Forest Boy (NYMF) NYC Reviews and Tickets

77%

(17 Reviews)

Positive

76%

Mixed

18%

Negative

Members say

Absorbing, Original, Thought-provoking, Intense, Great staging

About the Show

Part of the New York Musical Festival: Based on an incredible true story, this new tuner is a modern-day fairy tale about growing up and using your imagination.

On September 5th, 2011, a boy appeared in Berlin claiming to have lived in the forest with his father for the last five years. He had no memory of his past–he only knew his name was Ray and that he traveled to Berlin following the death of his dad. What followed were nine months of speculation, police inquiry, and a global media frenzy, as the mystery of the Forest Boy slowly unraveled. 

Member Reviews (17)

Great acting, Great writing, Great music, Engrossing, Unconventional

See it if you like to be engrossed in a satisfying mystery story and/or you like a beautiful folk-y score.

Don't see it if you're expecting Broadway-level production values--the budget is small but the writing is interesting and the performances are great.

Intimate, Whimsical, Especially interesting cuz it's true

See it if you like workshop musicals with an otherworldly feel. I liked the choreography, and the songs worked well to convey emotion.

Don't see it if you want a polished production or a comfortable theater. Had a high school auditorium feel, but the performers were committed & engaged.

Critic Reviews (2)

"The songs are a bland blend of rock and Sondheim-light styling that aim for both theatrical and hip but don't quite hit either...Somewhat shakier is the book, which too often doesn't know what it's trying to communicate...The problems are so integrated into the concept and its presentation that serious restructuring might be the only way to get everything to realign. There's unquestionably good work here...You just sense that they can't see 'Forest Boy' for the trees.”
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“'Forest Boy' is incredibly well done...The look is fluid and magical. Gilmour and McKenzie are a perfect pairing for this story, which really has no ending or purpose...In the end, this tale of a psychologically damaged mind and the lengths a deluded personality will go to have a different kind of life just rings with a dull note...No matter how well the score blends pop, theatrical and country and uses the underscoring in a rather thrilling way, this story has no where to go."
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