Gigantic
72

Gigantic NYC Reviews and Tickets

72%
(37 Ratings)
Positive
67%
Mixed
22%
Negative
11%
Members say
Funny, Entertaining, Cliched, Clever, Great acting

About the Show

The Vineyard Theatre presents a coming-of-age musical comedy about a group of outcast teens who have been sent to a weight-loss camp in Pennsylvania.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (37)

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470 Reviews | 113 Followers
90
Absorbing, Clever, Delightful, Entertaining

See it if You love fast-paced rock musicals with a great high-energy cast and the always entertaining Leslie Kritzer.

Don't see it if You didn't like Rent or Avenue Q

85 Reviews | 104 Followers
90
Absorbing, Entertaining, Funny, Campy, Quirky

See it if you like campy musicals that have to o with camp!

Don't see it if you are not entertained by silly jokes and people making fun of themselves.

82 Reviews | 19 Followers
85
Entertaining, Funny, Fluffy, Delightful, Great singing

See it if you like new musical theatre.

Don't see it if you get annoyed by overacting.

548 Reviews | 1899 Followers
78
Funny, Great acting, Refreshing, Riveting

See it if you ever went to camp.

Don't see it if you discriminate against people with weight issues.

57 Reviews | 12 Followers
77
Funny, Entertaining, Cliched

See it if Great message about being your own person no matter what size you are. Talented cast and some fun, poignant score. Some is over the top

Don't see it if You can't take a joke or poke fun at weight and personal issues

79 Reviews | 39 Followers
74
Quirky, Slow, Cliched

See it if My daughter liked it a lot more than I. She suggest you see it if you're bored. I say if you like Glee or Grease type shows.

Don't see it if You are tired of teen drama.

175 Reviews | 20 Followers
70
Entertaining, Funny, Fluffy, Amusing

See it if you want to see a cute blink-and-you'll-miss-it Hamilton parody (William Howard Taft) in act 2. Also, Leslie Kritzer is divine, as always.

Don't see it if you are uncomfortable with a comedic take on teen obesity.

240 Reviews | 68 Followers
70
Cliched, Great acting, Funny, Fluffy, Refreshing

See it if You like the actors, or enjoy over-the-top stories set at camps.

Don't see it if You're looking for something deeply moving or emotional. This was fine, but nothing extraordinary.

Critic Reviews (23)

The New York Times
December 4th, 2015

"The show’s defiantly feel-good message about being comfortable in one’s own skin is in philosophical conflict with its creative impulses, which are otherwise thoroughly conformist…'Gigantic' is very comfortable with unexamined stereotype, particularly where its female characters are concerned…The kids at Camp Overton want to blend in, but 'Gigantic' needs to stand out. For the show, a little more creative audacity might have done a lot."
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Time Out New York
December 3rd, 2015

"The writing devolves into cliché and contrivance; in the second act, it largely abandons coherence...'Gigantic' seems to use the fact that it’s a musical as an excuse not to have to make sense, culminating in one of the most bizarre floppo numbers I’ve ever seen...It’s unforgettable, at least, which can’t be said of the rest of this musical, in which the huge talent onstage is mostly wasted."
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New York Magazine / Vulture
December 3rd, 2015

"I have nothing against silly musicals if they’re smartly crafted or thrillingly tuneful or genuinely funny or at least touch on some form of reality. 'Gigantic' goes zero for four…The material has been deliberately dumbed down, as if the authors believed that their nominal subject were so distasteful it could never succeed on its own. Is this what we are reduced to? As a former husky person, I resent that; as someone who loves good musicals I resent it more."
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Variety
December 7th, 2015

"The perky charms of this offbeat musical, penned by Randy Blair and Tim Drucker, are obvious. The music is upbeat, the lyrics are funny, and the direction is quick and clever. The show’s flaws — the book is overwritten and the songs are monotonous — are also conspicuous in this Vineyard Theater production, but the cast is so cute and so committed to their roles, they make it fun."
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AM New York
December 3rd, 2015

"A clunky but cute, feel-good musical…The pop-rock songs are generic but have a lot of drive behind them. The storyline is messy and the humor is often strained… Wilcox has genuine charisma in the lead, while Redmond makes for an assertive counterpart. Leslie Kritzer gleefully plays up her supporting role as an eccentric, jumpsuit-wearing camp counselor."
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Theatermania
December 3rd, 2015

"Berger's lyrics aren't nearly as clever as they could be...The book offers a mixture of hackneyed characters and ham-fisted pop-culture parody…The cast is absolutely perfect, and director Schwartz guides them to distinct, over-the-top performances that still manage to feel emotionally grounded...One can't help but wonder if 'Gigantic' really sides with the feelings of the rail-thin cheerleaders instead of the lovably unconventional heroes it purports to celebrate."
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Lighting & Sound America
December 4th, 2015

"The result is flat and tasteless, desperately in need of an infusion of wit…To the degree that any of these tedious shenanigans are amusing you can thank a hard-working and often charming cast…The score contains too many similar-sounding numbers...Scott Schwartz directs like the pro he is, keeping the action moving at a good clip…'Gigantic' tries to coast on the easy-sell premise that got it its festival exposure. But it lags in the execution department."
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Talkin' Broadway
December 3rd, 2015

"The show has tipped into bland conventionality…Gone is the gently wacky edge that gave the writers and performers the permission they needed to be weird, something that's absolutely required in a show like this one…Things are listless and leaden — not terrible, but not invigorating...This isn't a poor-looking or poor-sounding show, but it's one that doesn't seem to know what it's supposed to be or how it's supposed to accomplish its goals."
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