Scott 6285

See it if you love anything the director does.

Don't see it if you love WEST SIDE STORY, as written by Bernstein, Sondheim, Laurents, and Robbins (whose choreography is embedded in the writing).

Also Ivo van Hove has become famous for taking excellent material and making it more about him than the material. Many people adore this kind of entertainment. On the other hand, I could watch 20 different "traditional" productions of WSS and still find something new and thrilling in each one. However, many viewers are not able to pay such close attention, and need radical "reinterpretation" that has little-to-nothing to do with the text, in order to catch their short attention spans. They need to believe that they are seeing something "new," "young," "contemporary" (because "old" is a dirty word). This production is for those audiences.... Read more Read less

See it if you're a fan of anyone involved.

Don't see it if you expect a point.

Also The film upon which this 2-hour, no intermission dreary evening is based was a unique and fascinating piece of cinematic storytelling that was intrinsically relevant to its time, and was performed by a quartet of major, stellar talents. This adaptation doesn't seem to have anything to add, and I suspect the writers don't even understand what the quirky film is about. The music is bland, and the lyrics are ridiculously superficial and generic; in fact, the entire score could be jettisoned and no one but the songwriter would know. The performers are young and charming and buff and sing well and do not linger in memory after the curtain call. The entire evening is so bland and dull, one wonders why it happened at all.... Read more Read less

See it if if you're a hard-core Connick fan.

Don't see it if you'd be equally satisfied to watch Connick for free on TV.

Also Connick seems to be divorced from logical thought in this piece, straying from his standard concert format to include bizarre video of himself exploring the head of an enormous statue of Cole Porter, as well as "scenes," with or without mystifying dialogue. He also attempts some tap dancing (without taps), but looks quite uncomfortable doing so. In fact, he seems to often wish he were anywhere but the Nederlander Theatre, except for a few very successful moments of simply sitting and singing a good ballad. He also appears to be fighting a losing battle against age - there's nothing wrong with getting paunchy and jowly and losing one's hair as one gets older, except when one makes obvious and unsuccessful attempts to hide these natural changes, which we would all be better off learning to embrace. Getting older is no cause for shame.... Read more Read less

See it if you like LITTLE SHOP as it was meant to be.

Don't see it if you prefer large and overblown to intimate.

Also It's a real delight to see the show done as written, with no interpolations from the movie, in a small and intimate space, as intended. The cast brings lots of fun and surprises to their roles, in particular the brilliant Tammy Blanchard as an Audrey who is finally not just an imitation of Ellen Greene. Jonathan Groff is a bit tame, perhaps (and spits like a fountain), and Tom Alan Robbins sadly lacks the necessary verve to bring Mushnik to life, but these are minor quibbles. The evening satisfies.... Read more Read less

See it if you love Susan Sarandon.

Don't see it if you have high expectations for new plays.

Also An aimless, juvenile effort that wanders between sitcom jokes and psycho-drama of the "Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte" variety. This play would never have had such a starry, expensive production had it not been written by a minor celebrity.... Read more Read less

See it if you're such a diehard Cher fan, you even love her impersonators.

Don't see it if you prefer intelligence and good taste in theatre.

Also Three women try to imitate Cher's sound and mannerisms, with varying degrees of success, for 2.5 hours, wandering through a book comprised of ancient clichés and jokes so tired and old, they fall out of the actors' mouths like dustballs and die on the floor. The costumes are the star of this show.... Read more Read less

See it if you like good writing and good acting.

Don't see it if plays about the Irish situation don't appeal to you.

Also A very entertaining 3.5 hours, all about nothing more than excellent storytelling. Is it perfect? Not at all - you might feel you've seen it all before, and you'd be right. And this is now a replacement cast, with accents (for a group of people supposedly from the same place) that are all over the place, and one scene with a group of young men that feels more like an acting class than professional effortless acting. But 99% of the evening is pure entertainment.... Read more Read less

See it if you can afford it and like new(ish) plays.

Don't see it if you get impatient with plays that have nothing to say.

