The4thWall

See it if Good story with good direction and adaptation. Interesting. Perfect length.

Don't see it if Can be slow at times, but enjoyable.

See it if Saw 1st preview. Great actors but the direction lacks verve. The story is not particularly noteworthy. The gimmick of the storytelling.

Don't see it if On a 2hr show without intermission, 3 minutes spent vacuuming was offensive. Needs energy.

See it if Funny and fun with thought-provoking truths. Great performances.

Don't see it if Too long. Many parts drag and suffocate the good ones.

See it if You enjoy Waiting For Godot-esque shows. Intelligent. Great acting.

Don't see it if Enjoyed it much better off Broadway. The ending was indulgent and snuffed all power of the text with baffling needless shameless nudity.

See it if You are a fan of the show. If you don't remember a lot, the show will remind you. Clever catchy music. Fun.

Don't see it if You don't like to see spoofs or not a fan of the show.

See it if Impressive setting for this 1-person, superbly acted show. Fun absorbing story. Great adaptation.

Don't see it if You sit at tables of 5 (odd when tickets are sold in pairs). And you briefly discuss and vote on what course the play will take.

See it if You like mystery history stories. The main story is very entertaining and absorbing and the singing and music are great.

Don't see it if The show has this parallel story that is jarringly misplaced, annoying and kinda bizarre in contrast with main story of the show.

See it if Really great production of the Sondheim classic. Fantastic staging and talent. Recognizable tunes.

Don't see it if Lenk is beyond her depth here. Singing and acting are embarrassingly lacking. The contrast with the rest of the cast is flagrant.

Also Lenk's sining is mediocre but that could have been offset by great acting. Unfortunately she ambles around mostly like a deer in headlights not finding her way through her scenes. Clearly there must be 50% of blame with direction when she sings her 3 solos exactly the same barely moving her limbs with expressionless faces.... Read more Read less

See it if Relevant & Important story around immigration and its impact on a family. Timely. Well acted.

Don't see it if Issues of immigration are not for you. Needs streamlining. It's slow.

Also Most scenes, even though offering relevant plot overstay their welcome to the point of boredom
It's not the story as it is the storytelling that needs work.... Read more Read less

See it if Cute old fashioned musical with nice music. Great talent. Enjoyable and entertaining.

Don't see it if Old fashioned. The main premise of love is really tough to understand and buy into. Muisc is not great.

See it if The main theme of the mine explosions is relevant and timely. Solid performances.

Don't see it if The use of music was painful. It completely took away and outrage and drama that the actors started to build and turned it into sugar water.

Also The choice is first-person accounts without actors interactions is always risky but in this case it's passable (definitely not great).
But the folk music interludes were very jarring to the story and the acting. Instead of educating and outraging the overall effect of the music was to distance the audience's hearts from the people's pain and into a sedated sweet ballad state.
What a miss....... Read more Read less

See it if Great talent. Well produced show.\ with an interesting story. Malone & Damane are superb. very traditional

Don't see it if The music is not particularly great nor memorable. It could stand a 15 min cut at least to pick up the pace.

See it if Great story/acting. Absorbing. The use of Portman is done really well giving depth and never overused. Sad, heartfelt & thought-provoking.

Don't see it if Not for anyone who dislikes surreal scenes. (Not overdone though). Not a light subject.

See it if Great staging/writing concept. Hard to follow at first but soon it is becomes easier. Beautiful painful story. Sad & moving.

Don't see it if Issues of suicide and mental illness are not for you.

Also The show happens in 3 scenes at the same time. It might sound confusing but it only is at first. It becomes easily clear where the main attention should be. The concept demands attention at all times which is deserving of the issue being presented.... Read more Read less

See it if Great acting with surprisingly wonderfully enunciation. Hamlet played by a woman was seamless. Clever, good looking sets. Enjoyable!

Don't see it if Too traditional. Lacking in creativity or innovation.

See it if I enjoyed the concept and can see what the writer was going for.

Don't see it if But the acting was passionless and not up to the task, especially when portraying the monster. It felt more like a cold reading.

Also I can see that with a different cast this could have been something special.... Read more Read less

See it if A fun, lighthearted show with excellent melodies and singing. Funny and uplifting. Some heart stopping ballads. Romcom adventure. LOL

Don't see it if Lighthearted fare is not your thing.

Also Great colorful and creative sets.

See it if Fantastic adaptation of the original. Byrne's performance is breathtaking. Great cast. Moving, smart, sad, funny. Relatable.

