Road Show

See it if you're a Sdhm fan. RS may not be his best show. but clever staging/talented actors delight. Explores grifter harming society.Sibling rivalry

Don't see it if you're not a Sdhm fan (who are you?). Book has holes, but still engrosses. Songs soar w/Esparza, Uranowitz! Conceit of radio show works well

See it if Late period Sondheim still shines despite shaky book & bleak outlook Male leads excellent but Ha's Bessemer steals focus Davis' staging edgy

Don't see it if Even for Sondheim, it's a dark, dark piece w/ both Mizner bros coming off badly Yet, speaks volumes for current American financial endeavors

See it if Sond's lyrics brilliantly capture the time/characters' complexities; fine performances B Uranowitz, Jin Ha & R Esparza

Don't see it if plot repetitious, no arc to story; hard 2 figure out larger pt of musical: Am dream is a big con? melodies unremarkable

See it if Uplift story of two brothers wanting the American Dream and the struggles that come with it.

Don't see it if You want full production. Scripts book held in hand through out show.

Also This is my first time seeing Road Show, it was not bad.

See it if you want to see a production of one of Sondheim's lesser works. This is based on the 2008 Public Theatre production.

Don't see it if you do not appreciate second-rate Sondheim.

Also Director Will Davis starts off the production beautifully framing it as a radio drama. This concept evaporates as soon as the two Mizner brothers go on their journey to various countries. Davis never returns to this concept, which is why this production never fully succeeds.... Read more Read less

See it if you love vintage Sondheim.I have loved this show in all of its incarnations.This is probably the 4th or 5 version I've seen.It's a real gem.

Don't see it if you don't like Sondheim, good scores, great performances, clever staging, or good theatre. Seriously, it's a terrific revival.

See it if Great Sondheim score uplifts the story of two striving brothers. Addison and Hollis have one of the sweetest gay love duets ever.

Don't see it if Brandon Uranowitz and Raul Esparza are in fine voice as the Mizner brothers. The revelation is the singing of Jin Ha as Hollis Bessemer.

See it if you're​ curious as to why Sondheim keeps trying to figure out how to make it work. Only partially successful. As usual, wonderful lyrics..

Don't see it if .. but lesser Sondheim melodies. Not bad, but not up to his best work.

See it if You must see Sondheim’s last complete show. Far from perfect but the work of one of Musial theater’s true geniuses.

Don't see it if You’re looking for a perfect musical, it’s not here but it is the work of areal master. Scripts are held in hand throughout.

See it if you need to check it off your Stephen Sondheim list; a fan of Raúl Esparza, Brandon Uranowitz, or other cast mates; don’t mind sparse sets.

Don't see it if expecting a full-fledged production with all the bells and whistles of a Broadway show; need better-paced shows with likable characters.

Also Raúl Esparza and Brandon Uranowitz are perfect on their own. Together: enchanting. Emotions hit them hard in Road Show—real tears, spit, and split pants (Raúl!): they give so much and deserve more. I enjoyed the talkback with Stephen Sondheim, John Weidman, and Will Davis, which helped me appreciate more what was accomplished in 6 rehearsal days. Understandably, the cast was mostly on-book—helped by anchoring this production in a radio-show set that begins to blur the lines between fiction and reality. While it was sometimes messy and confusing (is the actor playing a role or is he meant to BE that person?!), Road Show is more about the American Dream and how goes wrong when people overreach. Jin Ha’s role, while smaller, is vital: juxtaposed against the brothers’, his represents how far they’ve taken ambition, destroying those they love (and themselves) in the process. Within this bittersweet story of fraternal love across the continents is a darker one needing further consideration.... Read more Read less

See it if you're looking to find out why Weidman/Sondheim keep re-working the show. There are some great songs and certainly a captivating story.

Don't see it if you need straight-forward story telling. The plot meanders all over the place, mirroring the lives of the Mizner brothers.

Also I found this to be a great improvement over the version at the Public (which I saw) and the recording of the earlier Bounce. One example: On the Bounce recording The Best Thing That Ever Has Happened was sung by Michele Pawk and Howard McGillin,. He sings the opening line (the title) and she responds, "Bullshit." Now sung by Brandon Uranowitz and Jin Ha, "Bullshit" is replaced with "So far." It becomes a true love song.

While the entire cast is great, special kudos to Raul Esparza, whose extraordinary charisma explodes on the stage.... Read more Read less

See it if and only if you are a dye hard Sondheim fan.

