Stan the Doc

See it if You don't mind hearing great songs totally muddled - everyone in my group felt 15-25% of the words in the first half were unintelligible.

Don't see it if You like Andrew Lloyd Webber's music.

Also We've been to musicals innumerable times at the PaperMill Theatre. For this production, perhaps poor microphones on many of the singers? Plus for those singers with great, full voices - the amps clipped off much. An innovative feature is having Webber appear - via video clips - enabling him to be "present" for each performance. Unfortunately for fans like me, he provides very limited insights. It was fun to hear music spanning his career, which gave me some musical insight into his composing techniques.
The actors/singers vary considerably in their musical talent - from exceptional to fair.
I recommend listening to this music from the comfort of your home.... Read more Read less

See it if You like musicals that are fun. Plus some nice touches in the dialogue that add to the traditional story

Don't see it if You want something deep and intellectual. (This is a great musical, NOT a drama!)

See it if Pleasant voice. You have nothing better to do. At premiere, lasted about 60 minutes.

Don't see it if You are expecting something special.

See it if Deals with 2 German athletes and the 1936 Olympic games. Adds useful texture to understanding of the period. I wanted to like it -but didn't

Don't see it if Terrible staging, so-so acting, fair script, poor casting will overwhelm the important message. Note that it is short - 75 minutes.

Also There is clear immediate context to these historical events, so worth a trip despite the great flaws. Dialogoue is repetitive. There is no action - so the two actresses move 3 black box stands (the only stage props) incessantly around throughout the play, rarely for any effect. Neither actress s believable.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy leaving smiling. Legendary Karen Mason steals the show. Bonnie Panson Prod. Stage Mgr, put on ALL the right touches. Exquisite!

Don't see it if You're a grouch, hate great singing, despise innovative numbers, and can't tolerate spectacular choreography.

Also The Paper Mill theatre is a great place to see big musicals. It is the perfect setting to see this new production. Just go! You'll be glad you did. Karen Mason is at her peak, and one of her songs led to an exceptionally deserved long ovation.; not to be missed.... Read more Read less

See it if A must see for everyone. Dramatic, historical about an era and events that are riveting. An unforgettable play.

Don't see it if You are depressed and suicidal and close to the edge, as you'll see depressing sociopaths and the chilly side of the Holocaust.

See it if You love a child actor. Like intelligent scripts.

Don't see it if You mind missing a high percentage of the spoken words, because the woman (9 year old actor) can't yet enunciate well.

See it if You have nothing better to do. Be careful to stay awake. If you ALWAYS concur with a NY Times Review instead of your own opinions.

Don't see it if You have something else worth doing

See it if You’ve never seen any magic show ever

Don't see it if I love magic. He does one classic trick competently. He developed one unique trick with images - but repeats it in endless minor variations

Also Show lasts 70 minutes, and dragged

See it if You love Caribbean music, as do we

Don't see it if A poorly developed script leaves you frustrated

See it if You enjoy classical or rock music, and wish to see a nice blend.

Don't see it if You can't stand loud music - it does get loud (appropriately in my opinion) quite often. Really no plot, and just trace acting.

Also Too bad that there is no listing of the musical numbers.

See it if Well worth seeing,; based on a true story. Fantastic flute player. Excellent singing

Don't see it if You want a joyous musical.

See it if You like well-crafted characters and superb acting

Don't see it if Dealing with themes of illness is disturbing to you

See it if Intelligent commentary on how an adolescent went astray, with excellent characterization of the key persons in her life.

Don't see it if You cant stand having a single retrospective scene in the middle of the play. If some stupid medical script errors would drive you batty

See it if you like excellent acting and can tolerate ambiguity in the script

Don't see it if You hate writers like Beckett

See it if You love Ms. Parker so much that you can't miss seeing her.

Don't see it if You love her work, so see her past work instead. The theme is predictable. It is NOT deep nor thoughtful.

See it if A short play - in the format of a radiologue - is your cup of tea. It's short ( 75 minutes) and fun

Don't see it if You want fancy staging

See it if You're interested in Holocaust related issues.

Don't see it if You hate plays that don't have a clear progressive story line: at times essentially simultaneously you're in the "present" & seeing the past

See it if want to see some OK acting

Don't see it if you want to hear and understand the lines

See it if you love Tennessee Williams or you want to see the wife of Art Garfunkel acting

Don't see it if you have something better to do

See it if you want to be hugely entertained

Don't see it if you hate kits

See it if you marvel at any of the mysteries of the universe or of everyday life

Don't see it if you're bored by everything

See it if Great acting. You like a script that leaves most issues unresolved. You don't care about anything other than seeing nudity.

