Octet NYC Reviews and Tickets

85%
(215 Ratings)
Positive
94%
Mixed
4%
Negative
2%
Members say
Great singing, Ambitious, Clever, Relevant, Absorbing

About the Show

Three-time Tony Award-nominee Dave Malloy ("Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812") begins his Residency 5 as Signature’s first musical theatre writer with this world premiere musical.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (215)

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112 Reviews | 28 Followers
100
Profound, Masterful, Exquisite, Great writing, Great singing

See it if you are a fan of Dave Malloy’s work, like shows with strong ensembles, and want to support new musicals

Don't see it if accapella musicals are not your thing, or you don’t want to sit through a “deep” musical and would rather just be entertained Read more

419 Reviews | 52 Followers
100
Intelligent, Resonant, Relevant, Masterful, Great singing

See it if The brilliance of Dave Malloy.

Don't see it if Sold out!

536 Reviews | 279 Followers
100
Masterful, Relevant, Clever, Ambitious, Absorbing

See it if you want to see an intelligent and innovative piece about internet addicts. The a cappella style suits the story perfectly.

Don't see it if you don't care about innovation in the theatre. "Octet" pushes boundaries in the art of theatrical storytelling. JUST GO!!

112 Reviews | 22 Followers
100
Masterful, Must see, Great writing, Great singing, Exquisite

See it if You like bold, experimental, brilliant work.

Don't see it if You like timid, safe, conventional work.

139 Reviews | 20 Followers
99
Thought-provoking, Quirky, Great singing, Absorbing

See it if you want to wake up (!) from your life in the virtual matrix of internet addiction with insightful contemporary self-help a capella ensemble

Don't see it if no intermission, 12-step style group may trigger selfie guilt, thirst for social validation, & addiction to checking your phone! Read more

263 Reviews | 108 Followers
99
Entertaining, Relevant, Thought-provoking, Must see, Intelligent

See it if You're a Dave Malloy or Ghost Quartet fan. Or you want to see a wholly original musical tackling relevant technological issues of now.

Don't see it if You aren't a fan of acapella/chamber choir musical. Or you don't know anything about the internet and technology. Read more

219 Reviews | 88 Followers
98
Thought-provoking, Must see, Great singing, Exquisite, Absorbing

See it if You liked Ghost Quartet & Great Comet. You want to see something wholly original. You like acapella singing and harmonies.

Don't see it if You need a story with action or a traditional plot. You don’t like shows where the majority of the book is sung. Read more

63 Reviews | 18 Followers
96
Stunning harmonies, Rich sound, Hypnotic, Enthralling, Thrilling

See it if ...you enjoy music in the simplest. ...you enjoy stories about technology.

Don't see it if N/A Read more

Critic Reviews (30)

The New York Times
May 19th, 2019

"The most original and topical musical of the year...A portrait in song of perhaps the greatest David and Goliath struggle of our time...These layered and contrapuntal voices produce a dazzling spectrum of effects, like the swelling harmonies associated with traditional choral music and the crystal pings of personal computers...I’m going to chalk up this beautiful, absorbing, disturbing work as a win for art."
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Time Out New York
May 24th, 2019

“Malloy’s splendidly wrought new musical, ‘Octet’—performed nearly completely a capella...Under Annie Tippe’s taut direction, all eight bits of ‘Octet’s’ byte-size cast perform Malloy’s challenging compositions with exceptional skill, abetted by Or Matias’s musical direction and Hidenori Nakajo’s sound design. As Broadway shows increasingly rely on massive spectacle, ‘Octet’ proves that well-polished pieces of eight are enough.”
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New York Magazine / Vulture
May 20th, 2019

"Malloy’s extraordinary new chamber-choir musical 'Octet' uses a simple structure to go spelunking into a complex, ominous, continuously exquisite series of caves...The marvelous actor-singers of 'Octet' feel like tentative, searching acolytes...Under Annie Tippe’s agile, imaginative direction, every one of the show’s actors is balancing a full, many-shaded character with a masterful musical performance...'Octet' is that rare and thrilling thing: a new musical that really does feel new."
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The Hollywood Reporter
May 19th, 2019

"A thoughtful, if simultaneously overstuffed and underdramatized, exploration of an issue that couldn't be more relevant...Each of the dozen songs is linked to a tarot card, and if you're wondering why, I'm at a loss to explain it. It's indicative of Molloy's overreaching...The composer's talents, however, are on ample display in his stirring music and intricate, frequently polyphonic arrangements...It makes one eager to see what his restless mind comes up with next."
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The Observer
May 19th, 2019

"Such an anthology approach can grow predictable or monotonous if the creative team doesn’t invest in each character equally, and change up their theatrical game, but Malloy and his shrewd director, Annie Tippe, find a smart, engaging balance between satiric realism and exuberant theatricality...Not only is ‘Octet’ one of the most thought-provoking and soul-stirring musicals I’ve seen in ages, it has an ingeniously woven, harmonically lush score that you’ll want to revisit."
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Theatermania
May 19th, 2019

"The transfixing score and vocal arrangements Malloy has built for this production manage to eclipse his skilled creations in works like 'The Great Comet'...Simply on a technical level, it's one of the most inventive scores I've ever heard, with clever lyrics that match...One of those rare shows that's ambitious as hell and actually delivers on it's promise...'Octet' ultimately delivers the one-of-a-kind feeling that emerges only when you're able to lose yourself in a musical."
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Lighting & Sound America
May 30th, 2019

"How these downbeat and self-lacerating accounts are transformed into something entrancing without losing their essential power is a mystery perhaps known only to Malloy; Or Matias, the musical director; and Annie Tippe, the director, all of whom maintain firm control over their eccentric characters and their wayward souls...If there is a weakness in 'Octet,' it is the lack of forward motion...It's probably enough that 'Octet' is a strong, striking piece of work."
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Talkin' Broadway
May 19th, 2019

"Melding naturalism with mysticism, ‘Octet’ is utterly beguiling as it addresses an exceedingly real problem about dependence upon technology and electronic media...Director Annie Tippe makes terrific use of the space, and the eight-person ensemble is uniformly excellent...Malloy's songs ingeniously merge classical-sounding choral hymns about monsters and forests that simultaneously and anachronistically reference technology and addiction."
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