I Spy a Spy

See it if you love all musicals. Some good performances, given weak material. Nothing makes sense, even in this created world. Tone varies wildly.

Don't see it if you want a coherent, meaningful story. Also, if you want strg music/lyrics. How did the show get this far w/o a decent book? Clever set.

See it if Songs 85, book 65. I enjoyed every one of the songs. Lots of humor with strong vocals. The big Russian number was a hoot. Left w/a smile.

Don't see it if The story and characters are a mess. The show is a rom-com farce w/two immigrant couples finding their way, but it makes no sense.

Also Comp tix if you show up at the door this last week near showtime & ask.... Read more Read less

See it if u want a goofy, innocuous comedy about immigrant life in NYC with some catchy songs, an endless series of madcap plots & a touch of gravity.

Don't see it if you expect a meaningful, fully-realized musical about immigration & acceptance; you hope for a coherent caper; you appreciate subtlety.

Also Stereotypes abound, confounding plot points proliferate, the overstuffed score overflows with winsome songs, hokey humor elicits chuckles, but a talented cast transcends the banal book, and plenty of charm makes I Spy A Spy ultimately palatable.... Read more Read less

See it if you like to see all the new musicals that come along.

Don't see it if you like musicals to have a comprehensible book.

Also “I Spy a Spy” is a tiny musical with a split personality. I thought the opening number, a smart celebration of NYC as a melting pot, with verses of the song given to immigrant small-business owners & employees originally from Mexico, Korea, Pakistan & Russia respectively, was terrific on every level. Problem was, this seeming tale of the how diversity fares in our city quickly morphs into an inane (occasionally incomprehensible) spy plot with an unbelievable love affair at its core. Too bad the promise of the opening song, its mood & its subject had not been sustained & expanded upon.... Read more Read less

See it if you are looking for a charming performance with some complex themes, amusing plot devices & excellent songs.

Don't see it if you want something deeply meaningful. This is clever but covers too much so is thin.

See it if Modern inclusive original NYC immigrant Russian-spy caper musical from another era. Very large cast.

Don't see it if For fear of its own topicality and to offending anyone -- all points and rough edges are sanded down to a dull finish.

Also Amplified mics & humour are telegraphed past the audience & down the lane.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy a very funny show with wonderful lyrics and very strange story which actually works. Very relevant to our times. Great staging.

Don't see it if you like a traditional comedy or drama. This show's plot is all over the place but is fantastically funny.

Also Very talented cast and great singing. This venue has a lot of steps. If you can endure the steps, I highly recommend this show. Lots of fun.... Read more Read less

See it if The lead lady is a great singer.

Don't see it if Rest of cast is amateurish & one-dimensional. Plot ridiculous & hard to follow. Way too long at 2 hrs 20 min. Closing over a month early!!

See it if enjoy complicated comedies re exchanging social places. You’ve clocked time in a paper hat industry. Affectionate ode to immigrant life/work

Don't see it if you expect ppl who deliver meals, drive cabs, clean facilities, & run local restaurants to sing only about how miserable they are

Also This is light and Summer-y but with a fantastic cast. Sort of hokey, but I found myself laughing anyway. Preposterous caste swaps remind me of a much older type of comedy. Wascavage is a hilarious dead ringer for Benedict Cumberbatch.

Keep in mind, this is not an edgy, obscene, edifying show made for and about trendy people. This has “enthusiastic theater kid” vibes all over it.

Spy might be a little over ambitious, but it has clearly benefited from a long development period. It pays homage to old Broadway, revives farcical plots from antiquity, buoys up against the growing cynicism around the American dream, and it handles its racial/ethnic typifications of NYC locals in a way that’s fond rather than lazy, mocking, or judgmental (less true in, say, Book of Mormon). Not the sorts of things a show pulls off on a whim.

Catchy songs: You Looked at Me, You Will See Me, and When Love Goes Wrong. Only a Russian is delightful.... Read more Read less

See it if You like stories about immigrants in NY, if you like well sung new songs and NY character portrayals.

Don't see it if You are not interested in immigrant stories or dislike the stereotyping of NY residents, or if you prefer a serious show.

See it if you don’t mind an underdeveloped, disjointed musical about the American Dream, NYC as Melting Pot, and Russian Spies that's awkward yet fun.

Don't see it if you need super-clever writing, can’t stand hackneyed lyrics/rhyme, or need a set-design with “wow” factor. What “wows” here? The voices.

Also I Spy a Spy feels forced, absurd, predictable: a bad parody of a spy thriller. Yet, there’s some ineffable charm, a dash of delight that made me enjoy it enough to forget my worries. The cast mates are talented singers who give their all, and some songs are performed admirably—but all are forgettable, the lyrics trite—stale. Andrew Mayer as Mexican illegal immigrant José Rodriguez is the heart and soul of the show. His love interest, Russian spy “beauty” Alina Orlova (Emma Degerstedt), is annoying, dull, and not all she’s supposed to be: a stunning creature worthy of the silver screen. Her personality is more vain and clueless, although Degerstedt herself is lovely and sings gorgeously. This isn’t The Play That Goes Wrong or Desperate Measures—but it could become akin to the latter at least with better set-design and some reframing to focus upon fewer characters. The “American Dream” theme just doesn’t stick by the end, either—the first half needs a better complement in its finale.... Read more Read less

See it if you want sweet off-Bway musical by hardworking, talented cast with good voices. Clever and simple sets, visually appealing.

