over the head by the feminist material in the second act. We get it. At that point it went too far and took me out of the play every single time they had to make a point about one of the character’s agency.... Read more Read less

See it if You want a teen show done right. Brilliant singing, an amazing ensemble,

Don't see it if You don’t like coming of age tales, the 80s, the young boy falling for the troubled teen girl trope, multiple plot points that go nowhere.

Also From the inventive opening moment of the show, I knew that I would have a great night, and that I would love the show. I was right. If you love the film, you will love the musical version.

While there are definitely moments that are rough, like plot points that go absolutely nowhere. Eamon and his dad? The bully possibly being gay? These are intriguing and are seemingly dropped for the standard plot of boy trying to get edgy troubled girl.

I saw the first preview and I can’t wait to go back later in the run when the full set is in, and the show settles in.... Read more Read less

See it if Powerful storytelling that still resonates today, truth, women connecting on stage.

Don't see it if You don’t like non traditional, non linear, poems, stories, chants, not catching every word. Can’t deal with intense sexual/violence. Slow.

See it if you love the stars, want to see a brilliantly acted piece where every silence matters, and don’t mind a plot in reverse.

Don't see it if You don’t like non traditional plays, or the weakest scenes being at the end, or minimalist sets, or paying attention to what’s not said.

See it if You like plays that make you wonder what is happening, make you uncomfortable, have frank discussion about race, relationships, & sex.

Don't see it if violent and/or sexual situations will trigger, you are looking for a family friendly show

Also This show takes an extremely out there premise, and really delves into the ingrained feelings that people have in interracial relationships, and the sexual dynamics between partners. It’s intention is to provoke. It makes you think, and is supposed to bring you out of your comfort zone. Absolutely go see this for the masterful acting.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see brilliant performers improvising rap based on audience suggestions in a high energy, fun evening that can’t be replicated.

Don't see it if You don’t like rap, unscripted shows highly based on audience suggestions, or if you want a traditional musical experience.

See it if You want to learn about our constitution, and how it fails in the protection of women, in a thought provoking, hilarious, truthful play

Don't see it if You want a traditional, lighthearted play that doesn’t break the 4th wall.

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 want to see small town politics at work in a one room drama. You want to see a master playwright in his own play.

Don't see it if You don’t like political dramas, or plays that reference tough historical matters. You need a play with a lot of action.

See it if You want to see a standout performance by Rose Byrne, as she continues to lose control over her life.

Don't see it if You don’t like modern adaptations, Ivo Van Hove type camera projections on stage, family dramas dealing with mental illness, violence.

See it if You want to see a master performance by Ruth Negga

Don't see it if you can’t stand overly produced works. An over abundance of lighting, and sound effects, and transitional moments after EVERY scene change.

Also A BRILLIANT performance by Ruth Negga,she was utterly believable, but unfortunately the show dragged. The pacing was so slow, and the violence was hard to believe. The show suffers from too much design.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to be pleasantly surprised by the depth of emoji emotions, and some clever lines, and catchy songs.

Don't see it if You hate emojis, pop culture, bathroom humor, or expect a a show with fully drawn out characters.

See it if You love burlesque, extremely talented, over the top, highly skilled, raunchy performances, beautiful singing, and tricks you’ve never seen.

Don't see it if You expect anything close to the nutcracker, or any nutcracker appearance. You like narrative.

Also I was extremely disappointed in this production as a multiple time viewer of Queen of Hearts, and as a Nutcracker fan. There was absolutely no narrative, and they just jumped into “candyland” which seemed to be the extremely thin thread holding this overly long piece together.

There were some MAGNIFICENT ACTS THAT BLEW MY MIND (looking at you Static Trap). But why does the contortionist get two songs, and is the cigarette a requirement? It made zero sense in this production.

The ending was not at all earned because the nutcracker had zero presence in the show, and Clara was pretty useless throughout.

I cringed every time the magician came on stage. I was appalled at the material written for him to introduce the women.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see Kushner’s first play redone, brilliant acting, obvious parallels of Hitler’s rise to Trump’s America.

Don't see it if You can’t sit through a 3 hour play, can’t stand constant interruptions of action by incidental observational characters.

Also High themes and smart writing are par for the course for a Kushner play. To borrow a phrase said by one of the characters, the edits made to the play as the playwright tries to make the play work make it grandiose. Not only does it not work, but it just beats the audience over the head with the theme, and it’s call to action over and over. They could easily cut one third of the play, and pick up the pacing to make it half an hour shorter.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see brilliant casting in a cult classic.

Don't see it if You don’t like humorous murder, the inability to understand all of the words, or complicated endings.

See it if You want to see masterfully acted monologues, and have a thoughtful night at the theatre.

Don't see it if You don’t like monologue plays, quiet moments, introspection, sensitive topics dealing with life, and death, children, and parents.

See it if You are in the mood for a quirky, all over the place, story about Lautrec’s life told in a really fun space.

Don't see it if You will be offended by terrible French accents, want a traditional narrative of H. De T. Lautrec’s life.

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.