Don't see it if Must see even if you're uncomfortable with the theme.

Also This is not quite the same Medea of the original. Without any spoilers, it's a very subtle but brilliant twist.... Read more Read less

See it if This was an enjoyable play about real people I didn't know about. Sad and funny. Clever staging and premise.

Don't see it if you don't enjoy one-person shows. Can be slow at times and painful to watch (I know people just like that)

See it if Entertaining. Some timely themes sophomorically treated.

Don't see it if It needs to be shortened. 2 character are useless. Adding nothing to the play but length.

Also The writing is very uneven. Some characters are almost devoid of feeling, speaking as if narrating a book with complete sentences and fully articulated thoughts. (Not how people speak). Others are charged with overly exaggerated emotion as if teenagers (not how adults act). The whole thing felt contrived.... Read more Read less

See it if You're a Bush fan. Entertaining with good performances. Funny-ish.

Don't see it if There's A LOT of painfully cliched jokes, mostly on the first act. Eye-rolling. Act 2 is more streamlined and the story takes center stage.

Also It's cute and the actual story is interesting and complex. The presentation is really good. The first act felt like a drag show and the second like great vaudevillian theater.... Read more Read less

See it if Mostly solid performances

Don't see it if It really drags and most characters are cartoonish.

Also The main character is the biggest problem. Baffling actions that make no sense especially since there is really no psychological background for us to excuse her absurdity.
The title is just a gimmick since the town is not important and the poster has nothing to do with the actual store where it takes place.... Read more Read less

See it if Intimate production in a new take on the old myth. Creative, beautiful & passionate with a great twist!. Very engaging cast.

Don't see it if you want your greek straight and your productions big.

Also The show has some beautiful lyrics/text and smart turns of phrase.

See it if Fun story with really good music. Solid talent.

Don't see it if Plot has some serious holes that may be overlooked as a teen story. Needs more developed end It would've been better and 100 min straight

See it if Lighthearted way to deal with heavy themes. Absorbing and fresh. Solid acting. Very clever sets for a very small space.

Don't see it if It's a small show.

See it if Entertaining and thought-provoking. Well acted and written.

Don't see it if wish I knew beforehand that the actor was playing his own mother. Made it all even more relevant but only found that out later.

See it if Super well acted one-woman show. Buried in it are very thought provoking ideas.

Don't see it if Writing if often confusing with tangents that it never goes back to address or explain the relevance.

See it if You like one person shows. Lots of vignettes paint the picture of a life. Great acting of lots of characters.

Don't see it if Sometimes a bit confusing transitions and a lit too long.

See it if Two solo stories, vaguely connected in the end. Very well acted, absorbing enough concept.

Don't see it if Needlessly long. Loses the punch.

See it if Great adaptation. Fun funny and smart. Great cast and production. 1 perfectly times act.

Don't see it if You prefer your Shakespeare traditional. You don't like outdoor theater.

See it if Surprisingly entertaining. The whole thing works: writing, reading, lighting.

Don't see it if It's not really "theater" though it was a wonderful indoors experience while still under Covid restrictions.

See it if Great actors, story, storytelling, sets, music, direction and concept. This was a fun show while being respectful and informative.

Don't see it if You expect this to be a somber homage to the princess.

Also It was really brilliant to take this story which tragic end we already know and focus on a more fun, reality TV kind of take with more upbeat music but always keeping the heart and respect, and giving Diana all the credit that she deserves for her wonderful accomplishments. This was a great treat.... Read more Read less

See it if You're a fan of at least of one of the great actors.

Don't see it if The story is banal and slow with a twist of the ridiculous/bizarre. Most of the talent is severely underused.

Also A play about a business meeting is already a promise of a boring time. This wanted to have a bizarre edge but it only accomplish to be embarrassingly ridiculous.
It didn't feel as a twist as much as a "couldn't-figure-out-what-to-do-with-this-plot-so-let's-make-do-somehting-weird-and-hope-they-call-it-art" cop out. It wasn't art.... Read more Read less

See it if O'Connell is MASTERFUL. Gripping dark real story. You could hear a pin drop for the entire time. Edge of your seat. Gut wrenching.

Don't see it if Dark heavy uncomfortable stories are not for you.

Also Hnath does it again in a very original format.

See it if Great story, cast & music. Absorbing and thought-provoking plot that grabs you from the start. Great performances & singing. Must see.

Don't see it if You don't care about plays with music. Or music in foreign languages.