Don't see it if Offended by total nudity. You desire a modicum of coherence. NOT recommended for those under 18 as the themes definitely include "adult"

Also In theory this play purports to explore race, and does set the stage to do so. But the play is merely a muddle, and not the least bit insightful. A great disappointment.
Without providing a "spoiler" - the last 2 actors to enter the story line do what I think is a great send-off of their professions, and is hilarious; but that's a sidelight.
Summary: although the play sees itself as offering useful commentary about race, I think its just a muddle.... Read more Read less

See it if You like great character studies. Ms. Parker early in her career did Proof - if you liked that, you'll love this

Don't see it if You insist on very upbeat endings or require every nuance to be absolutely settled and clear.

Also Irrelevant to your enjoyment - BUT: there is a gross medical error in the play's dialogue: a metastatic cancer is not Stage 2.... Read more Read less

See it if If you haven't yet seen Daniel Cainer, a must see. Creative and with a great voice, he portrays his Jewish heritage with pathos & humor

Don't see it if If you have seen him and demand new material - just one new song in this show and minor changes in past songs and his wonderful patter.

Also Mr. Cainer is extremely personable. Catch him while you can! He resides in Great Britain. The show we saw (Sunday 10/20) was sold out , and it's in a small intimate theatre.... Read more Read less

See it if Based on true life events in 1933 Germany, highly relevant to today with fresh insights. Extraordinary scripting & acting. World premiere.

Don't see it if You easily get turned off by any reference to philosophy.

Also In this dynamic 90 minute, no intermission play, the author sows the development of the plot and each character with extraordinary craft. The actors are perfect in their complex roles. Believable but not predictable, as the nuances are each critical to the outcome. Thought provoking. It takes place in a critical period in Germany, before many realized how matters might really move forward, and why some felt they would not be vulnerable. It has all the right touches. Even the clacking of the boots of the political policeman sound just right. My only complaint is that the occasional background sounds in the jail didn't feel right, and did not positively contribute; that aspect should be revised. Recommendation: a must see. It's a short run - so run to it. We saw it on its 2nd performance (Fri 10/18/19), there was a talk back with the artistic director (insightful!), and it opens tonight to a sold-out crowd.
As you ponder the play, the inferences for today's world are clear & compelling.... Read more Read less

See it if You like innovative staging/set/costumes, or enjoy the music of Meatloaf. Fantastic choreography. FUN! Romantic.

Don't see it if A mediocre script will stop you from enjoying a spectacular production.Sound very over-amplified in 1st act, so that words are NOT distinct

Also A post-apocalyptical romance - Romeo & Juliet of sorts, mixed in with elements of Peter Pan,... Read more Read less

See it if Inventive and VERY funny, from an established playwright. This world premier has a superb cast. Show is near perfection. See it now!

Don't see it if You want to wait until it eventually is a Broadway hit so that you can spend oodles more. Just go now!

Also Bonus - easy parking.

See it if You love great acting; this classic 1970 play is fun.

Don't see it if Any profanity bothers you or any non-linearity is frustrating.

See it if Fantastic acting by everyone! Wonderful script and production. A joy to see. Far far exceeded our expectations.

Don't see it if You don't speak any English. Otherwise, I can't imagine your not enjoying this.

See it if superb performances from 4 of the 5 actors, in complex parts. Well staged. Get to it before this brief 4 week run ends

Don't see it if You have a poor attention span or dislike dramas.

See it if You wished to see a highly hyped show

Don't see it if You'll be annoyed as we were that the star acts by staring & truncates her words so that much is inaudible. Poor script

See it if You enjoy a well done drama. Great acting and set. Script is good, but imperfect.

Don't see it if You don't like dramas

See it if You want to see Uma Thurman in her Broadway debut, with a great supporting cast. The writing is sharp, and rings true.

Don't see it if you dislike political commentary, or want something that is very predictable.

See it if You enjoy excellent acting and dramas. On portion of the play takes you back in time to explain key background factors.

Don't see it if strong themes upset you

See it if You feel you need to see a play because many are raving about it. Does have some great acting. You love plays with ridiculous endings

Don't see it if For a play that is supposedly taking place a century ago, - it makes almost no sense. Its a waste of your time.

See it if Love great acting and drama.

Don't see it if A small stage puts you off

See it if You like acoustic trickery and aren't bored silly by it within 5 minutes

Don't see it if You have almost anything better to do.

See it if You want to see a great version of this classic.

Don't see it if You hate music

See it if You want to have a joyful 80-90 minutes. There's a wonderful prepared encore that's a fitting coda. 1 man show, perfect on the small stage

Don't see it if You're a grump or want absolute perfection.

See it if you want to annoy your companions

Don't see it if you don't despise your compatriots and don't want to see a play being performed perhaps because a spouse is wealthy & supports its dated run

See it if you like music of the era or can marvel at outstanding staging

Don't see it if dance totally always bores you

See it if you like musicals even in the least bit

Don't see it if you hate all musicals

See it if you like anything about Peter Pan

Don't see it if hate youth