Also This play clocks in, with no justification, at almost three hours; there are interesting moments here and there, but they are due to the applied surfeit of stage gimmickry - a "gospel choir" (note: 3 singers does not a "choir" make), Magical Realism-ish staging, and an onstage swimming pool. As always, this much gimmickry is there to mask the fact that the play really has nothing interesting or insightful to say. It's not surprising to learn that it's a revisited work from the author's college days.... Read more Read less

See it if you absolutely loved lower-tier TV holiday specials from the 70s and 80s.

Don't see it if lower-tier holiday specials aren't your bag.

Also Aiken has an appropriately smarmy persona and screams his high notes fine; Studdard has absolutely no persona, is usually inaudible when he speaks, and sits most of the evening, which, at more than 2 hours, is a good hour over-long. The show only comes to life during rare moments when the cast abandons the truly awful and unfunny script, and has a little fun with each other. The supporting performers are as good as anyone you'll see on a cruise ship.... Read more Read less

See it if you like musical comedy.

Don't see it if you're not in the mood for silliness.

Also The show is 80% comic/20% serious; the comic parts all land unusually well, the serious bits maybe not so much, falling into the usual trap of maudlin clichés. Fun hammy (intentionally so) performances. The score is also quite fun, but the choreography is the same old overused, manic-but-tired ancient imitation hip-hop moves. Why are there so many shows lately featuring performers who look like they're pushing 30 but pretending to be 16?... Read more Read less

See it if you like plays with a point, plays that tell a story and create definite characters.

Don't see it if interpersonal relationships or politics bore you.

Also A really good, tight play about women, power, politics, love , and friendship. Edie Falco should have new roles like this created for her every year.... Read more Read less

See it if You seek novelty at the expense of the writers'work.

Don't see it if Directors who don't trust writers annoy you.

Also Director Fish has created a production that has little to do with what either Hammerstein or Rodgers wrote. Some text is cut, I think that none is added, and yet the evening screams"I know better than the writers." He doesn't. The story makes little sense at times, and the pioneering idea of a ballet that advances the story has been jettisoned and replaced by an unmotivated modern dance recital. Food is served at intermission, for no apparent reason. Utterly pretentious.... Read more Read less

See it if it sounds like your thing.

Don't see it if you seek a break from clichés.

Also This show truly was one of the worst, most banal, clichéd, hackneyed, derivative, witless, idiotic pieces of theatre I've ever seen. But even something like this will find a few fans.... Read more Read less

See it if you love the movie or want to be a superficial teenager.

Don't see it if you keep your brain on in the theatre.

Also Devoid of meaning, every character represents a one-dimensional characteristic, every song sounds the same, the lyrics are repetitive and banal, and the staging looks like hyperactive 25-year-old boy band moves. "Plastic" is the perfect word; even though the show tries to mock"plastic," it really embodies it.... Read more Read less

See it if if you love the play or any of the cast (even the star).

Don't see it if 4 hours is too long to sit in a Broadway theatre with narrow seats and rude people.

Also Like another big revival this season (Saint Joan) the major flaw with this show is the star, who makes a valiant effort, but ultimately can't keep up with the more experienced theatre actors around him.This is one of those rare plays where nontraditional casting works somewhat against the play - there is a character of color already there, and his race is discussed constantly. When a Hickey of color shows up, you wonder why they never mention his race.... Read more Read less

See it if you like generic sitcoms, or are impressed by 4 kids playing easy music.

Don't see it if you annoy easily.

Also Although the film had charm and sincerity, this is a plastic imitation, with bad fake acting from both the kids and adults, a forgettable score, and a grotesquely overdone performance from the lead. Unbearable.... Read more Read less

See it if you're a Parrotthead, or like your theatre totally mindless.

Don't see it if you look for thoughtfulness or anything remotely new.

Also Act I is mindless fun in the MAMMA MIA vein; Act II bogs down into trite clichéd "drama." This show would have been better off avoiding anything serious. It only succeeds when it tries to be a cartoon.... Read more Read less

See it if you'll see absolutely anything, or if you literally live to hear anyone sing Donna Summer songs.

Don't see it if your time is worth anything.

Also Trite orchestrations, vocals that are inferior to the originals, and a book that veers wildly between dull to incoherent to clichéd - SUMMER is a painful bore.... Read more Read less

See it if bad sitcoms are your favorite art form.

Don't see it if clichés turn you off.

