Made in China NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (97)
See it if you enjoy quirky funny puppets and clever story and lyrics.
Don't see it if you need to hold onto traditional theatrical tropes.
See it if You enjoy puppet shows. Like political barbs. Like puppet sex scenes. Talented cast. Fascinating staging
Don't see it if You don't like puppet show
See it if Masterfully done puppetry w/ adult humor. A delightful story with whimsical visuals, non stop laughs, heart & a nice message.
Don't see it if You hate puppets, however the two main characters are so well developed and performed you feel like you're watching real people. Read more
See it if You think it will be funny, a puppet show, it begins with a naked older character bemoaning her aging body. She sings a song of sadness.
Don't see it if Who can be prepared for such pain interjected into a puppet show?
See it if you're up for something entirely different. This is that show you leave and tell your friends to see, then struggle to describe it to them.
Don't see it if you dislike innovative theater. Actually go see it anyway. You will laugh right along with everyone else, & be moved at least a little, too.
See it if You're up for a biting & very funny, sometimes savage political satire of US-Chinese interdependence and consumerism at this moment in time.
Don't see it if You dislike puppets, political theatre or fantasy, or critiques of modern American life. Or puppets engaged in explicit behavior & opinions. Read more
See it if you think you've seen everything, because it's like nothing else. Or if you dig geopolitics, or weird theater, or human nature.
Don't see it if you're uncomfortable watching anatomically specific puppets interact romantically, even if it's about as tasteful as that can be.
See it if Leave it to puppets to tell a funny, political, romantic, raunchy story that most people can accept. Masterful puppetry; lots of fun.
Don't see it if you want to see a typical musical with humans as the main draw; you do not like puppets with strong personalities.
Critic Reviews (21)
"Clearly narrative logic is not a high priority for Wakka Wakka...But the puppets, designed by Mr. Waage, have such distinctive personalities that the plot’s absurdities rarely intrude on our enjoyment...The many inanimate objects that populate the show are brought to life with a magical vividness that enchants. The romantic comedy and sociopolitical polemic aspects of 'Made in China' may not always be smoothly integrated, but the show’s visual allure never ceases."
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"Wakka Wakka’s madly audacious new show, 'Made in China,' defies labels. It is, somehow, a musical satirical romantic puppet thriller...'Made in China' takes full advantage of the freedom that being a puppet show affords. Seven skilled performers, hidden in black clothes and veils, wrangle Waage’s full-body puppets in a variety of inventive sequences...The show may be a little messy—the personal plot is more sharply defined than the political one—but it’s packed with happy surprises."
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"A surprisingly thoughtful story about the rise of modern China and our relationship to it as American consumers...Warnock and Waage's caffeinated and rigorous staging mostly offsets the effects of the unshorn script...The tone of 'Made in China' is so often derisive that it is difficult to tell when the creators are being sincere...We walk away from the theater with a feeling of profound ambivalence, suspicious of the stuff in our apartments and wanting to know more."
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"A very entertaining, socially relevant adult puppet show…It is a completely mesmerizing performance that enjoys excellent direction...'Made In China' explores the important subjects of human rights, consumerism and morality with humor and heart…It features 30 wonderfully crafted puppets, seven incredibly talented and versatile puppeteers, original music, and animated video…The fast-paced dialogue is clever, yet thoughtful…’Made in China’ is storytelling at its very finest."
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"In truth, ‘Made in China’ is headed in so many directions at once, it's hard to know what to make of it all. Its socioeconomic points are glancing at best…The script scrambles after laughs in various unseemly ways…So much creativity, so much bad taste: Despite the mastery of the theatre crafts on display, 'Made in China' is a silly, superficial entertainment that pretends to a significance it can't really attain while aiming shockingly low for laughs."
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"Unfortunately, the dogs are ditched about halfway through—when the shows big plot twist arrives—and the effects are noticeable. Mary and Eddie's characters are not very amicable in nature, nor are they very likable either. Sure, they are written genuinely, but as the show gets weirder and weirder, the focus strays from that of the duo's relationship to an obstructive and confusing political commentary which is both distracting and unclear."
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"In the most hilarious, brilliant, and over-the-top way imaginable, the ensemble carries the characters through trials and tribulations that are simultaneously preposterous and painfully realistic…Certainly there is some room for improvement when it comes to clarification and accuracy of specific historical facts…But the company’s approach to this issue is direct, sincere, and passionate, yet also sympathetic with a sense of humor. And that is indeed quite the formula for good theatre."
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“'Made in China' is a farcical, musical, phantasmagorical odyssey that, while hitting various political marks, remains engaging throughout its hour and 20 minutes...'Made in China' sometimes allows its preoccupation with puppet artistry, special effects, video projections, and the like to muffle its satirical objectives. That, however, is a small price to pay for a work of such creative imagination and performative skill. Best of all, of course, 'Made in China' was made in the U.S.A.”
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