Inner Voices 2018 NYC Reviews and Tickets

"If a trilogy of solo one-act musicals sounds like a threat of art-song preciousness, rest assured: The minidramas in this year's edition of Inner Voices, the biennial showcase mounted by Premieres, tell compelling stories—or at least, two of them do. The disappointment is the collection's third piece, despite the marquee names attached to it...In the anthology's opening musical, 'Window Treatment,' vocal powerhouse Farah Alvin has a much clearer 'you' to address."
Read more

“Douglas holds the audience in his tiny palm...in ‘The Costume’, the highlight of this edition of Inner Voices...This is an extraordinary little piece...with a sensibility that recalls the writing of Carson McCullers or Harper Lee...Douglas is word-perfect, unaffected, and so emotionally transparent in his handling of Zaitchik's lovely music and words that one can't look away...The other two pieces...aren't quite as accomplished...but there's so much talent onboard.”
Read more

"The monologues are set to music and it’s cumulatively pleasing...As his own lyricist, Jeff Blumenkrantz’s affective narrative has momentum, true to life specificity and the words are crafted into distinct song-like sections...The magnetic child performer Finn Douglas is amazing as Leo...The personable Farah Alvin deserves great credit for her stamina during 45-minutes of virtual non-stop singing but she doesn’t possess the requisite exuberant comic qualities to put the show over."
Read more

"All three works light up with abundant talents...but only one story feels fully at home...That one is 'Window Treatment,' a firecracker of a musical...'The Costume' centers around a 10-year-old boy charged by his next-door neighbor with nursing a wounded pigeon...‘Scaffolding’ offers yet another story about a person on the autism spectrum that’s entirely from someone else’s point of view...'Inner Voices' provides a fascinating look at how different stories can be told."
Read more

“Difficult-to-sing but powerfully expressive music…designed not to make you hum it but to support the emotional underpinnings of the lines. Everything is pulled together by gem-like performances and perceptive direction. Add to this Reid Thompson's elegantly simple settings, Aaron Spivey's exquisite lighting, and Brooke Cohen Brown's just-right costuming, and you're in for an unusual treat…A melodically enchanting, intriguingly written, and shiningly polished trilogy of musical theatre jewels.”
Read more

"Each unique story is linked thematically to the other in its exploration of loneliness and isolation, in compelling performances that range from delicate to dangerous...Each musical is deeply thoughtful and simply wrought. The performances lack the cloying self-consciousness that diminishes the quality of many a show...None of the theatrical elements...gets in the way of the story. Each character breaks your heart...as they inspire our compassion and empathy.”
Read more

"Will again hauntingly touch your heart and take you to places that will absorb your soul and reach you in different ways...'The Costume,' stole my heart and touched me in ways I hadn’t expected...This year the pieces are long and could use some cutting, the performances first rate, but each show will affect you."
Read more

"'Window Treatment'...Words are darkly amusing and resonant, wandering music contemporary operetta...Variety is imaginative. It works. Timing is deft...'The Costume'...This is adroitly written, tender, and real...Music is so symbiotic, one hardly notices it as something separate...'Scaffolding'...The play’s emotional arc is skillfully created...Director Victoria Clark, who has taken on this subject before, offers a strong, smart, contemporary woman as grounded as her son is adrift."
Read more

“A trilogy of intimate one-act solo musical portrayals that share a consistent style of mostly sung-through extended monologues set to a score, as well as a common theme of lonely and vulnerable individuals...The writing could use some edits for a quicker pace, lessened redundancy, and a greater impact, and the set changes could have been done efficiently...All three skilled actors offer committed performances with heartfelt vocals and spot-on characterizations.”
Read more

“’Window Treatment’ fully captures the feeling of longing for someone you’ve only seen, but have never met...’The Costume’ stars a remarkable young talent, Douglas...There is so much heart here, making it impossible not to care...’Scaffolding’ portrays a devoted mother doing her best to shield her son...All three pieces force us to slow down, be more reflective, and provide us with a heavy dose of empathy."
Read more

“’Inner Voices 2018’, display a remarkable range of styles, voices, and content. Two are terrific...’Window Treatment’, is stuffed full of psychological insight and humor. Alvin's performance makes the most of her amazing voice, excellent acting, and heartfelt clowning....’The Costume’...features a young boy who is facing challenges...The show allows us to experience moments of growth in the boy's development with a gentle, lovely touch...’Scaffolding’ is the one I found least successful.”
Read more

"This year's three choices for 'Inner Voices' are each extraordinary, both in terms of writing and performing. Taken together, they function as a triptych, each panel telling its own story while echoing themes from the adjoining works of art...Artistic Director Paulette Haupt has woven together the individual voices of three playwriting teams, and has found a way to harmonize them with one another...One of the most moving and satisfying evenings of theater I have experienced this season."
Read more