Also The book is a deplorable basket of ancient sentimental clichés, and it grossly glorifies crime and violence; the lyrics are clunky, anything-for-an-easy-rhyme, and mindless. Menken's music is sometimes pleasant, but he could have penned this score in a day.... Read more Read less

See it if you never have seen it before.

Don't see it if you fear it may not be what it was 20 years ago. Because it's not.

Also The cast, although acting and dancing pretty well - except for Tom Hewitt and Kandi Buruss (who is only there as a novelty) - seem to be vocally marking their songs, so that the band frequently drowns them out. Not all of the chorus dancers seem entirely adept. But the show still has a few flashes of excellence.... Read more Read less

See it if your brain is entertained by bright colors and lots of motion, but can't stand thought.

Don't see it if you think.

Also I never watched the cartoon, and this mindless mush in no way leads me to regret that.... Read more Read less

See it if you like physical comedy

Don't see it if low comedy leaves you unsmiling

Also Michael Urie and Arnie Burton are the comic stars of this piece and both deliver in spades. Sadly, understudy Stephen DeRosa (on for the Mayor) wasn't quite up to the requirements of his role. We've been having bad understudy luck this year; I can't understand why an understudy wouldn't try to take the opportunity offered them to really shine, but they rarely do, it seems, remaining satisfied to remember lines and blocking.... Read more Read less

See it if you love bad writing and live for a few minutes of somewhat skanky nudity.

Don't see it if you're human.

Also The writing makes the worst TV show you can imagine look like Shakespeare, and makes absolutely no sense. The acting, as is usual for these low-end titillation plays, is utterly amateurish, full of eternal empty pauses and hammy face-making. The theatre was unbearably stuffy. Nothing pleasant about the experience at all.... Read more Read less

See it if you're brain dead.

Don't see it if you think.

Also Perry has spent his life in the sitcom world and clearly thinks it's the only kind of writing there is. This show is nothing but a bad sitcom pilot that would never be picked up. Perry has also, with age, booze, drugs, and fat, become a grotesque caricature of his younger self.... Read more Read less

See it if Bright colors, lots of movement, and loud noises entertain you.

Don't see it if You're a thinking adult.

Also The show is perfectly cute and unchallenging. I can't speak about the star, because his understudy, one charmless actor named Jared Bradshaw, was on. The best I can say about him is he knew his lines, songs, and blocking. A few of the actors in secondary roles are very pleasing to watch. I also enjoyed the Oompa Loompa puppetry. The rest was like a very vanilla children's TV show.... Read more Read less

See it if you're a happy groundling.

Don't see it if you don't follow the herd.

Also This is a "Da Vinci Code" of a play - that is, a lowbrow sentimental work pretending to be highbrow and intellectual. That's not to say that it isn't entertaining; it's as lightly interesting as a better episode of "Queer as Folk" (and perhaps should be equally brief). However, the young author seems to think that his young thoughts are profound, as the young generally do; luckily for him, the herd will generally believe something is profound when told that it is. The acting is rather overblown, hammy, and flamboyant, full of physical and vocal mugging, hiding paucity of meaning. And the basic ongoing conceit, that "we're writing this novel as we go along" - well, it's really little more than the easy "telling rather than showing."... Read more Read less

See it if the space matters more to you than the show

Don't see it if you are easily bored

Also The "McKittrick Hotel," a sort of spooky T.G.I.Friday's of an entertainment venue, is the star of this show, full of bizarre, faux-historical details. The "theatre" is a delightfully seedy little room with terrific bartenders. The seats, rickety little wooden chairs, are far too uncomfortable for a 2 hour+ show. The actors are satisfactory, if a bit hammy, trying their utmost to breathe scary life into a rather drab and unscary narrative. There are moments that startle, but they are all quite cheaply created by loud noises or sudden movement following a long still patch.... Read more Read less

See it if you like the comedy of stoner films and your music loud.

Don't see it if you seek more than cheap jokes and loud lite-pop music.

Also I felt like I had seen this show many times before - a camp take on a classic story, mindless and loud, no joke too cheap. There is definitely an audience for this kind of thing, although not a particularly large one, which is why this kind of show generally has an unprofitable Off Broadway run and then is licensed by some small groups across the country, seeking easy content to produce.... Read more Read less

See it if you like Chekhov and/or millennial comedy.

