Hundred Days
Hear the true story of how Abigail and Shaun of the folk-rock duo the Bengsons met and fell in love, and how that unleashed their terror of mortality. Part of the Public Theater's Under the Radar festival.
... Read moreUsing their anthemic breed of folk-punk music, the Bengsons explore the fundamental question of how to make the most of the time that we have. 'Hundred Days' was created by Abigail and Shaun Bengson with their collaborators Anne Kauffman and Sarah Gancher.
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- 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Already closed
- Public Theater / Anspacher Theater (East Village)
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Reviews (19)
7 Critics' Reviews
"This production, directed with a slithery ominousness by the gifted Anne Kauffman, takes you places you don’t expect to go, even though you’ve most likely visited such places yourself...If the spoken dialogue never matches the emotional complexity of the Bengsons’ songs, it paves the runway for the liftoff of the music...The Bengsons offer luminous hope that a new generation of talent in American theater is taking up Stephen Sondheim’s mantle of exquisite ambivalence." Full Review
"A mesmerizing production…'Hundred Days' packs a wallop for anyone who has ever loved and lost…They're a charming, self-deprecating couple, not afraid to dig deeper in service of the dramatic moments...A climactic scene features no music at all and is potent enough to rival the emotional fireworks of a play like 'The Humans.' Anne Kauffman expertly allows a menacing melancholia to seep in through the cracks here until it becomes all we can think about." Full Review
"If you start digging for the events underneath the huge, heartbreaking songs, you realize that Abigail's imagined peril means she was 1) preoccupied on a road trip and 2) subsequently inconsiderate...These hiccups are treated as high opera. The Lumineers-esque music is wonderful, though...and it's performed with extraordinary vigor by a stellar ensemble...When it comes to The Bengsons, never, never miss a concert. But if they want to tell you how they met? Good time to fade toward the bar." Full Review
"At the center of a group versed in rockabilly, folk and, let’s call it 'Prairie Home Companion'-ism, are Shaun and Abigail Bengson. They’re married and have come to tell the tale of their courtship and the odd journey that has led to the play’s title, which is meant to be apocalyptic, but which, thankfully, proves to be something of a red herring. It’s deceptively loose, fresh and entertaining. Look for them on the road." Full Review
"Abigail is charming and Shaun is adorable. They bound on stage like a couple of puppies. It’s impossible not to smile when they immediately confess that they’re married...Go see 'Hundred Days' if you can. Not just because the music is great and the performers are charming and talented. But because these people have done a bunch of living and thinking in some pretty short lives. And they’re willing to share what they’ve been through in a very honest and exhilarating way." Full Review
"This music is a kaleidoscope of joy and energy that indefinably sizzles as folk, punk, fusion, blues, rock, jazz and more...Shaun’s terrible worry is that this fantastic woman whose beauty is opening up like a flower before him will eventually abandon him...For Abigail, the fear travels deeper in her soul...and together they decide to speed up time so that they will live a full lifetime in 100 days...All I can say is: Wow! I enjoyed everything about the production." Full Review
"What makes this ordinary story so special is its emotional depth, as well as the original music to which it’s set. Backed up by an eager ensemble of musicians, the Bengsons' tale begins when they meet and instantly fall in love…As dozens of Andrew Hungerford’s tiny lights float above them (ethereal symbols of hope and endurance), they sing a touching ballad of true love – its joys, fears, and ultimate triumphs." Full Review
12 Members' Reviews
See it if you want to her Abigail's glorious voice! very well produced, heartfelt and entertaining with a great ensemble.
Don't see it if might find it a bit self-indulgent . story of 20-somethings falling in love and thinking they are the first/only people to feel that way
Also overall, quite lovely, but would have preferred a different storyline ... Read more Read less
See it if you enjoy watching two people visibly in love talking about the beginning of their relationship; you like new styles of musical theater
Don't see it if you don't enjoy The Bengsons; you prefer standard musical theater more than concerts
See it if you love the Bengsons' music. Performances are 80 , but material 60...hence a 70. A's fevered dream sees S dead. Spoiler alert: he lived!
Don't see it if Loud music bothers you. Or you need sophisticated lyrics (these don't rhyme). Or you want a plot. But Jo Lampert is worth seeing in anything
Also Basing a musical on an irrational fear (a dream that one's true love w... Read more Read less
See it if Couple presents the loss of control of falling deeply in love, accompanied by fear of death/loss. Creative emotional music.
Don't see it if You're not interested in a pair of insecure late 20 year olds seeking their way. There were a few slow moments but overall it was touching
See it if You want part theater, part concert, like love stories that are quirky and intense and are willing to share someone else's reality.
Don't see it if You are wedded to the theatrical format and want a straight linear story and musical theater experience.
See it if you like folk music, stories about husbands and wives, or want a more direct storytelling experience than you're used to
Don't see it if you hate folk music or if shows that deal with mortality and what it means to be alive
See it if you like to see a really beautiful story told in a very unconventional way that will alternately make you laugh and wreck you.
Don't see it if you're expecting a fully staged play. It's a concert. A concert that tells a story, but a concert nonetheless.
See it if you love folk music! Also the design/choreography/presence of the performers is beautiful and so well done.
Don't see it if you are looking for a more concrete play. It is very much cabaret/concert style, though still consisting of theatrical elements.
See it if absolutely fabulous, soul stirring, foot-stomping, music performed by a talented and likable group of actor/musicians. Beautifully designed
Don't see it if if you're expecting a traditional musical or play. The show is a hybrid concert/cabaret/musical...and it works wonderfully.
See it if you have an open mind to performance art and music. Open yourself to the emotion and beauty the Bengsons put into their story.
Don't see it if You're expecting a cookie cutter musical with typical music.
Also Incredible concert/musical something or other. I was completely caught... Read more Read less
See it if great music, and more importantly super duper great storytelling concert
Don't see it if the acting is not so perfect
See it if You love folk music, story telling, raw emotion, and are open to existential questions.
Don't see it if You're seeking a traditional play or musical.