Sara H 2

See it if you're a red-state expat and feel great about it; you're a life-long blue-stater and proud of it; you love ball pits!!!

Don't see it if you want something a little more nuanced than "hur hur hur rural people are dumb lol"

Also I was not surprised to hear that a red-state theater declined to perform this play, as it has pretty obvious contempt for its audience! I kept waiting for the turn of "the Hero is no better than the Fre - his pretentiousness and false sense of superiority is insulting, while the Fre are just trying to live their lives", but the turn... just never came. Disappointing, because I love Taylor Mac!

All that being said, it was super funny and well-performed.... Read more Read less

See it if you're willing to put up with Stoppard at his most Stoppardy

Don't see it if you're familiar with the subject matter at all - this seemed not as obsessively researched as is typical for Stoppard

See it if you want an absorbing, 3+ hour-long show with a very well-drawn world; you like bunnies!!!!!!!

Don't see it if you'll spend much time thinking about it after - once the spell is broken, it doesn't really hold up to scrutiny.

See it if you enjoy couples-yelling-at-each-other plays

Don't see it if you want anything particularly fresh. This pretty much does what it says on the tin.

See it if you enjoy one-person shows / cabaret acts; you like the IDEA of disco music

Don't see it if you ACTUALLY like disco music (none of it is very good); you don't like cabaret.

Also the between-song patter performance aspect is all very good! I just wish the music had been better - as it is, it's half-baked disco pastiche.... Read more Read less

See it if you speak Yiddish or are a Jackie Hoffman stan that's ok with her only being in a couple scenes

Don't see it if you don't want to read supertitles (and don't speak Yiddish) or are such a big Jackie Hoffman fan that you need her to be in every scene

Also Obviously I refuse the entertain the notion of someone not being a Jackie Hoffman fan.... Read more Read less

See it if you... can? there is literally nothing I can say to influence the Hamilton discourse. It's Hamilton!!!!

Don't see it if you can only get $5000 scalper tickets. It'll run forever, you'll get it for face value eventually.

See it if you know literally nothing about the past 30-ish years of Deaf politics or are super into mid-70's period dramas

Don't see it if you expect revivals to have something new to say about our current time; you have balcony seats. (Studio 54 Balcony is never worth the pain)

Also This was such a wasted opportunity! While groundbreaking in its day, Deaf politics and culture have moved on so much that this doesn't have anything new to say. It's particularly disappointing that the gender politics remained incredibly dated, and the production didn't engage with racial politics at all.

Also, to really work, there needs to be some dynamite sexual chemistry between the leads, and there just... wasn't. It ended up being about How Did Pacey Land That Girl Who's Way Out Of His League (And Also, Why is Dr. Green from ER in Such a Small Part).... Read more Read less

See it if you love Follies or Sondheim - this is a great production!

Don't see it if you don't already know every word - the sound mixing is TERRRRRIBLE

See it if you're a big fan of Joan La Barbara or experimental opera

Don't see it if you have a problem with lots of flashing lights

Also It's a little slow - I thought every thing that happened was well-done, but went on for twice as long as it needed to. It's also preeeeettttyy self-indulgent. But with a good editor it could have really been something special.... Read more Read less

See it if you love a Good, Old-Fashioned Musical / joy.

Don't see it if you already know this is not your bag. This is a show that knows its audience. If you suspect you won't like it, you are correct.

Also I saw Donna Murphy and she was brilliant and perfect and I've never wanted anything more. I'm sure Bette is great, and I'm planning on going back for Bernadette, but man, Donna Murphy is just the best. Tickets are cheaper for her shows, too! And those balcony seats are perfectly fine! Go see her!... Read more Read less

See it if you love farce

Don't see it if you don't love farce (my fault I fear - I thought that you'd want what I want... sorry, my dear) (this is not relevant I'm just a huge nerd)

See it if You're a Sondheim stan or want to hear some (largely) great singing

Don't see it if you aren't already familiar with the history - the direction's not great (and weirdly low-energy)

See it if you're interested in the power and function of stories. (If you're not, why are you seeing theater at all?)

