NoCouches

See it if you're easily impressed by attempts at spectacle

Don't see it if you actually expect an opulent and overwhelming experience

Also Alex Timbers fails to capture the dizzying spectacle of the source material beyond the show's opening number. Narrative changes are unnecessary, music arrangements favor simplicity over well-orchestrated cacophony, and the choreography quickly devolves from high-octane can-can to summer stock "theatre choreography." A colossal waste of potential.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to feel better about your own artistic practice

Don't see it if you want to witness a competent production of Richard III

Also This production features a clearly capable cast held back by bad/no direction. The delivery is slow, confused, and overly enunciated. The staging is bland. The costumes are....well crafted.... and O'Hara seems to have no interest in the material and given no thought to his casting choices and how/why characters' individual disabilities matter and how that could/should impact the story he's telling.... Read more Read less

See it if You want an evening of (mostly) stellar performances and a few moments of clever stagecraft

Don't see it if You expect a cohesive and well thought out revival

Also This show is aggressively straight. Company is already haunted by the unacknowledged ghost of Bobby’s homosexuality, so is there a point to making Bobby a woman if you’re not going to at least make her bisexual? This is your old conservative aunt’s idea of a “hip” “fresh” take on the material.... Read more Read less

See it if you're craving some good direction.

Don't see it if you expect engaging or thought provoking material.

Also Help is a beautiful show to look at, but it's politically anemic. Rankine's work feels dated and shallow. Do you care what old white guys think about white privilege? Probably not. Your aunt might though...... Read more Read less

See it if you're craving a healthy dose of melodrama and camp via 70s blaxploitation flicks.

Don't see it if you're the kind of person who demands fidelity to text.

Also The Life was never a good musical. Billy Porter's take on the piece as a stage bound blaxploitation film and judicious restructuring is clever and apt. It's funky, it's loud, it's raunchy, it's absurd, and that's all it needs to be.

City Center, however, continues to have MAJOR sound issues that are not relegated to issues with this show's sound designer. Tear the whole thing down and start over.... Read more Read less

See it if you've never seen Brecht done well.

Don't see it if you dislike highly performative styles, atonal music, and theatre-as-conversation-piece.

Also The Wooster's best work since Dr Faustus Lights the Lights and the Brechtiest Brecht has ever been this side of the Atlantic.... Read more Read less

See it if you're interested in Aleshea's work and development

Don't see it if you expect to see a well-calibrated machine

Also On Sugarland is either entirely an hour too long or two hours too short. It is stuffed to the brim with interpersonal character arcs and motifs. It is sorely in need of some good dramaturgy. It contains a handful of Aleshea's riveting in-your-face aggressive moments and those are spellbinding, but the rest of the show just sits there lifeless. Director Whitney White is clearly doing her best with the material, but can't seem to overcome the shortcomings of a script that is entirely too personally important to the writer, and as a result the show just doesn't measure up to either her or Aleshea's other work.... Read more Read less

See it if there is no reason not to see it.

Don't see it if you're easily distressed, or are unable to handle topics such as rape. Or, if you've read the script.

Also Slave Play is an excellent script and an excellent physical production marred by lackadaisical direction. O'Hara is disinterested in digging into the material and allowing the cast to deliver the goods to their full potential. As is often the case, he seems to have put the production on its feet and then left the cast to their own devices. As a result, I cannot recommend Slave Play as a whole piece of theatre, but as a thought experiment.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to finally witness a reasonably enjoyable production of Sondheim's best work.

Don't see it if you want a big splashy production.

Also The staging ranges from beautiful to uninspired, and the show is occasionally marred by some questionable casting choices. However, this is the only good production of Assassins to hit the northeastern US since the 2004 revival. Go see it.... Read more Read less

See it if you're interested in a look at the racism ever present in the creative process.

Don't see it if you want more teeth in your social commentary. This is very impressive and aggressive work for 1955, but not so much the present.

