Pygmalion

See it if If you like Shaw, a different kind of production to Pygmalion,(different then any Pygmalion I have seen). Very good acting, great story.

Don't see it if If you don't like Shaw or the story behind it. If your not into this type of genre.

See it if Another Bedlam hit. Excellent staging and acting got me to identify with the characters. The play has a lot of depth and made me think.

Don't see it if You're already familiar with the play and don't have as much to get out of it as I did. Or, Higgins' misogyny would be too big a turnoff.

Also I liked the irony that Eliza is able to grow and become a complete person, whereas Higgins cannot.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see one of NY's best theatre co's do lots w/a Shaw classic in a creative, engaging, intimate comedy on class, gender... & race.

Don't see it if you want to miss out on another triumphant, captivating, astute Bedlam production; you fume at the idea of editing Shaw's venerated text.

See it if you like theater that respects a classic play so deeply that it is not afraid to look at that play with fresh eyes.

Don't see it if you do not like staging in which performer & audience share an intimate space.

Also This production manages to be both enthralling & deeply analytical—a smashing comeback for Bedlam after a spotty “Peter Pan” last fall. Shaw's dissection of how class & gender shape people, influence their actions & determine roles in society has never seemed more acute. Bedlam adds another layer, ethnicity, by casting Eliza & her dad as Britishers of Indian descent. I was not happy at the start to be held in a waiting pen instead of entering the playing space, but the thrilling street scene that erupted among us totally pacified me, & the rest of the play, in an intimate multi-purpose English interior, is warm & engaging. All the actors are superb. But I will single out Vaishnavi Sharma’s luminous, dignified Eliza. She had me laughing so hard I was crying as she performed her linguistic acrobatics at Henry’s mom’s salon, then, in the play’s final scenes, had me crying for real. And Erik Tucker makes you forget Rex Harrison’s Higgins, even while directing the whole thing! Impressive.... Read more Read less

See it if Enjoy small theater, are close to the actors. Excellent cast. In the beginning you are part of the story.

Don't see it if Small theater, no reason not to enjoy.

Also You can see great from any seat. No intermission.

See it if You are a fan of GB Shaw, this is one of his best plays. You love “My Fair Lady” but have never seen the classic drama on which it is based.

Don't see it if Long expository plays are not your thing. Shaw is very wordy by today’s standards. You Need elaborate sets to enjoy the classics !

Also I loved this play ! I found it so interesting to recognize lines familiar from “My Fair Lady” listening them as part of dialogue as opposed to song lyrics. This is one of the best off off Broadway productions being done now.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a truly excellent and innovative version of Shaw's play. Vaishnavi Sharma is a real find. A very intimate production.

Don't see it if just go—if you can get a ticket!

See it if You want to see how much of the My Fair Lady book is taken directly from GBS.

Don't see it if You don’t like standing for the first scene. You don’t want to see a small cast, stripped down version.

See it if you like interesting re-tellings of the classics.This is faithful to Shaw's play, but makes it fun, not preachy.Quirky, yet honest.

Don't see it if you want traditional casting and staging.This is great prep for seeing My Fair Lady. Explores the important themes of the musical.

See it if you know the characters. Superlative cast recreates the classic characters without being predictable or replicating famous performances.

Don't see it if you’re not especially into old, British plays; long conversation after long conversation; want a more romantic show.

Also It’s not emotional. One comic bit is weak. Doesn’t feel big in any way, yet perfect in almost every way. The impeccable performances are so good at making you genuinely think & feel exactly how you’re supposed to toward these characters—grateful for Pickering’s model civility, bemused admiration for Alfred Doolittle, approval of Mrs. Pearce’s stern reason. I marveled at Higgins’ unrelenting coldness & savored Eliza’s triumph. The show successfully wins you over w/ rationality instead of sentimentality.

Bedlam’s known for its quirks but none mattered here. I mean, they happen but don’t upstage the actual play. Some critics see casting an Indian Eliza as evidence that Tucker’s refocusing the script in a major way, but I didn’t think ethnicity distracted from class or the core criticism of English high society. This production does for Shaw what so many try to do for Shakespeare—this old play is alive; seems not like an “interpretation,” but the play Shaw would have written today.... Read more Read less

See it if Shaw done by a masterful group of 6 actors in pure Bedlam style , quick , clear, and engaging . Perfect counterpoint to MFL

Don't see it if You're expecting a full stage production with songs . ..that's uptown at Lincoln Center .

See it if You want to see a really fine performance of one of Shaw's best works.

Don't see it if You prefer to think that narcissistic Henry Higgins become a romantic sweetheart as in My Fair Lady.

