A Taste of Things to Come NYC Reviews and Tickets

80%

(118 Reviews)

Positive

85%

Mixed

13%

Negative

Members say

Entertaining, Delightful, Funny, Great singing, Clever

About the Show

The York Theatre Company presents the New York premiere of this musical that starts off in 1957 Illinois as four female friends enter a Betty Crocker cooking contest with life-altering results.

Little do these women know that the contest is a recipe for disaster, one that will set off a chain reaction that will change their lives forever. When they reunite ten years later, they are very different people in a very different world—but can they still be as close as they once were? In an age when the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, they'll discover that the way to a woman's heart is through her best friends.

Member Reviews (118)

Great staging, Delightful, Entertaining, Great singing, Fun

See it if you like polished productions. Strong voices, well-staged numbers, great all-female band. Moving reminders of: you've come a long way, baby.

Don't see it if you require a strong book; it's more a concert show. Still, its message is moving. In a decade (1957-67) women's lives changed radically. Read more

Clever, Entertaining, Great staging, Thought-provoking, Relevant

See it if you like shows that are topical yet light and fun at the same time. This is one of those rare shows that is fluffy yet has a good message.

Don't see it if you don't care about women's issues or politics in general. This is very light but it's still got a meaty (almost SPAM-like) core.

Critic Reviews (15)

"The show enters that familiar theatrical territory of change among friends over time, and you can just sit back and wait for the inevitable revelations and confessionals. None are especially profound, and nostalgia trips to the 1950s and ’60s have been so numerous in recent years that a lot of what’s here seems tired and perfunctory. But the energetic performances, directed and choreographed by Lorin Latarro, are something to savor, and so are the harmonies."
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"An empowering tale receiving its premiere at the perfect time in our nation's history...Though the script is thin, the secrets not so surprising, and the central conflict too easily resolved, the writers have supplemented their dialogue with a flavorsome score of tunes that expertly shift in style with the times...Under the direction of veteran Broadway choreographer Lorin Latarro, the four-member cast perform their roles with zest."
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"York's fun and frothy new entry features a dynamite cast and enough tuneful cleverness for a brightly entertaining evening...The thin plot has the quartet whipping up recipes in hopes to grab the $50,000 grand prize in a cooking contest, but it's just an excuse to explore the dynamics of their friendships...May not be the most sophisticated entertainment in town, but with its modest production requirements and lively spirit, it should wind up becoming a popular choice for regional theatre."
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"This gals'-night-out entertainment woos its target audience with easy, familiar gags about eras past and peppy musical numbers -- never mind that it's all been said before, with far more wit and invention…The songs tend to sheathe rudimentary lyrics in uptempo melodies that go down easy…The ladies themselves are all winners, giving everything they have to material that doesn't always return the favor…There's no getting around the fact that the taste it offers is remarkably bland."
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"A show that contains a lot less nourishment than it does empty calories…Although there's technically a through line, it's not much more than a flimsy excuse for dispensing watery period-styled songs…It's all peppy, but rather unavoidably pointless…The most successful songs are the two that are more about introspection than pastiche…There's heart in these numbers that's attractive, even moving...The rest of this well-intentioned musical, though, is overbaked."
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"Documenting the influential and crucial decade between the '50's and '60's, Debra Barsha and Hollye Levin's new musical 'A Taste of Things to Come' is a very pointed yet enjoyable exploration of these transformative years for the housewife, told through the eyes of four women who have a common interest in cooking."
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"'A Taste of Things to Come' is a wonderful new musical that has a lot to say about how the times influence our lives, and how slowly progress comes about...The original score by Barsha and Levin is quite exceptional and reflects the tone and popular songs of both decades. The show is thoroughly enjoyable and the cast couldn’t be any more perfect as these four talented performers all shine, and their brilliant performances help us to understand their individual journeys."
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"The plot is predictable as pumpkin pie at a Thanksgiving meal…The show's strength comes from the performers, all of whom have impressive voices and acting know-how…The show is at its best when it sings and dances, since Barsha and Levin have created types rather than fully fleshed-out characters. That said, as helmed and choreographed by Lorin Latarro and performed by the sparkling talent, it offers an enjoyable holiday diversion."
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"It asks the musical question, can four powerhouse actors with Broadway-caliber voices rise above their one-dimensional characters and just mildly funny book to bring home a satisfying production? Yes, they manage to deliver the goods, but the goods are less than great...Ms. Dacal and Ms. Faure both ignite the stage with their showcase numbers…Ms. Guinn’s Dottie is a more problematic and hard-to-believe character...Still, she manages to shine in her Act II paean to motherhood."
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“These nostalgic reminders of the days some deluded people think was when America was ‘greater’ than now are embedded in fast-paced, quip-packed dialogue and high-fructose pastiche songs written in various pop genres of the 50s...There's really nothing here we haven't seen before...The inventively bouncy and comic staging and choreography of Lorin Latarro takes familiar material and makes it enjoyably fresh, the way a good cook does in creating a flavorsome new recipe.”
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"The music by Debra Barsha and Hollye Levin is catchy and fun. The tale simplistic, but gets its point across. Right now any shows about empowering women will hit the audience like a bull's-eye...This is a piece of nostalgia...The cast is superb and they all make the most of their material. I just want to know the vocal range of Allison Guinn because this girl seems to have no bottom or top...These girls represent the best of New York."
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"Toward the end of the first act, despite all the talent, the sameness in tone can get a bit cloying...What I hoped would happen in the second act does…Four delightful actresses give spirited performances in both acts…The book wraps up quite a bit in too-pat a fashion...But interjected are terrific performance turns...One comes away admiring how well the cast can act and sing, and how much the music and lyrics succeed in typifying two different eras for women."
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"It is the story of friendship. It is the story of secrets. It is the story of bonds that can never be broken. Any woman that has ever had lifelong friends can relate to it. However, it is not only a show for women, the story is very entertaining and there is a lot of humor in it. The songs are fun although I wouldn't say any of them stuck in my mind after the show...It is just a fabulous fun time from beginning to end."
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For a previous production

"While it’s a mostly enjoyable show, it’s too lighthearted for its own good; it would be more satisfying if the characters and their conflicts had more depth…Most of the songs aren’t especially distinctive in their own right, but they’re pleasant pastiches that will keep audience members tapping their feet…They’re helped by a winning cast…Lorin Latarro has provided a swift, elegant production that is entertaining from start to finish. Her choreography is consistently creative."
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For a previous production

"Cheers to the writers for making these characters a bit complicated, but it’s too bad they shy away from those complexities. Tension is built, then tossed aside. The show is directed and choreographed by Lorin Latarro with lots of energy, and some clever touches…There are some nice moments here: wonderful performances, fantastic singing, and laughs…The show flew by, and is entertaining while making some insightful observations...But I wish it did more than skim the surface."
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