Don't see it if Anodyne music; occasionally clever lyrics. Show TOO LONG: should be 60-75min show - NOT 2hrs20min. Painfully over-amplified & sharp.

Also Over-amplification had audience members putting fingers in ears - and does real disservice to singers.... Read more Read less

See it if you really enjoy musicals that have a certain charming B-movie quality to them.

Don't see it if Are looking for a memorable score.

Also "The American dream belongs to all of us." -Kamala Harris

This is essentially the thesis of I Spy a Spy. While relevant, it is about as fluffy as saying, "I like puppies. Puppies are good."

It is also unfortunately, two very distinct musicals rolled into one. It feels very much like it began as a show about a Russian agent who has lived her entire life as an American, creating a conflict of interest. Then someone had another good idea for an entirely different musical and said, "I bet I can put these two things together. Just watch me."

The music is thoroughly unmemorable. And the orchestrations/vocal arrangements are some of the blandest I've heard in some time. While the orchestra is wonderful, the choice to have electronic drums cheapens the sound a good deal.

The performances are mostly solid. Andrew Mayer carries this show and his vocal performance is astounding. Much of the writing is cringeworthy.

What the production lacks in punch, it partially makes up for in charm.... Read more Read less

See it if To see a fun, delightful show with a talented cast. Relevant to current events, to have a great night out.

Don't see it if If you are racist, close minded, are clueless to race relations in this country, if you don't like musical comedy

Also First of all...i loved the set. It seems so simple, but they utilized it so well. Amazing talent made for a show that everyone enjoyed. Relevant to current conditions in this country. It was nice to just sit back and laugh while at the same time recognizing that the American Dream looks different to different people.... Read more Read less

See it if you want a silly yet fairly entertaining farce.

Don't see it if you want a more serious or elaborately staged production.

See it if you enjoy musical farce ala early Ahrens and Flaherty. Serious topics are handled in lighthearted way but still make their point.

Don't see it if you need to live in anger and outrage about issues facing America. It has the "problematic second act" is still fun summer fare.

See it if you want to see a show with great production values, great singing and great acting. The music is standard Broadway type.

Don't see it if you need a musical with a compelling plot clearly structured to make you care about the characters and their outcome.

See it if You want to see a new, original musical with catchy songs, great singing, and a fun, relevant story.

Don't see it if You don’t like shows in small theaters, want huge production values, only enjoy serious musicals.

See it if You enjoy wonderful singing and actors who are hoping to make a difference.

Don't see it if You don't like musicals. The book fails to make the story important.

See it if you don't mind spending 2 1/2 hours at a show that should be 90 minutes at most.

Don't see it if unless you can see if for free & will want to waste time on a show that pretends US immigration laws & borders don't matter.

See it if a let’s-put-on a-show enthusiasm with talented newcomers compensates for secondhand material with verve and occasionally heart

Don't see it if broad ethnic stereotypes—even in a show that purports to celebrate inclusivity—offend; score is weak and lyrics subpar; badly overamplified

Also I SPY seems to want to marry the loose-jointed political satire & stock characters of 30s musicals with the well-structured, socially aware post-OKLAHOMA! book musicals. There’s a pair of romances, some cardboard villians, a preposterous plot out of Cold War comedies involving Russian spies, not to mention some inept Homeland Security goons.
All of this could be lighthearted fun—and it does have its giddy moments—if the book didn’t also want us to wring our hands over the social injustices immigrants endure while reaching for the American Dream.
What the creators don’t seem to take into account about those 30s larks is that they had memorable scores by the likes of the Gershwins and Rodgers & Hart—music & lyrics that surmounted their scrappy origins to become the foundation of the American Songbook. If a cartoon fable is to engage us, it needs fresh melody & polished lyrics—decidedly not the case with this tepid, effortful score, putting too much emphasis on the overstuffed plot.... Read more Read less

See it if You like a musical with many great singers and actors

Don't see it if You prefer dramas

See it if you're open to something surprising and weird. Bright production and sweet sentiment. Voices are spectacular. Some clever staging.

Don't see it if Needed to be more fun and a little long and rambling. Might be too quirky for some.

See it if you want to see a work in progress. The story is interesting and the lead is great but the show needs some serious editing.

Don't see it if you have problems with shows about immigrants or are looking for a polished production.

See it if you enjoy musicals about NYC, immigrant stories, or can enjoy making fun of stereotypes.

Don't see it if you have no sense of humor, dislike accents, or stories about immigrants and the "American dream."

Also The whole cast was talented, but Andrew Mayer and Emma Degerstedt blew me away!... Read more Read less