See it if you liked Bedlam's "Sense and Sensibility" or you appreciate classics with a sense of humor.

Don't see it if you're expecting "My Fair Lady" or your taste is traditional.

See it if You’ve never seen Pygmalion and only seen My Fair Lady. You love inventive theatricality. Great performances!

Don't see it if No reason not to. This is darn near close to perfect - whatever that is!

See it if want to see Shaw's original Pygmalion. Very different flavor than My Fair Lady. A much more realistic, if more poignant ending.

Don't see it if you dislike minimal staging.

Also this was a lovely production that was so clever that the first scene began while we were standing in the theatre lobby and they moved among the crowd!. This clever staging continued throughout the whole play which made it interesting and fresh. The ending was especially heart rendering as Eliza bravely faces her future and Higgins remains stuck and seemingly able to move forward.... Read more Read less

See it if It is intelligent, acted beautifully, with an important theme and thoughtful.Very cleverly staged and thoroughly enjoyable!

Don't see it if If Shaw is not to your taste and you are not interested in hearing the English language in all of its variety so beautifully spoken

See it if you are a lover of Shaw, you are interested in the Pygmalion story/myth, want to see excellent acting, and can live with a non-British Eliza

Don't see it if you are put off by a highly literate script that is wordy and sometimes drags.

See it if Marvelous Bedlam presentation of a relevant classic presented in an intimate setting. Terrific actors performing in this excellent company.

Don't see it if Can't think of a reason not to see this Shaw revival unless you are a squashed cabbage leaf!

See it if You like Bedlam-style antics or haven’t seen Pygmalion yet

Don't see it if You’re familiar with Pygmalion and want a fresh take on it

Also Unlike Bedlam’s usual fair, this is nothing more than an uncommonly good production of the play — a far cry from their magic deconstruction of Peter Pan in the fall — and to those who are Pygmalion-ed our may find themselves restless.... Read more Read less

See it if Shaw w/out the songs. Super Vaishnavi Sharma (Eliza) w/a top cast. Language, class & gender issues clear. Intimate staging. Bravo!

Don't see it if If you like classical theatre, don't miss it. Hail Bedlam!

See it if u want 2 c eric tucker breathe new exciting life into Shaw’s classic..full of surprises ... wonderful in every way…

Don't see it if I cant imagine any reason not to see this…

See it if you like a new twist on a classic; if you like Shaw. If you want to see one of the best performances by an actress this year.

Don't see it if you prefer shows with a large cast and lavish production.

Also This streamlined version of the play hits most of its marks but fumbles here and there. A scene in which three actors play multiple characters requires too much work from the audience and drags down the energy. Too much time is devoted to Alfred Doolittle's "middle-class morality" at the expense of the main story. We could have used more about Freddy and more about Eliza becoming an indispensable right hand to Higgins, which is discussed more than shown. In this production Eliza is Indian rather than Cockney, and New Delhi-born Vaishnavi Sharma slays in the role. Edmund Lewis, playing Mrs. Higgins without makeup or wig, is also outstanding. Eric Tucker as Higgins is a little too bland and (irony of ironies) his accent is inconsistent. The staging is intimate, making good use of a small space; the action begins immersively outside the seating area, and once in the theater the actors sometimes sit in the audience. Eliza's costumes are exquisite. I plan to compare this with the musical.... Read more Read less

See it if you love Bedlam and their style, you want to see a literal acting MASTERCLASS by Ms. Sharma. She lifts & carries the whole piece.

Don't see it if you've had enough of Bedlam-style quirks, you can't stomach sitting through this play once again, you expect very experimental choices.

Also A solid piece, not as creative or realized as some past Bedlam productions, but with the same, very successful emphasis on exceptional, immediate, thrilling, dynamic acting. Ms. Sharma runs away with the show, she absolutely makes it and is beyond worth the price of admission just to be in her presence. Every time she steps on stage, she makes everyone raise their game as a result. Her scenes with Mr. Tucker are fire. I found the sets to be clunky and unhelpful, as well as cheap-looking. A fun night.... Read more Read less

See it if Fast paced, inventive adaptation of a classic.

Don't see it if You don't like actors playing multiple roles

See it if If you love to hear the English language written and spoken gloriously, if you love right in your face great acting, so great that you never

Don't see it if If you're not enchanted by brilliant speech, superb acting, a clever set.

Also think the performer isn't actually the person that are playing. The only drawback for me was that scenes were cut. I missed them. I was once an English major. But I didn't miss them terribly. What I got was more than good enough, but the entire play performed by this cast would have been heavenly.... Read more Read less