Also An important historical piece that still holds up to modern scrutiny. Excellent performances.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to turn off your brain and witness some beautiful imagery, wire work, and stage trickery

Don't see it if you expect something substantial from a script.

Also It's popcorn fodder and it knows it. Exactly what you'd expect it to be. It both does and does not disappoint.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy big arresting musicals that demand your undivided attention, or solely to see Amber Gray.

Don't see it if there is no reason not to see it. None.

Also Masterful. Brilliant casting. Incredible staging. It's a shame about Reeve Carney's lack of charisma, but the boy can SING.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to be drawn into the majestic, fully absorbed

Don't see it if you're unable to score reasonable seats with a direct view of the stage

Also This is a nearly perfect show. Ingenious staging and design. Still holds up and resonates today. A powerful and stunning piece of theatre.

However, there are still a few songs that fall far below par for the material (the hyena's dreadful number "Chow Down" and "Madness of King Scar").

Many of the most spectacular effects will simply not read well from the mezzanine or from extreme angles, particularly the stunning stampede sequence.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a classic text treated like a new work with technical brilliance and verve

Don't see it if you're precious about the way people handle "the cannon"

See it if you want to be repeatedly punched in the face by a singularly aggressive piece of theatre

Don't see it if you dislike nudity/sexual situations, or if racially based sexual power struggles make you uncomfortable

See it if you're looking for a fresh experience or a remarkable new score.

Don't see it if You're an old fogey devoid of a sense of wonder.

Also Octet is like being wrapped in a warm embrace with Dave Malloy for 90 minutes. It's intelligent, beautiful, and janky in all the right ways. Orr Matias' music direction is nothing short of miraculous.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy technically inventive theatre with a heavy focus on visual narrative constructs.

Don't see it if you dislike purely visual storytelling, or alternative means of performance.

Also This piece is absolutely delightful from start to finish. The sound design is delicious, the puppet and set design is charming as hell. This is joy encapsulated in a tight 55 minute show.... Read more Read less

See it if you absolutely must see every production of Assassins regardless of location or physical production quality

Don't see it if you expect a well-staged, designed, or acted production

Also The Secret Theatre is not a difficult space to work in. It's a standard thrust. It's small. It's a tad quirky. And yet, the director couldn't handle Sondheim's tiny show in this space.

The set is a collection of milk crates haphazardly attached to the walls, the lighting design consists of a single stagnant wash, and the costume design is...well, they're in costumes so that's nice I guess.

The staging is horrendous, with actors standing in clumps, or in single file, primarily playing straight out to the central seating area, the view from which is not much improved over either of the side sections.

The cast is vocally capable, but poorly directed, and many of the character choices are misguided at best and abysmal at worst.

A colossal waste of a mostly decent cast.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to sit back and enjoy an evening of spectacularly dreadful but incredibly fun theatre. It's basically a Disneyland attraction

Don't see it if you have absurd expectations for a property like King Kong.

Also Kong himself is truly spellbinding, as is a good portion of the show's scenic and projection design. The music is almost entirely forgettable, the lyrics are remarkably lousy, and the human performers (try as they might) are just....kind of...well they're on the stage I guess, and completely upstaged by Kong whenever they have to share said stage.
Kong is at its most remarkable when the production throws caution to the wind and injects high octane anachronistic Baz Luhrman style sound around. Sadly, it doesn't commit to that aesthetic and tries in earnest to be a "Broadway" musical.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy generic fare in which small groups of people sit around a domestic space and engage in interpersonal squabbles with lots of leg

Don't see it if you want a show with something to chew on, and does more than examine the minute details of interpersonal relationships

Also The premise is interesting, as is Metcalf's existential opener about the nature of the multiverse, but the show quickly dispenses with all the cosmic philosophy and becomes just another in a long line of bland plays with people and furniture (even if the furniture in this case is a single chair). The best that can be said is that the performances are great, and the set is beautiful.

However, the costumes have got to be in violation of the Geneva convention. They're complete eyesores.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy the grotesque, Python-esque vaudeville, and enjoy absurdity with a little bit of bite.