Also I am not usually a fan of plays with music especially when the music doesn't forward the plot or is jarring to it (i.e. Coal Country). But here it absolutely works! The melodies absolutely reflect the plot and furthers the feelings.
Have I said GREAT music yet?
Kudos to all.
Hoping for an album.... Read more Read less

See it if This was more of a thriller than the raunch fest I was afraid it would be. Interesting plot and themes. Absorbing.

Don't see it if Most of the problem to me was with one cast member that kept a constant super intense level when the lines mostly didn't call for it.

Also At point the intensity was so exaggerated that I din't quite know if I was watching a comedy. The role really called for a nuanced mixed intensity delivery.... Read more Read less

See it if Exceptional voices! Really! Great, fun music! Smart, insightful story & lyrics . Every song is a delightful hit.

Don't see it if You don't like pop concerts even when widening one's historical horizons.

Also What a clever concept! Very intelligent & insightful adaptation of the history.
The more you know about the wives of Henry VIII, the more you will get out of this. Read up before you go.
The adoring fans were very respectful of the music, holding all their boisterous applause until the end of every song.... Read more Read less

See it if Exceptional performances all around!!

Don't see it if First act is REALLY slow & long & nothing really happens. Lack of a hook before intermission. All action is squeezed on the shorter 2nd act.

Also The major plus here are the performances. Great actors all.
The show is dated even as a situation play. 1st act set up feels like it goes nowhere while everything of drama happens on act 2. Languid. The show needs reworking and cutting. Would have been better and a 100min no intermission.... Read more Read less

See it if A masterful reimagining for today. Orchestrations/lyrics kept intact. Sets/dances are new. What voices! Brilliant and moving.

Don't see it if you don't care about musicals or don't like modernized versions of classics.

Also Pimentel & Powell are revelations! Incredible unique voices with beautiful harmony between them and perfect for their songs. Kudos!... Read more Read less

See it if this is a very nice adaptation of the original and retelling of the Adam & Eve story.

Don't see it if The play starts with a plot that is developed throughout but completely ignored & dropped at the end. Why? What happened with those people?

Also Fraser is wonderful as always!

See it if It's entertaining and has a nice flow and story.

Don't see it if Unfortunately the music (not really a musical) is very distracting/detracting from what could have been a deeper more painful exploration.

See it if You're a fan of Walton or Krebs. Great singers.

Don't see it if Mediocre saccharine music that doesn't move plot and an ending that only benefits the character's alcoholic misogynistic ego.

See it if Fun, enjoyable & smart adaptation that stays close to the original with feminist twists. Mostly well acted.

Don't see it if You don't care about the genre. Writing is way heavy handed on issues. Super tediously repetitive on the soap box.

Also Not only was the soap box painfully repetitive (some lines repeated 5 times) but it's also heavy handed on the womansplaning of plot details. The last 8 minutes were an explanation of what the action prior made abundantly clear to the audience. We are smarter than you think, Ms. Hamill... Read more Read less

See it if Great production, acting and story. Absorbing. Great approach to race issues within a mystery plot.

Don't see it if You prefer comedies and musicals.

See it if MUST SEE! Fantastic acting/singing/dancing/sets. What a riveting, poignant and epic story! And add the music to it. AMAZING!

Don't see it if No reason not to. It's incredible!

See it if Really great performances and insightful writing. New take on a timely theme.

Don't see it if issues around mass shootings are not for you.

Also The show is missing one scene for the main character to come to terms with his actions. A catharsis scene was missed.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy Linney's acting.

Don't see it if This really feels like it's going nowhere. Just like being trapped looking at someone else's travel pictures. I'm sure it was fun FOR THEM.

Also It really lacked cohesion and focus. Too many insipid stories half baked and half told. No depth to anything, like someone lying to their therapist.... Read more Read less

See it if Great performances. Great story full of twists. Epic larger than life scale sets. Dark and full of pathos.

Don't see it if It drags at times but mostly briefly.

See it if Though confusing at first, it grows into a writing tour de force that is tragic, brilliant and painful.

Don't see it if You dislike issues of homosexuality and HIV.

Also This has the potential to be as relevant as Angels in America for a different population.
Though the direction needs polishing, the message is earth-shaking.
I appreciated the very tactful and mostly discreet way in which sexual scenes were portrayed.... Read more Read less

See it if Important message. Well written & performed. Moving, realistic and painful to watch.

Don't see it if As exciting as act1 is, act 2 (when things get real) does drag a bit. A 15min cut would've been ideal.