Don't see it if young people confuse or bore you.

Also This was probably my favorite version of THE THREE SISTERS I've seen - who would have thought that Chekhov through a millennial lens would work so well? Hilariously and unpleasantly funny, and yet with just enough pathos to make you really care about these unhappy Russians more than ever before. I would like to see a production with less skilled actors to see if the play would work as well when performed by actors who are less than brilliant.... Read more Read less

See it if ...well, why not give it a try?

Don't see it if your sense of humor stops at sitcoms.

Also A strange and vexing play, alternately wildly hilarious and numbingly dull. Mac has not yet learned, as a writer, to be economical with words, making the usual novice playwright's mistake of an excess of dialogue at the expense of actual action. Reminiscent of Ridiculous Theatre of the 70s and 80s, it's very odd to see this kind of downtown bohemian art given a $6 million dollar production with three of the best commercial comic actors today. There's a gorgeous amount of schtick, but without the script, it's impossible to know if it's inherent to the play, or applied by the actors and director. Worth a watch, but not really fulfilling.... Read more Read less

See it if if you're a fan of Molloy's work.

Don't see it if you like a show with a story, wit, and human interaction.

Also The sheer volume of work Molloy has put out for this 1 hour, 45 minute a capella thing is astounding; if only the work were remotely interesting. An imaginary support group for online addicts (gamers, daters, chatters, etc.), you wait for each of the 8 to have their logorrheic say. The words flow like a wide muddy river, set to music that struck me as harmonically/structurally monotonous and uninteresting. The singers are excellent musicians with attractive voices, but with a few exceptions, they are bland actors. A headache inducing evening.... Read more Read less

See it if you're a die-hard fan of any of the cast.

Don't see it if you seek any surprises from theatre.

Also An odd production that never stops running around or wildly gesticulating, and yet bores at the same time. Kelli O'Hara is relaxed to the point of apparent apathy, Will Chase is out of depth musically and as an actor. Corbin Bleu is very charming and dances well, although he's saddled with an over-strenuous hoofing approach to what should be an effortless soft-shoe number, "Bianca." The rest of the cast makes no impression.... Read more Read less

See it if you will see any version of this show (like me), hoping that one day it will work.

Don't see it if you aren't fascinated by this noble-but-always-failing effort.

Also MERRILY has so much to delight and fascinate, but for some reason, every production fails, usually by the middle of Act 2, when the irony becomes oppressive. This production tries hard, but most aspects (performances, rewrites, musical arrangements) have an unmistakable tinge of amateurism.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy good acting.

Don't see it if you don’t want to get depressed, or want the play to be as good as the acting.

Also There’s really not much of a story here, and Michael Cera’s character, to me, makes no sense. But it was worth it, for me, just to see Elaine May’s performance.... Read more Read less

See it if you are, or feel like, an easy-to-please 16 year old girl.

Don't see it if amateurism in a professional context vexes you.

Also With this and MEAN GIRLS both opening this season, NYC is inundated with vapid inanity. But this one, sadly, makes MEAN GIRLS look like high art. There is no songwriting, merely the use of bits and pieces of 20-30 year old pop tunes with idiotic replaced lyrics (while shopping, someone sings "don't want no shrugs" to the tune of "Scrubs" - and that's one of the better efforts). The choreography, like all musical theatre choreo lately, is the usual sanitized set of rote, faux hip hop moves - much movement signifying nothing. The lead, a Disney refugee named Dove, has the acting ability of a meatloaf. Plastic, cheap, and pointless in every aspect.... Read more Read less

See it if you like a casual laugh.

Don't see it if you think $150 is too much to pay for just a casual laugh.

Also This play is mildly funny, not an outrageous riot like the playwright's previous work. It most definitely is NOT a farce (as the Times calls it), but it is pretty funny. But you'll probably forget everything about it within a few days of seeing it.... Read more Read less

See it if you like engaging storytelling and good acting.

Don't see it if you don't like fantasy.

See it if you love the movie and think you'll really love a stage version.

Don't see it if soulless Broadway money machines bore and/or annoy you.