Don't see it if you dislike absurdism, bodily fluids, and can't laugh in the face of abject horror.

See it if you like your Shakespeare full of blood and energy and physical dynamism.

Don't see it if you have a narrow idea of what Shakespeare "should" be, you dislike textual liberties, and shows that physically relay information

Also It has you from the start. It's visually stunning. It's physically aggressive. It's vocally and musically impressive. It's everything I want from Shakespeare. It's the antidote to the drab paint-by-numbers approach we see every day at The Public.

Best of all, it does away with Shakespeare's required return to stasis. There is nothing more liberating and refreshing than not having to sit through twenty minutes of nonsense dialogue about how "insert character here" is the new monarch.

See this show.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see an entirely new version of Sondheim's second most troubled work, you want to study the way an institution destroys art.

Don't see it if you expect it to be a vibrant bold production full of wit and vigor in the vein of their prior Into the Woods

Also Merrily We Roll Along has a terrific score, it has an engaging plot, the reverse narrative structure is inherently refreshing. So why does none of this come across in this production? It feels over-worked and over-noted. As if Roundabout finally sunk its life-stealing claws deep into Fiasco's soul and sucked out all that was vital and fresh and fun. It starts out well enough (despite Roundabout having the cast awkwardly deliver a cringe-inducing donor-thanking curtain speech) with a great rendition of the opening number and a remarkable and exciting physical rewind during the first time jump. The physicality was delightful and the backwards verse was captivating and filled me with joy. I thought it was setting up a device. But it wasn't. We never did this again. What followed was a drab, by the numbers, Roundabout show with flashes of physical brilliance. The show has been robbed of its power and fun. Thanks, Roundabout.... Read more Read less

See it if You absolutely must see everything John Doyle churns out, you want to see an under-performed Brechtian operetta, or you enjoy $30 naps.

Don't see it if you want theatre full of vigor and blood that will jump off the stage and assault you

Also The ensemble is great, the physical staging is simplistic and fun, but dear God is it boring. The music is droning and monotonous, and nothing truly sings until the climax of the show with the marvelous rallying cry of "Joe Worker." It's Brecht without the bite. This show should be a howl, but it's more of a soft moan.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a genuinely riveting production of King Lear that is both beautiful to look at and to hear.

Don't see it if you dislike classical texts, sitting for long durations, or have pretentious "ideas" about what Shakespeare "should" be.

Also The first act is indeed 2 hours long, but it hurtles by like a fiery train. The set is beautiful, and the performances as a whole are stunning, Matthew Maher & Ruth Wilson in particular.

The second act is not as riveting as the first, but does contain some striking images and moments.

Overall, not to be missed.

Addendum: very much worth rushing at the last minute. The seats are partial view, but it's worth missing a corner of the stage to sit a few feet away from this remarkable piece of work. I moved to the balcony for act two, and many of the most delictible moments simply didn't have the same impact.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to turn off your brain and enjoy watching a charming cast try to salvage a trite script

Don't see it if you can't forgive lame text and tired old jokes.

Also The cast is truly delightful. The script, although packed full of chuckle-inducing jokes for anyone who ever lived in close proximity to American Evangelicalism, is pretty dull. After ten minutes or so, the charm wears off and the play's really done all it can possibly do. There's just not enough going on in any comedy about God to actually engage an audience. We all know what the jokes are going to be. We all heard them decades ago.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy clever scenic design, unusual premises, and surprise puppets.

Don't see it if you're sensitive to intense light and sound

Also The scenic, lighting, and sound design are truly remarkable. The play could use some tightening, as most of it is comprised of "day in the life" material. I was quite content watching it for a while, but eventually I became aware that time was just barely ticking away. The play makes up for this in spades, but they could easily knock a solid 15-20 minutes off the top and turn this into quite the thrill ride.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy standard regional theatre fare, middle-aged people who sit around expositing, or you REALLY want to hear a new Bengsons song.

Don't see it if you expect something grand or revelatory from the premise and you want something larger from promise of non-binary representation onstage.

