See it if you love Shaw and are happy to seek out alternative presentations of even his lesser-known (less perfect) plays
Don't see it if you cannot see past wavering accents and occasional soapboxing to a sprawling larger theme: we're made whole by our joyful imperfections
Also This is not Shaw's most trenchant or laser-focused play, but it's vint... Read more Read less
See it if you love operatic singing and if you understand this is only R&H's SECOND (!) circa 1945 foray into creating the American musical genre
Don't see it if you can't handle narrative segues into the afterlife that don't have an existential character-propelled resolution
See it if you're curious and unafraid of the complexities of life--and existence--and thus of ourselves. Wholly unique, challenging and entertaining
Don't see it if you'd rather be spoon-fed pablum for entertainment
Also Baba's evolved into an ecstatically happy dad-rapper who happens to be... Read more Read less
See it if Paula Vogel's play is a masterwork of historical dissection through a prism of love despite the distance of time. Tears and sobs were heard
Don't see it if You dislike themes of the human heart and heartbreaking history mucking up your song and dance
See it if you can appreciate that epic wars can be fought off the battlefield...in lipstick and heels, furs and smiles. If you love a smart script.
Don't see it if you need non-stop spectacle and a minimum of dialogue in your musicals. This show condenses the lifetimes of two great warrior women.
See it if you haven't seen the Gloria Swanson film (I didn't know the story, either)--and prepared to be wowed by the story of reflecting loves
Don't see it if you don't understand the appeal of old movies, other eras, black-and-white glamour
See it if you suffer headline news nausea and are willing to go where ridiculousness reigns with a surprisingly canny eye for human nature.
Don't see it if you need lots of words and literal metaphors; this could be silent film noir, true theater of the absurd. Adorable w/ a terrific set
See it if I walked out at intermission and loved every moment of HER PORTMANTEAU. This play should have been condensed to 90 min to great effect.
Don't see it if You have no patience for a gifted playwright and director both still finding their way to the short, economical path between pts (start/end)
Also I understand there's a lot of weight being carried by this play cycle ... Read more Read less
See it if honestly, there is nothing not to love about this high-energy explosion of goodwill and rhythm
Don't see it if loud noises make you flinch!
See it if you need a family event that will safely embrace offspring of all ages--verbal, pre-verbal, multi-lingual
Don't see it if you're seeking an intellectual experience (but it does have an uplifting immigrant back story).
See it if you like Beckett. You appreciate the absurdity of life. You can appreciate the influence of Beckett on the absurdity of life and vice versa.
Don't see it if you don't like two-person theater in a minimal setting in which words/concepts/the human condition are interchangeable metaphors.
See it if you're willing to park your expectations at the door, and enjoy peeking into the workings of brainiac improv artists (and the rest of us).
Don't see it if you're only fulfilled by guffaws and pratfall comedy, 'cause this strives for so much more that you can carry with you out the door.
Also I don't know him, but I've seen every Baba show and applauded his sear... Read more Read less
See it if You think ancient Greek dramas can be brought to life in mixed vernacular, and are unafraid to scrutinize given history from another's view
Don't see it if You have no tolerance for a bit of histrionic over-the-topness in your Greek tragedies.
See it if You want to see first-hand how a "classic" can deliver greatness, depth and insight on a modern platform
Don't see it if you aren't ready to settle in for a 3.5-hour examination of human nature and its consequential tragedy. Or if you're a superficial patriot.
See it if you can deal with true theater that breaks through all kinds of preconceptions as to what theater should be...and comes 'round again.
Don't see it if you have preconceived notions of what theater should be. And you fear techniques like binaural sounds
See it if you're 2, 92, illiterate, non-English-speaking, sober or senile--this is the mother of all Broadway must-sees.
Don't see it if ...I can't think of anyone who wouldn't love it.
See it if You like mind candy and spectacle that's really light in the "meaningful" dept (I walked out at intermission)
Don't see it if you like your theater thoughtful, provocative, resonant or narrative-driven
See it if you're fascinated how history can be just as riveting and relevant to our times as it was then. And if you like theater up close & personal.
Don't see it if you're more comfortable seeing Shakespeare on a distant, elevated stage in tony digs
Also An exhilarating experience--timely, unabashedly passionate and right o... Read more Read less
See it if you want to see a revolutionary, genre-bending musical history
Don't see it if you don't wanna blow $200 on a theater ticket....but you won't regret, I swear!
See it if you enjoy quirky talk about food and ethnic backgrounds
Don't see it if you like your theater disciplined and tightly plotted
See it if You think a "kids' story" can speak to everyone
Don't see it if you're cynical
See it if you want to hear some righteous roots of rock-n-roll. from behind Elvis' guitar
Don't see it if you don't wanna know the story behind the music
See it if you want relief from that punched-in-the-gut feeling and need to know that entire country hasn't gone crazy (no, it's always been teetering)
Don't see it if Honestly, there's no reason anyone, whatever their interpretation of democracy, shouldn't see this show. Go. Take your worst relatives. Go.