Also This is just one more example of a mindless, heartless attempt to cash in on a popular movie title. The book follows the screenplay religiously, yet only manages to provide a shadowy imitation of any merits the film had. These are not characters, merely two-dimensional types, whose actions and dialogue make no sense, but merely get us to the curtain call. Bryan Adams' score sounds like songs from a Bryan Adams album of 30 years ago, but not the songs that were hits. Jerry Mitchell's choreography (like that of MEAN GIRLS) is the standard mix of boy band moves and modern dance from 25 years ago. Samantha Barks has a strong voice, but plays her hooker role like Little Orphan Annie, with absolutely no grit or sex. Andy Karl sleepwalks. Orfeh makes Suzanne Somers look like Meryl Streep. Unbearable dreck.... Read more Read less

See it if you need to be reminded that racism is bad.

Don't see it if you have deeper socio-political awareness than a backward 5-year-old. And if you don't like audience participation.

Also A truly tiresome evening of preaching to the choir and "exploring" theatrical experiments that have been explored to the nth degree. The final "coup" is just ridiculous, and be warned - physical audience participation is mandatory.... Read more Read less

See it if you like Shaw's writing.

Don't see it if plays with a great deal of dialogue aren't your thing.

Also This seems like an excellent university or small regional production of the play - not great, but good. Rashad is merely capable, a bit monotonous, a bit obvious in choices, and overly reliant on her hands. Patrick Page and Robert Stanton are the actors to watch in this production, both fascinating and exciting to watch.... Read more Read less

See it if you are a child or love the movie.

Don't see it if you're looking for anything new or thoughtful.

Also There's not much point in evaluating this Disney ATM; it'll make plenty of money, and excite a lot of easily-excited children. But it feels like a committee-created machine, and is a perfect representation of the Success of Mediocrity in America.... Read more Read less

See it if you're patient, and like listening.

Don't see it if you like your musicals loud, fast, and funny.

Also One of the slowest musicals I've ever seen, but it pays off very well at moments. Katrina Lenk is excellent with by far the best song in the score "Omar Sharrif." The story is sentimental and trite, but in a pleasant way. The comic moments are hokey, but inoffensive.... Read more Read less

See it if you love good old-fashioned Broadway.

Don't see it if you can't afford it.

Also The show is still tight and in good shape overall; sadly, the two new leads, after a a month of prep/rehearsal and 2 weeks of performances, seem rather old, tired, and not always sure of their material.... Read more Read less

See it if you like sophisticated, sharp, quick comedy.

Don't see it if you can't cope with the illogic of absurdist theatre.

Also At 80 minutes, the play clocks in at the perfect time for what it is, never wearing out its welcome. The cast of 4, particularly Schumer and Benanti, are all razor sharp, and the script is a delightfully vicious bit of sophisticated nonsense.... Read more Read less

See it if you like ambitious plays, and are forgiving if they fall far short of their goals.

Don't see it if you bore easily.

Also A very long play, with too many characters, JUNK ends with no clear point of view or idea. But it's mildly interesting to see a modern playwright work with such a large canvas.... Read more Read less

See it if you're a fan of any cast members, or like cruise ship revues

Don't see it if you like your entertainment unique and new

Also This felt like a very expensive cruise ship Broadway Revue; none of the performers deliver a truly top-notch version of the songs assigned them, but they try their best. Also - don't expect to feel like you've learned anything about Hal Prince - his name is used arbitrarily to tie this evening together, but it's not about him at all.... Read more Read less

See it if you like an entertaining, well-acted play with music.

Don't see it if you are paying full price and expect a masterwork.

Also A good solid evening in the theatre, perhaps not as tightly written as it could be. The writing, I think, could be much better focused. It also plays rather loose with historical facts.... Read more Read less

See it if You're curious about this cult flop from the 50s.

Don't see it if You like a lively musical that makes sense and moves briskly.

Also It's fun to see a curiosity like this, but the show will never be popular. Ryan Silverman and Barton Cowperthwaite are excellent; Ashley Brown is very good. The rest of the cast is poor to merely acceptable, mostly because of diction problems. However, the actor playing Hector (a comic role that should steal the show) is utterly inept in every way.... Read more Read less