Also The climax of Hurricane Diane, is remarkable. It is full of pulsing blood and vigor and rapturous screams. But you have to sit through a full hour of generic old white people theatre to get to that climax. "Why tell a dynamic and engaging story about a gender-non-conforming Dionysus who builds insane gardens and seduces housewives when you can just have a cast of mostly white women sit around on some furniture with wine for an hour instead?" Seams to be what was running through the playwright's head. The show relies on the anti-improv style rule of "no, what?" to further most of the plot, and comfortably sits within the real of "tell me" rather than the world of "show me," which is a huge let down. The cast is pretty stellar, despite Leigh Silverman's lack of clearly motivated direction. Why did this character walk around the table and sit in another chair? Because the image was stagnant. Why was it stagnant? There's nothing happening on the page.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy having your senses assaulted and utterly overwhelmed and desire a show with something worth chewing on

Don't see it if You dislike audience interaction, overtly aggressive staging, or bad Kate Hepburn impressions

Also Network is a masterclass in design and composition. Everything works in discordant unison to assail the audience in every possible manner to its fullest effect.
However, the moments in which the audience is meant to act as Beale's studio audience fall incredibly flat as they come after long stretches of debate and dialogue and, as a result, the audience is not in the right state of mind to respond and fully create those moments.... Read more Read less

See it if you haven't experience one of the seminal works the late 20th century, or want top-notch performances.

Don't see it if you dislike traditional theatrical structure (which abounds in plenty in the second act) or you want to see the entire unedited piece.

See it if you REALLY like The Go-Gos, want to turn off your brain, have generally low expectations, want topical content for its own sake

Don't see it if you require something beyond the bare minimum from a show's book, concept, and scenic design. You aren't too hot on The Go-Gos.

Also I kept watching it because it kept happening. That's the best that can be said about Head Over Heels. It exists on stage, and you look at it. It's not particularly exciting, despite a handful of wonderful performances. It's not particularly thrilling despite some lovely lighting work. It's not particularly fun despite a handful (3 at best) of bops. It seems more like a very trying attempt to inject as many "woke" and "relevant" tropes about the spectrumnal nature of love and gender because it's what the kids these days are into. It's a great message, but one that doesn't seem to naturally fit within the confines of the material.... Read more Read less

See it if you are genuinely interested in engaging with ritual, confronting the nature of oppression, and making yourself small when necessary

Don't see it if you enjoy escapist entertainment

Also Aleshea Harris has created a sacred space. Although I felt that I was intruding as a white audience member, her space, her ritual, and her shout, must be seen and heard and pondered. A vital piece of theatre.... Read more Read less

See it if you love Brecht, John Doyle's signature style, relevant political work, or Raul Esparza.

Don't see it if you have difficulty with Brechtian theatre, you want escapist entertainment, or Doyle drags you down.

Also I want to love this play, as well as Brecht in general, more than I actually do. But I can't get there. And I cannot decide if this is what my problem is with this production, or if John Doyle's tricks have just lost their luster. The performances across the board are terrific, full of vaudevillian gusto. Raul Esparza's Arturo is particularly remarkable in its verve and furor and horrifyingly cartoon realness. But this show just doesn't pop.

It has some truly remarkable and terrifying moments of reality and theatrical magic, and everything in between just sags.

It's not a bad evening, just one not exactly well-spent.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to have an exceptionally weird time.

Don't see it if you dislike experimental scores, non-narrative pieces, or babies trapped in crystal balls.

See it if you enjoy meta-theatrical storytelling, poor theatre-esque design, and non conventional staging/seating arrangements

Don't see it if you dislike non-proscenium spaces, meta-theatrical conventions, or sound demons

See it if you enjoy anything that feels "lofty"

Don't see it if you want a piece with something to engage with.

Also White people really just be doing anything and calling it "art."

