Desperate Measures NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (1,066)
See it if you want a funny, inconsequential two hours in the theatre where you'll be charmed by an incredibly talented bunch of actors.
Don't see it if you think musicals need to be BIG and full of spectacle. Read more
See it if You want a good laugh and a small stage setting
Don't see it if you do not like comedy musicals
See it if You like smart funny well written, well acted, clever and well sung musicals. It’s completely accessible though based on Shakespeare.
Don't see it if You’re looking for drama or a play. This is good silly fun.
See it if You are looking for a small intimate musical with great singing and an interesting book. The plot is Measure for Measure set in the old west
Don't see it if you are looking for a big brassy musical
See it if A greatm usical very clever, Great singing and dancing
Don't see it if If you are a DEVOTE Shakepeare fan
See it if Very enjoyable and entertaining musical. The music and songs are great.The cast is superb. Wonderful acting,singing.
Don't see it if You are not a fan of light, western themed musicals
See it if You like westerns, comedies, & cute musicals! If you are out for a fun time, don't miss this chance to leave with a big smile on your face!
Don't see it if Funny, rhyming musicals, with great characters, are not appealing, & you seek something more thought provoking than this silly creative romp
See it if you want some entertainment and joyful time.
Don't see it if I actually find it hard to dissuade you from seeing it.
Critic Reviews (49)
"A full-on reclamation of the musical comedy Western...Friedman has crafted a score that harks back to the old days, filled with cheerful melodies that will very likely get stuck in your head...Kellogg provides clever, tongue-in-cheek lyrics and a script that is written almost entirely in iambic pentameter...Castellino keeps his production barreling at a fast clip...'Desperate Measures' doesn't reinvent the wheel, but all told, it is a production of infinite jest and most excellent fancy."
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"Under Bill Castellino's direction, everyone strikes exactly the right note of spoof melodrama...Once in a while, the sheer high spirits are allowed to slip out of control...But 'Desperate Measures' is mostly a fast, funny, tuneful entertainment that shines in direct proportion to the disrespect it shows for its source material."
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"Most of 'Desperate Measures' is a hoot...The jokes are so constant, and director-choreographer Castellino's touch so deft, that the atmosphere becomes supercharged with hilarity, and even the lesser gags land...There's nothing innovative about 'Desperate Measures,' which, every note and every word, sounds like it could have been written in 1962. But hey, that wasn't a bad era for musical comedy. This one's as escapist as escapist can be."
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“While not all musicals from Shakespeare have worked and updates are particularly risky, ‘Desperate Measures’ avoids all of the pitfalls and is a refreshing and satisfying work in its own right. The catchy score has superb songs in the vein of the best of the Broadway Western musical. It is hoped the show has a long life beyond this production, like its young hero, in years to come.”
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"A lighthearted, easy-on-the-ear musical...Castellino smoothly steers the six-member ensemble...All the performers rate an A+ for their acting and singing...The actors milk their broadly drawn characters for maximum humor and beautifully render Friedman's catchy score and Kellogg's very smart lyrics. Emma Degerstedt brings a gorgeous voice and lots of charm to the show's heroine, as does Lauren Molina as the less demure saloon singer Bella."
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"A toe-tapping unforgettable score of fifteen hummable tunes and precise expressive lyrics...A brilliant book without an extra syllable in it...strewn with low jinx bawdy enough to amuse the baseborn and observations astute enough to impress the scholarly, yet capable of making both of the above mutually burst into billowing roars of laughter...An unspoiled, impeccable, picture perfect catch of performers...Every person in the audience walked out laughing."
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"An uproarious reimagining of Shakespeare's 'Measure for Measure,' complete with a cast of vivacious characters and a host of incredibly memorable songs...Every element of 'Desperate Measures' seems to have been devised with both wit and love. This is also true of the wonderful cast, all of whom turn out both cracking and endearing performances...A musical with a script this lovely AND songs that could stand alone is a relatively rare phenomenon...Not to be missed."
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"It’s a smart and creative reimagining that works wonders on the plot points...A smartly directed and choreographed good time by Castellino, the musical giddily gallops forward, taking a convoluted Shakespearean text and improving on it. I never thought I’d say that, but 'Measure for Measure' mixed with Mel Brooks and a melodic musical score create one great time at the dance hall."
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