Invisible Thread NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (101)
See it if its closed but may pop up again?? entertaining, light story, nice acting and good music
Don't see it if it doesn't pop up again and dont like to be entertained. critics were overly harsh in their reviews.
See it if you want to see a new musical that talks about privilege and helping those "less fortunate".
Don't see it if you are looking for a more traditional night of theater.
See it if Like original, creatively staged musicals presented by a talented and fresh cast.
Don't see it if You feel that some book flaws and focus issues cannot be overcome by a fine score and energetic staging.
See it if you want to see talented kinetic cast of charismatic actors, to hear propulsive music, and see inventive set
Don't see it if you don't like plays with messy themes (anti-homosexuality, exploitation in Africa, etc.), don't see musical theater as metaphor for life
See it if you want to catch an original, at times moving, true story of a young musical theatre writing team who travels to Africa to help educate
Don't see it if you want Rent rather than Tick Tick Boom.
See it if A most professional and polished production with fine choreography, excellent acting, and a touching and interesting story worth seeing!
Don't see it if If the political stance in Uganda regarding gays upsets you.
See it if you enjoy seeing original and diverse stories and plots.
Don't see it if you tend to look for more profound interpretations of original and diverse stories and plots.
See it if you want to see something that has a strong message inspiring social change.
Don't see it if you don't like shows about people going off to "find themselves."
Critic Reviews (24)
"High spirited, to say the least, and helped along by an excellent cast filled with big voices…Parts of the score are admirable…Some of the songs in the New York sections, though, fall flat. There is also something unconvincing in the story...Diane Paulus does her typical job of directing here, which means that there is unbounded energy across the evening. Too much so, perhaps; true energy is exhilarating but synthetic energy can drag you down."
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"This energetic, ambitious, inspirational musical is now raising the roof at Second Stage Theatre...The songs run the gamut from generic ballads to rousing African-infused numbers. The show’s title is the title of one of the less interesting songs. An orchestra of nine supply the music. The appealing cast is very good...Director Diane Paulus pulls it all together with panache. I hope that they adjust the amplification so that the big numbers are not ear-splitting."
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"This is a genuinely appealing show even if the storytelling is a little muddled...'Invisible Thread' offers some pointed observations about the assumptions that westerners too often make about Africa, even if the show indulges in a few of its own...Still, it's hard to complain when you leave a show feeling good and knowing that your ticket price may be doing some good too."
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"It would be lovely to be able to say that the authors' valuable experience has been transformed into a comparably worthy musical...What we are meant to embrace in this fishes-out-of-water story is the heart...Alas, for much of the plot-heavy yet repetitious evening, the lead characters seem so clueless about the world and so self-involved that, by the time we learn of their genuine accomplishments, it is too late to like them."
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"With the specter of that event not far from memory, after seeing 'Invisible Thread' it was difficult not to feel like the entire production was an extended fundraiser, a show meant to bring attention to the Ugandans’ situation...The show appears to have been written with sincerity, and all the collaborators seem fully committed to the project. Yet I can’t shake the feeling that this really is more of a project than a show. Of course, there is still plenty to enjoy and take to heart."
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"Paulus stages the energetic proceedings with a careful eye for both small moments and high-voltage, ensemble dance numbers...Pulsating musical numbers combine a vibrant, layered pop score and earnest lyrics with African beats....It’s a palatable, deeply Western perspective on living in poverty under a repressive government...Despite the rosy prism coloring the social issues, this musical has a good heart."
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"Its music is vibrant and there are a handful of numbers I will eagerly download should they receive funding to produce a cast album...But the story itself is missing something...There is probably a more compelling way to get across the same message through dramatic license instead of telling the story beat-for-beat the way it actually unfolded. That said, these guys have put together a show they should be proud of."
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"The show's 'invisible thread' stretches from the two gay American men to the Ugandan teenagers who live in a country with strong anti-gay laws; in the show and in real life, the teens accept the couple. It's also a thread that's keenly felt by the show's cast, most of whom went to Uganda this summer."
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