See it if you enjoy subtle performances and skillfully crafted monologues full of truthful nihilism, self-deprecation, and malaise

Don't see it if you dislike solo performances or require a strong narrative/visual element in a show

See it if You're willing to examine the inherent problems within "woke" theatre/artist culture and enjoy biting provocative satire

Don't see it if you dislike engaging in discourse about cultural/political issues of race, history, and art

Also While not particularly earth-shattering, this show should cause quite the stir among Playwrights' primary audience (IE: old white people), and will serve as an excellent stepping-stone for this wonderful playwright and her career. The best material here is interstitial, as that is where the piece's bite really lies, in using aggressive humor for the purpose of provocation and forceful reflection. There is some truly great satire happening here. However, one can't help but wonder how much an older audience full of people who are not theatre makers would react to the piece.

Side note: I can't believe I actually had a positive experience at Playwrights' Horizons.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy being enveloped by a truly "complete" show, enjoy intimate connection, and rapturous screams, shouts, and forlorn toots.

Don't see it if you dislike immersive environments and non-traditional scores

Also A tight, remarkable new piece with a kickass cast. The connection that the audience has with the music is nothing short of amazing.... Read more Read less

See it if you're okay watching something that is defiantly unfinished, or you love raking.

Don't see it if you expect an artist to hold themselves to some kind of intellectual standard, or you hate raking.

Also After the messy, but ultimately promising, ICE Factory production of Madame Lynch I was terribly interested in "The Drunkard's Wife." Madame Lynch was highly unfocused, but it felt like a more or less complete show in need of a good edit. It was beautiful to look at, the words were magical, and it had enough for the audience to engage with the material on a handful of levels.

Ruffles has none of those qualities. It is ugly, it is rough, it is poorly directed, it is unfinished, the design is incohesive. The writer/director attempts to write these problems off by inserting a monologue into the titular characters' mouth at the end of the show by saying that she doesn't have to be concerned with any of these things, that she "presents a black hole." I'm fine with someone presenting "a black hole" to me, but they better make sure the elements in that hole are worth looking at.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy the sound of jazz standards and well-crafted lyrics

Don't see it if you want your experience to amount to something more than its individual parts

Also The score is marvelous, the performances are great, and it's got the best scenic design ever set down on the York's stage, but the climax is less than stellar. Mark Sonnenblick has written a very tight book with an exceptionally hard left turn, but the production and its director refuse to trust in the text and allow the show to take on its ultimate form.... Read more Read less

See it if you want a Brechtian take on racism in its various political and economic forms in modern (and past and future) America.

Don't see it if you dislike theatre that FORCES you to fully engage with the performance.

Also I still can't decide whether this is a subjectively good play, or a subjectively bad one. The intention here is crystal clear. Many of the characters are fascinating. The cast is certainly superb. Many of the theatrical and metatheatrical conventions it employs are effective and at times appropriately jarring. But it's certainly been put up in the wrong space and the production seems to have put money into the wrong elements such as the large proscenium, which wants to dramaturgically tie itself into the rest of the show but doesn't quite succeed. The playwright seems to be trying to tackle too many things at once here, offering both a micro and a macro view of the issues he wants to explore. The problem here is that he is successful in the micro and less so in the macro as that is where the play suffers the most. I don't understand New York theatre's aversion to properly handling guns on stage. Do it right, or don't do it at all. You're doing the play a disservice.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy intellectually and physically engaging with theatre that asks you to make distinct choices.

Don't see it if You dislike overly political shows, or material that forces you to physically engage with it.

Also I thoroughly expected to hate this show. It didn't sound appealing. It didn't sound necessary. It didn't sound enjoyable.

It is all of those things. It is completely engaging in every way. Something terribly personal is shared in the theatre every night with wild abandon and the audience, if they are willing, give back themselves.

A shockingly great piece of theatre.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy experimental pieces that fully take advantage of their deployed technology

Don't see it if you dislike multi-media heavy pieces or require an over-arching "message" to latch on to.

Also Soundstage is a fascinating examination of inner turmoil, depression, obsession, and ritual. So much ritual. The use of a fully operational camera rig and the projection mapping visible throughout the show are nothing short of stunning. A truly original piece.

