Aloha, Aloha or When I Was Queen NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (19)
See it if you’d like to see a very personable performer ruminate on cultural privilege as it manifests itself within the world of cultural workers.
Don't see it if you’ve seen so many autobiographical solo shows that you no longer respond to them, no matter how heartfelt & important the message is. Read more
Critic Reviews (3)
"This is not a declaration of wokeness. As it turns out, the likably entertaining Ms. Bent has something more urgent and complex on her mind, though the show doesn’t so much build as meander toward making that apparent...There’s self-flagellation, too, and ultimately a surprising poignancy, as she recounts a snarky piece she once wrote...She wishes that piece had gotten a better edit before it went out into the world. I wish something similar for 'Aloha, Aloha.'"
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"Bent deftly dodges some of the common traps white people fall into when discussing race...Bent is funny, charming, and deeply sincere, a persona that carries the complexity of the story with humor and compassion, and her sophisticated writing offers the kind of frank hilarity that makes solo performance shine...Bent asks her audience to consider their own way of taking space, participating in culture...It's a smart, funny, and vital contribution to the ongoing conversation."
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"Bent's self-study, if unfinished in places, is the kind of candid introspection many of us should be undertaking — though probably funnier and sweeter than most of ours would be...There is no shortcut to confronting our white privilege, Bent observes; no course of action besides acknowledging mistakes, apologizing, and listening. She’s not the first to say so, but she’s funny and convincing, and her cringe-worthy confessions might inspire some self-examination of your own."
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