Don't see it if you're looking for any sort of plot. Also, it's 2 hours with no intermission, so if you have bladder issues, maybe skip this one.

See it if you enjoy Beckett; you're prepared for Dianne Wiest's Whole Deal (it really works here!)

Don't see it if you don't like Beckett. You're either going to be into this whole situation or not.

See it if you enjoy John Cage and don't care much about plot

Don't see it if you're looking for a linear (or any) story

Also It was uncanny how much that guy looked like John Cage! Good casting, you guys!... Read more Read less

See it if you want to hear a huge, excellent orchestra playing music that is sadly beneath their talents.

Don't see it if you want to hear a musical with more than 2 songs repeated ad infinitum; you hate terrible lyrics with inexplicably bad / nonexistent rhymes

Also Special shout-out to the main guy's shirtless entrance at the beginning of Act 2: that bare chest almost made it worth it.... Read more Read less

See it if you're a Sondheim stan who wants to hear early, cut songs

Don't see it if you're looking for much of a plot - it's a revue.

Also I saw the M/F cast, but I'm sure all three pairings are excellent.

See it if you enjoy innovative / experimental theater with great performances, big ideas, and stunning sound and lighting design

Don't see it if you have a hearing impairment. They probably have something to make it more accessible, but it's so sound-heavy, it's maybe not the best bet

Also Special message to the woman in front of me who kept pulling out and illuminating her phone every 5 minutes: you are a human monster.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a funny and out-there performance

Don't see it if you're looking for something traditional

See it if you enjoy watching people making funny faces while pulling things out of their pants.

Don't see it if you understand that comedy relies on timing.

See it if you want to brag about seeing an early, flawed work by an important playwright once Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is a big deal in 15 years.

Don't see it if you're allergic to looooong stretches of exposition. I did not like this play!

See it if Expertly acted and staged

Don't see it if I got nothing, it was great.

See it if you're looking for something different

Don't see it if you're big on plot

See it if It's already closed, so... if you have a time machine?

Don't see it if You are bound by the physical limits of time.

See it if you're a Kids in the Hall fan

Don't see it if you're not a Kids in the Hall fan. I can not imagine seeing this without already being a KitH fan.

See it if you like lovely, delicate, gentle character studies

Don't see it if you want a big flashy production

See it if you like technical wizardry and Big Speeches; you like Bryan Cranston

Don't see it if you're looking for a coherent thesis or a strong ensemble (this is pretty much the Bryan Cranston Show)

See it if you like one-man shows and quirky, strong theatrical voices

Don't see it if your quirk tolerance is low; you want something about Our Present Moment instead of A Middle-Class White Dude's Pain

Also Will Eno's authorial voice is super clear and strong, and on a sentence-by-sentence level, it's thrilling. I'm not quite sure it comes together into something greater though. I thought every moment was wonderful, but does that mean the whole play was wonderful, or was it merely a collection of wonderful moments?... Read more Read less

See it if you are into inventive staging, a silly joyful treat, or (let's be honest) getting high pre-theater. (FWIW I was totally sober and loved it)

Don't see it if you can't deal with a tourist-heavy crowd

See it if you want a fun, frothy play with great performances; you have at least a slight familiarity with The Importance of Being Earnest

Don't see it if you're not into Tom Stoppard's "I'm a Very Clever Boy" schtick. I don't mind it, but it is VERY pronounced here.

Also The actor playing Joyce was almost completely indecipherabley mumbly, which was disappointing. Tom Hollander and Seth Numrich are both excellent though!... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see one of the finest performances around - Billie Piper is INCREDIBLE

Don't see it if you struggle with infertility, because this is probably Too Real and Super Rough. It's not worth your mental health.