However, it still feels like it's missing a core component. Something to make the whole thing lock into place.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy hybrid concert/musical pieces like Hedwig and Hundred Days, you want to support art made by PoC (HINT: YOU SHOULD)

Don't see it if you have a narrow view of what musical theatre/theatre is/could be.

Also The text is dramaturgically tight, profoundly captivating, and performed with spellbinding gusto. But apart from some killer baselines, and drum/key solos, the music feels altogether unnecessary and often times it drags the show down. Jomama is a captivating character and frankly the only thing we actually need here.

It's also very hard to avoid acknowledging that this show owes a great deal of its narrative structure to Hedwig, almost down to each individual beat.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to engage with an interesting dramaturgical experiment by a remarkable company

Don't see it if you expect the vigor and verve of a Bedlam show or you dislike Chekhov, anachronism, or disco balls.

Also This piece is a remarkably interesting experiment in slamming together two (seemingly) unrelated works. The text itself is brilliant, utilizing fits and starts of Shakespeare's dialogue to undercut Chekhov's morose family tale without regard to who the original speaker was meant to be. The doubling up of Vanya/R&J characters was exceedingly well thought out. Particularly Tybalt.

This show is at its best when it is wild and reckless and full of energy and jazz, but that is precisely what it lacks the most. The first act is a mostly dreary affair devoid of life and unrolling at a snail's pace, the moments of magic and music being all to brief and, frankly, maddening. The second act fares much better as larger and large chunks of Shakespeare's melodrama are hurled at the audience, however, this is a show that still takes itself too seriously.

This could be a truly remarkable play if they'd stop suckling at Chekhov's over-exerted teat and just have fun.... Read more Read less

See it if you're easily entertained and will gobble up any old Disney-style princess yarn with a nice score.

Don't see it if you expect some modicum of polish on the book, some effort in the scenic/projection design, and actually want something nice to look at.

Also The score, as expected, is beautiful (with a handful of newer numbers not withstanding) the book needs some work but overall is a functional, satisfying, and realistic take on the original screenplay, but the physical production itself is beyond lazy. This thing was built to tour and it's glaringly obvious in the lack of elegance and thought on display in this show's uninspired scenic design. There seems to have been no internal logic at play when they decided what elements would be projections and which would be physical set pieces. Some of the projections on the primary cyc upstage are nice, but for the most part they feel uninspired, particularly when they resort to just using road maps which flies int he face of the rest of the show's aesthetic. The direction and choreography are wretched. No effort has been made to take advantage of the ensemble, every scene ends in tableau and every group number amounts to no more than a straight line of people. This is an embarrassing cash grab.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy non-linear work that makes you sit up and engage with it. you enjoy non-traditional seating/performance styles

Don't see it if you require a firm narrative thread, you dislike ambiguity in experience and theme, you don't enjoy experimental work.

Also Brilliantly integrated. A holistic experience. Mitu's new space is magnificent.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy standard table-drama fare with an absurdist "twist" and are easily taken in by "shocking" revelations.

Don't see it if you hate table-dramas, you require something to chew on, or you're cognitive enough to understand the way a show's text functions.

Also This play is bad. It relies almost exclusively on the "no, what?" style of dialogue/expositional delivery of the standard American table-drama. It layers on the absurdist concept of a metaphysical tiger and a wild policeman to form a painfully obvious and unexciting tapestry of generic woe and middle-class anguish and then has the gall to explain it all to you at the end in big bold letters in case you somehow missed the glaringly obvious reasons behind the rift in its protagonists' marriage. The only positive thing of note in this production is that the cast is dedicated and fully engaged throughout the entire agonizing hour and 45 minutes (with an intermission for some un-Godly reason when the show both could and should have been run as a single act). The lighting design is spotty, unfocused, and doesn't hone in on the story's core. The direction is lumpy and awkward and characters make highly unmotivated choices. An actor asks "are you bored?" I audibly responded "yes."... Read more Read less