Also I wasn't expecting a lot, and actually I was gingerly hoping it wouldn... Read more Read less
See it if you think it might be possible to create a full Broadway extravaganza out of a bathtime squeezetoy and come away with lessons to live by
Don't see it if you think the existing tv shows/toys/fan base define the limits of imagination
See it if you wanna enjoy a Broadway pleaser as it hatches from its shell. Broad comedy, a juicier plot but with nuances that will reward you.
Don't see it if You take your Shakespeare only seriously--cos this one dares to paint the roles red, and lets the actors go to town. Hella fun!
Also Take a chance on this one before you have to pay Broadway prices. Vete... Read more Read less
See it if you can hop on this rare chance to see "A Winter's Play" and delight in seeing young people "own it."
Don't see it if you can't appreciate a bare-bones travelling production of one of Shakespeare's lesser plays
See it if You want to believe the ancient art of mine and origins of laughter are alive and well and delighting audiences on the modern stage.
Don't see it if You made a bet that you wouldn't fall over laughter and delight and awe and tears at two white-haired mimes rejoicing in the human condition
See it if you want to know how Orwell's vision of the future compares to the Now still unfolding--uncannily on the money.
Don't see it if extended torture scenes and really, really loud sound effects/bright lights unnerve you (as they did me)--you have to be mentally ready.
See it if you have relatives in town and need to see something not too intellectually challenging or overly conflicted
Don't see it if you've no patience for modern musicals, musical remakes, or if you're still trying to escape your own small hometown.
See it if you want to see the divine Bette twist an entire show (and audience) effortlessly 'round her wee finger...a true goddess in our lifetime
Don't see it if you don't have the internal wherewithal to enter another age/era; this musical is simply irresistible
See it if you have family in town--a showstopper for all ages that will have you giggling and clapping and cheering
Don't see it if you think the stars should be the ingenues, 'cause the Genie steals the show and so do the supporting cast. Fizzy tale, great adaptation.Yum
See it if you're willing to consider that this second play could well prove a cornerstone in a new genre of play-telling
Don't see it if you think a play of interior moments and dialogue cannot embrace and embody a muscular emotional narrative
Also Yes, I said it. I couldn't wait to abandon SOJOURNERS at intermission ... Read more Read less
See it if you're willing to consider that a massively difficult political theme and a large cast can be formally staged w tremendous humanity
Don't see it if You prefer your politics polemical and your theater easy to digest. And if you're not mentally prepared for a 3-hr perf
Also This is why theater exists--to take us to places we don't consider to ... Read more Read less
See it if you're interested in what can be done with the raw material of muppets on stage
Don't see it if you're looking for edgy theater that leans into stereotypes and winky jokes and puns while staying well within the mainstream boundaries.
See it if you appreciate the breadth and depth of C.S. Lewis's output against a very human man's life cycle, and think theology isn't verboten
Don't see it if you're impatient with a certain old-world staginess, dislike one-man shows or don't cotton to theology and teleology.
See it if you could see a play about feminism after parking jaded expectations at the door
Don't see it if you thought (like I did) that this would be relentlessly one-note and therefore not worth the time. I was more touched than I thought I'd be
See it if you're determined to be able to say you've seen a Mamet play (like the guy next to me). Sorry; there's naught to recommend here
Don't see it if you're expecting more than a clumsy parody of Mamet-ian dialogue, circumstances and stakes; if you're able to leave at intermission (I did).
Also Honestly, this was a woeful experience of observed indulgence. The fir... Read more Read less
See it if You think Jane Austen might be outdated, overrated, slow, affected and overdone--this will change your mind, indeed it will!
Don't see it if You can't handle a bunch of zany, fertile, insanely talented actors and directors who are can absorb outre' concept and run full speed w it!
See it if You like po-mo mashups that work...and cheering on fabulously talented unknowns bringing Shakespeare raw and upclose
Don't see it if you're really wanting to see a 3.5 hr dissection of human nature (that's the other Othello that's running--see my review on that one too)
See it if you like literate theater without the "staginess"
Don't see it if you must have spectacle on the stage; this is not an "event"
See it if You believe that South Park (humor) is proof that democracy lives
Don't see it if you're easily offended, specifically by things like afflicted humans giving God the finger and sporting 3-ft schlongs. You'll be laughing!
See it if You get inspired by seeing regular lives on stage living moment-to-moment in quiet desperation
Don't see it if You want to be taken out of your workaday world of real life concerns: life goals gone awry, confronting and resolving love and loss
See it if you love musical theater and can take your Shakespeare with a wink and a nod.
Don't see it if you think musical mashups are inappropriate.
See it if you wanna see a Hamlet for all, with no artifice or self-consciousness whatsoever
Don't see it if you think Hamlet can only be done on a proscenium stage by older adults
See it if You can enter a slower, more visceral world
Don't see it if you need your theater to be all cliff-hanger and fast movement
See it if you thought the book was only so-so
Don't see it if if you hate show-stoppers