Aloha, Aloha or When I Was Queen
Aloha, Aloha or When I Was Queen
81

Aloha, Aloha or When I Was Queen NYC Reviews and Tickets

81%
(19 Ratings)
Positive
95%
Mixed
5%
Negative
0%
Members say
Funny, Clever, Delightful, Intelligent, Relevant

About the Show

Writer and performer Eliza Bent uses a home movie as a jumping off point to lead audiences on a journey that grapples with personal history, legacy, and cultural appropriation.

Read more Show less

Show-Score Member Reviews (19)

Sort by:
  • Default
  • Standing in our community
  • Highest first
  • Lowest first
  • Newest first
  • Oldest first
  • Only positive
  • Only negative
  • Only mixed
53 Reviews | 22 Followers
93
Absorbing, Entertaining, Funny, Great writing, Refreshing

See it if you want an intimate, very funny show one woman show that doesn't feel like an excruciating experience (as one person shows sometimes do).

Don't see it if it gets a little heavy-handed with its message in the 3rd act, so if you don't want a politically correct show, I wouldn't recommend this.

180 Reviews | 44 Followers
89
Delightful, Entertaining, Thought-provoking, Intelligent, Quirky

See it if you want to experience a quirky examination of appropriation, personal pitfalls, and the experience of being a young angry artist

Don't see it if you dislike solo performance pieces, require visual spectacle, or want to turn off your brain and relax. Read more

114 Reviews | 9 Followers
88
Funny, Touching, Relevant, Thought-provoking

See it if you enjoy intelligent story-telling based on personal experience that sheds light on how our socialization leads to unintended biases.

Don't see it if you dislike monologues or auto-biographicsl plays.

572 Reviews | 139 Followers
85
Brilliant, Insightful, Picaresque, The pitfalls of cultural privilege, Home movies elevated to performance art

See it if a solo show that elicits great deal of humor from life journey taken by Eliza Bent & all characters she met along the way would thrill you

Don't see it if solo shows, home movies, cultural appropriation, women making less than men for same job would make you unhappy even skillfully presented

73 Reviews | 22 Followers
84
Delightful, Thought-provoking, Personal, Hilarious, Relevant

See it if you're into thought provoking, personal and personable one woman shows

Don't see it if You're looking for a more active show, as opposed to a humorous exploratory almost discussion.

133 Reviews | 44 Followers
80
Delightful, Great acting, Funny, Entertaining

See it if You enjoy to watch solo shows based on real life experiences. It was a treat to watch the very talented Elisa telling her story.

Don't see it if If you are armed to trash anything that comes from a privileged performer.

683 Reviews | 161 Followers
80
Smart, Personable, Repetitive, Apologetic, Self-aware

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

1312 Reviews | 354 Followers
79
Ambitious, Enchanting, Funny

See it if If you like a story about a solo women's life. Funny at times, low key.

Don't see it if with home movies or your uptight about a women who get's a lot of breaks in life.

Critic Reviews (3)

The New York Times
April 9th, 2018

"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.'"
Read more

Theatre is Easy
April 11th, 2018

"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."
Read more

Village Voice
April 13th, 2018

"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."
Read more