Don't see it if you loved the Sondheim musical BOUNCE, because this incarnation had gutted all the "UMPH" things from Bounce and this is whats left

Also First off, I am a HUGE Sondheim fan. With that being said, I became a fan of the musical BOUNCE 16 years ago when I first heard the cast album. It is important to note that I was NOT an fan of 2008 revised show at the Public Theater with the revised show title, Road Show. And sad to say, but I am NOT a fan of this City Center Production. Despite my disappointment with this production, Jin Ha was a LOVELY surprise as Hollis Bessemer. Great voice!!! Despite the fact that I am a fan of Brandon Uranowitz, his rendition of the song Addison's Trip was a UNACCEPTABLE DISAPPOINTMENT.... Read more Read less

See it if Reworked version of musical in concert by young director. Nice music and songs. Great performances by the leads and the ensemble cast.

Don't see it if You don't appreciate the great musical collaborations of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman

Also The post show discussion after Saturday's matinee with Sondheim,Weidman, and the director, Will Davis, was a real treat!... Read more Read less

See it if You’re a diehard Sondheim fan.

Don't see it if You’ve seen it before. Once is probably enough.

Also Although this show probably won’t be any Sondheim fan’s absolute favorite, it’s an interesting and unusual story. It’s certainly worth seeing if you’re a fan. Glorious singing from Esparza, Uranowitz, and Jin Ha.... Read more Read less

See it if You are a fan of Sondheim, Esparza, or Uranowitz. You appreciate a creative concert staging approach by Will Davis.

Don't see it if You are not a musical theatre buff.

Also The performance was quite good -- but the talk back featuring Sondheim was truly a delight.... Read more Read less

See it if You love Sondheim/Weidman. This provides the same grown-up musical experience you expect. If new to the duo, you’ll like the sophistication.

Don't see it if You like your shows over the top. This is a concert version.

Also Extra points for a post-show discussion with Sondheim, Weidman, and the director. Six days of rehearsal produced a deep dive, emotionally resonant, smart experience. Extraordinary.... Read more Read less

See it if you are a fan of Sondheim's work. Some lovely songs. Uranowitz and Jin Ha standouts. If you like Encores stripped down format.

Don't see it if not a great book and I don't feel the Encores format worked very well for this show. Presented as a radio broadcast but not consistently so.

Also There was a talkback after the Saturday matinee with Sondheim, Weidman and director Will Davis. What a privilege to hear from these theater legends.... Read more Read less

See it if Fabulous concert production with extraordinary cast especially Esparza,Uranowitz, Jin Ha and Chuck Cooper

Don't see it if You need a full scale production - Encores is not that - but it introduces audiences to plays they would not ordinarily see.

See it if you want your chance to see a little-done Sondheim show that has its charms

Don't see it if you're not a Sondheim completist

See it if you have a Sondheim bucket list like I do. Finally a FULL orchestra plays Sondheim again! Mostly great performances make the show.

Don't see it if you're hoping this production would raise up a 3rd tier Sondheim musical. Inept direction/inconsistent concept drive it into a ditch.

Also Went to "Road Show" with no previous exposure. But as devoted as I am to Sondheim, I have to be honest, four songs sound like retreads from "Assassins." (The lyrics to "Another National Anthem" kept popping into my head during one of them.) It's the only Sondheim show when I've *ever* thought, "they should've cut that song." :(
Weidman is a *brilliant* book writer, but "Road Show" has no point of view or insight.
Even the great ones write a lemon and I always wonder where they went wrong. With "Road Show," maybe they should have taken a left turn in Albuquerque?... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see a stellar production of an imperfect musical that still has much to recommend it.

Don't see it if You’re expecting top drawer Sondheim. It’s uneven, but this is a beautiful production with Esparza and Uranowitz doing stellar work.

See it if You're a fan of quintessential Sondheim, and want to see a great reworking of Road Show.

Don't see it if You're not a fan of clever shows.

See it if you want to see a top-notch cast bring their A-game in a little known Sondheim show

Don't see it if mild racism offends you or you want a book that is in any way memorable

See it if Even a mediocre Sondheim show is brilliant! Go to see Esparza and Uranowitz, always gems to watch.

Don't see it if There have been a few other NYC productions. I was happy to see a Sondheim show that I haven’t seen before :)

See it if you're a Sondheim purist & want to see an improved production of his lattermost show. The score works well. (The book not so much.)

Don't see it if you're expecting a show as strong as one of his earlier masterworks. This still seems like a work in progress.

Also Sondheim is 100% the only reason to see this show. I can't imagine anyone buying a ticket b/c they want to see a show about the Mizner brothers. The book was dull & the pacing was slow.

Still, I understand this was a marked improvement over the Public's production a number of years ago.... Read more Read less