Party People NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (71)
See it if you like musicals, American history, and/or bold, experimental theatre.
Don't see it if you want to avoid political activism, wrestling with the past, or don't like the use of video / screens in live theatre. Read more
See it if you want to learn more about Black Panthers & Puerto Rican groups in late 60's set as a musical, minority politics & compelling songs
Don't see it if setting the Black Panther story to music discomforts you, you'd like genuine character development, don't like too many visual distractions
See it if You are interested in a thorough history of the Panthers and the Lords, have a lot of time, and a great deal of patience.
Don't see it if Your attention span isn't unlimited, and you can't grant the creators time to show every last wrinkle in this interesting revolution story.
See it if you're interested in learning more about the history of the Black Panthers & the Young Lords & how it connects to today's political climate
Don't see it if you don't like multimedia in stage productions (there are a lot of tv screens and live video feeds) or if you don't like political theater
See it if Some great talent in this rueful and still angry historical view of Black Panthers/Young Lords, but so needs editing! The older characters..
Don't see it if ...are the strongest, the young Primo character completely out of place. This rousing musical piece has a very dark center and is overlong.
See it if You want to experience a social action theater experience
Don't see it if You prefer to be shown rather than told in a show.
See it if the history of the Black Panthers & the Young Lords interests you.
Don't see it if are looking for an escape or a quiet time at the theater
See it if you are interested in learning about the Black Panthers and/or Young Lords and don't mind an extremely meta approach to storytelling.
Don't see it if you're expecting a cohesive theatrical work -- there's some interesting staging ideas, but on the whole the show feels all over the place.
Critic Reviews (27)
"Director Liesl Tommy uses every theatrical device she can find to recreate 40 years of history...A mostly excellent cast of black, brown and white actors, led by longtime UNIVERSES members Willie Ruiz, Mildred Ruiz-Sapp and Steven Sapp, portrays a full panoply of characters…At nearly three hours, the show could use some pruning and yet there are many moments of sheer exhilaration, particularly for people unhappy with the current political situation."
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"An unusually timely work. Those old rallying cries certainly still pack a powerful rhetorical punch, which reverberates throughout the lively musical sequences…Under Liesl Tommy’s direction, the play can also become clunky whenever it tries to shift from a provocative Brechtian approach to a more self-effacing naturalistic style. There is nonetheless a continual sense of messy vibrancy here. The ensemble genuinely seems to be trying to work it all out on stage."
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"A passionate ode to the radical histories of the Black Panthers and the Young Lords, exploring the necessity and danger of revolutionary dissent. Its timing couldn't be more apt…Between scenes, montage-style song and dance sequences explore the history of the parties, black and Puerto Rican identity, and the new generation's anxieties…These sequences are raucously enjoyable, but it's the quieter moments that sink in."
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"Doesn’t live up to its grand ambitions...The cast has massive energy, singing, dancing, reciting tirelessly. But they’re pushing boulders uphill: The evening is overstuffed, overlong, and overblown. There is much emotion, little of it used to build character from caricature, and the complexities and legacies of both Panthers and Lords feel unexplored at the end of the exhausting night’s work. It’s not a fun party, nor a rewarding one."
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"A brilliant collaboration of talents, highlighted by the finest ensemble cast that I have ever had the privilege to behold. More than that: it is a very fine play…It couldn’t be more timely. Director Liesl Tommy has done a masterful job here and she couldn’t have done it without Millicent Johnnie’s rousing choreography…I’ve never written these words before: 'Party People' is an important play. So, please do yourself a favor, and RUN to see it."
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"The inclusive casting of all ages and ethnicities unites to tell the story as an informative presentation of this sensitive material. With bilingual songs and dialogue, dancing and reciting spoken word, this cast is a dynamo...Liesl Tommy’s direction is exciting and adds an energy that is explosive...This show is passionate, tempestuous, turbulent and a must-see in this political climate."
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“An exciting and provocative history lesson…It is a much-needed addition to our dialogue; although it is sometimes difficult to follow, the overall effect is intense…The main problem that arises while watching this provocative musical is that the young curators seem foolish in comparison with their elders. This may very well be the point, but it is also a structural problem…The musical numbers representing the historic battle become the most powerful moments of this uneven musical.”
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"This is a powerful and raw documentary theater piece. While the nearly three-hour play feels too long and convoluted, it’s also an engrossing examination of the generation that believed in trying to change the world. Directed by Liesl Tommy and starring a riveting ensemble, ‘Party’ is an alternately thrilling and frustrating study of counterculture movements…If you let the production wash over you like a jagged theatrical collage, 'Party' will leave its mark on you."
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