Cyrano: a love letter to a friendship (FringeNYC) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (12)
See it if you enjoy a quick witted sketch like one act on current gay life.
Don't see it if You expect a literal take on the Cyrano story.
See it if you want to see an original, provocative, smart & entertaining take on contemporary gay life
Don't see it if you are easily shocked by everyday gay life; if you don't enjoy attractive men; if you need narrative simplicity; if you're a Rostand purist
See it if You just want mindless, fun, semi-juvenile, gay entertainment, with Lego pieces! Hot bods!
Don't see it if You're anti-gay, anti semi-nudity, anti small venues, anti tight-seating, anti campy plays, and house music...
See it if You're a queer man, or know queer men, and are baffled by the hoops this community puts itself through.
Don't see it if You like your shows to be exceptionally polished, know nothing about modern young gay life. Knowing Cyrano de Bergerac is helpful.
See it if A witty, contemporary gay take on Cyrano story almost buried under pretentious directorial concept
Don't see it if Bothered by use of gay sexual sterotypes to make sardonic points; graphic gay sexual situations
See it if you are young, horny, and eager to date but aren't sure how. I'm too old for the cliched experiences of this play.
Don't see it if you are expecting great acting or a super-sexy mysterious love interest. Neither found here.
See it if you're interested in seeing a great idea for a show in an early stage of its development.
Don't see it if you'll be frustrated by a show that knows what story it's trying to tell but doesn't quite have the tools to compellingly tell it yet.
See it if No reason to see it.
Don't see it if Want people who could act, movement that is good, or a story that makes sense.
Critic Reviews (8)
"Mr. Roberts and Mr. Frank both have Broadway credits, and the director-choreographer Eamon Foley has given them some impressive dance and movement sequences. But Rock, who of course attracts Cyrano, too, is blandly uninteresting beyond his musculature. If he’s going to threaten a friendship, his charisma needs to be more than just sexual."
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"Entertaining and provocative…The play delves into the nature and limits of friendship and unrequited love. Eamon Foley’s direction and choreography are first-rate...As both actor and playwright, Drohan is a thrilling find. His performance is nakedly brave (sometimes literally), and the truths he exposes are moving and unsettling. Like the Cyrano he’s created, he has a strong voice of his own."
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"It’s a novel idea to explore the romantic complications of Rostand’s play through the lens of gay men today, and Drohan and director/choreographer Eamon Foley succeed at times in capturing this confusing and often alienating world...However, Drohan seems more interested in exploring the theme of friendship in this world (as per the play’s subtitle) and this often is at odds with some of the plot elements he creates."
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"Edmond Rostand, the author of 'Cyrano de Bergerac,' would certainly not recognize his classic plot, here put through a fantastical, gay ringer...The acting, limited by the Mr. Drohan’s casual stereotyping of sex-hungry gays with little else on their minds, was acceptable, with Mr. Frank having the most charisma and the strongest acting chops…Eamon Foley’s direction was easygoing, if not lax, the details of this corner of the gay world were communicated simply and in broad strokes."
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"The characters fall prey to stereotypes and clichés of gay culture which do not provide much depth or interest…Parts of this production have the distinct feel of a music video...The problem is that it is difficult to determine where this fits into the plot or story...The script is a bit scattered and loses focus with vapid dialogue…Mr. Drohan has a brilliant idea, to write a gay play about friendship...But unfortunately this production falls short and misses the mark."
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"'Cyrano' may be flashy and fabulous, but in the end, it is a heartbreaking and honest portrayal of friendship and what it means to truly love a friend...Drohan does a phenomenal job through his strong commentary on friendship and love in the gay world...Foley's direction was filled with humor, humility, and a whole lot of heart. Foley ensured that these characters were authentic and identifiable...As a reimagining or not, the story is beautiful."
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"Drohan brings an irresistible charm and poignancy to his titular role of Cyrano…Director Eamon Foley does a good job of balancing the script’s humor, sex, and homoerotic aesthetic with its serious message...While abstract segments of movement and dance, choreographed by Foley, serve in highlighting the training, skills, and well-toned bodies of Roberts and Frank, they add little to the development of the characters and tend to disrupt the flow of the narrative. "
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"The play's three characters—as over the top and colorful as they can be—are fully realized underneath their comical personas. To say that this new reworking of 'Cyrano' is ambitious would be an understatement. In just over an hour, the play manages to be both an unforgiving mirror which invites the gay male community to look at itself, as well as a quick-witted satire of that community."
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