Also I suspect it wasn't actually that well-written, but it was absolutely saved on the strength of Billie Piper's performance. I was literally shaking when it finished.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a great production of a seminal play and have a spare eight hours to be emotionally devastated

Don't see it if you aren't ~emotionally equipped~

Also I will say, I didn't think Andrew Garfield was as good as everyone else seems to think, maybe because someone pointed out that he's doing a Snagglepuss voice and that was all I could hear.... Read more Read less

See it if you're a Mark Rylance stan or you're very into hearing a countertenor singing Handel arias (I am both!)

Don't see it if you're looking for great writing. The script fine - workmanlike, I'd say - but not the main draw.

See it if this is already closed, so... I guess if it goes on tour, see it if you like rock-inflected scores and innovative staging.

Don't see it if you have a headache, care much about plot, or are a fan of Pierre or Great Comets (because both are barely in it, this title is bad)

See it if you want to see a fairly well-done Cliff Notes version of a seminal work

Don't see it if you want to see a definitive version - I had some issues with his adaptation

Also I enjoyed it, but I think it was badly edited - it didn't really coalesce for me until the second half. The first half was a weird mix of scenes and tones that didn't have a lot of connective tissue - I felt like the whole first half was just to provide context for the second half. Performances also felt disjointed in the first half. I love Michael Urie, but I didn't get what he was doing until after intermission. Even then, I'm not entirely sure it was successful.

That being said, the second half was excellent, and totally worth seeing.... Read more Read less

See it if you're a Stoppard fan who's ready for a lot of words

Don't see it if you're looking for a super polished production.

See it if you're a Sondheim nerd or a fan of John Doyle's Whole Deal (I am both).

Don't see it if you're a big Chrysanthemum Tea fan, as it was sadly cut; you want to hear George Takei sing, because dude was totally lip-synching.

Also Obviously the musical is a little problematic, but it could be SO MUCH WORSE. In any case, their Someone in a Tree is perfect, which is all I could ever want.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy one-person shows or have a particular interest in the NHS

Don't see it if you have issues understanding thick Welsh accents

See it if drawing a blank... you're related to someone in it? You appreciate the comfy chairs in the Fishman?

Don't see it if no "if" needed. Don't see it! It's bad!

Also Just to be clear - I'm not panning this because of the show's politics (not that I could make out a clear point of view anyway). It's just a very bad show that I did not enjoy!... Read more Read less

See it if you're a big Reed Birney fan - his performance is excellent

Don't see it if you want to see a well-written female character; good dialogue is important to you

See it if you like McDonagh or Nasty People Yelling At Each Other Nastily plays (you know the type)

Don't see it if you're squeamish; there are only balcony seats available in the Harvey (those are the worst seats in the world, this is not worth the pain.)

See it if you want to see something very, very dumb and very, very funny

Don't see it if you're looking for much of a plot

See it if you want to see one of today's greatest performers in an event that will soon be considered legendary.

Don't see it if you really, really don't like audience participation (as opposed to the general dislike most people have).

Also This isn't quite a fair review, as the remaining shows will have different material, but I can't imagine it'll be any less incredible.... Read more Read less

See it if you have a fetish for vanity projects, bad pacing, or indiscriminately shouted dialogue

Don't see it if you have literally anything else to do

See it if you'd rather see the good 30 minutes of 3 90-minute plays at the same time than sit through an hour of exposition to get to the good stuff.

Don't see it if you want a cohesive story told from beginning to end

See it if you like stripped-down productions and great acting; you want to see an innovative production of a classic play

Don't see it if you aren't familiar with the plot - some basics got lost in the editing; if you have a small bladder - 2 hours is too long without a break!

See it if you love dancing and a great big orchestra

Don't see it if you care about plot

See it if you want to see great actors in a near-perfect production.

Don't see it if you have high blood pressure or a heart condition - it is almost unbearably tense.

See it if You want to support some fine actors who are trying their best with a weak script, or if you want a perfect example of Off-Broadway cliches.

Don't see it if You have seen any sort of experimental theater before. This has nothing new for you.