Romeo and Bernadette

See it if for an effervescent original musical. Many gr voices, clever premise, strg staging, terrific costumes. Romantic, sweet, funny, very Brooklyn

Don't see it if you want serious theater. R&B is all abt love. Needs cuts/too many songs. Males dominate. Lovely Italian tunes (Caro Mio Ben!) Gr band.

Also I loved the young performers...Bernadette, Romeo, Dino, Donna. The older actors were not as compelling...maybe cut some of their songs? Slightly over-mic'ed.

The strain of misogyny bothered me. Bernadette loves to shop, she's mean to her mother, she's treated terribly by her fiance. Her mother isn't happy in her marriage. Donna is mistreated by guys. I think Mr. Saltzman--who is incredibly talented--needs to give more thought to how he's portraying women.... Read more Read less

See it if You like a nice light rom-com. It was silly but sweet.

Don't see it if You want elaborate staging or a serious show.

See it if Romantic, bighearted Romeo wakes up in 1960's Brooklyn, bringing poetry & love of life to cynical gangsters. Clever & fun w/great music.

Don't see it if You don't like musical comedy... but this sweet silly love story even has something to say about old fashioned values. Simple staging.

See it if you enjoy funny new musicals, riffs on Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, Italian family stories with gangsters, some up and coming musical stars

Don't see it if think West Side Story is enough adaptation of Romeo & Juliet, don't like Italian cliches, don't like small chamber musicals, strained ideas

See it if you enjoy a fun evening! The plot is silly but the words are clever. Performances are excellent. The music is reminiscent of Kiss Me Kate

Don't see it if you require social significance. This is just for fun and good at it.

See it if You want a charming, loose adaptation of R & J. You want to hear some really talented singers. You want a light-hearted show w/gr8 staging.

Don't see it if You prefer more 1-to-1 adaptations of classics. You want an unified cast: 1/2 trained pros, 1/2 just for fun-ers. You want an edited show...

Also could've easily been trimmed to 90 minutes, no intermission: a few songs are cut-able & intermission not needed.... Read more Read less

See it if Thoroughly enjoyed this. All great, Nikita Burshteyn is exceptional as Romeo. Book & yrics by Mark Saltzman were clever and funny.

Don't see it if ...you want to see something serious, don't like musicals. Don't want to see old stereotypes again, but it's all in fun.

Also The audience had smiles on their faces throughout. Nice to see such a sight!
Much needed escapism. Wonderful that the show is transferring to Theater Row so I can recommend this to friends and family and go again sometime with them.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy a very well written and witty comedy using the R & J play. This is not West SIde Story. Great cast with great voices and lyrics.

Don't see it if you do not like comedy. You will laugh a lot during this show.

Also Some very classically trained voices with new lyrics for some famous Italian songs. This show was very cleverly written and wonderfully performed. I highly recommend it.... Read more Read less

See it if Shakespearean tragedy successfully converted to Shakespearean multi-couple comedy. As a silly 50s/60s homage musical. *chef’s kiss*

Don't see it if you detest ladder-scaling, jazz hands in the starlight theatrics; are detached from the West Side Story, Guys and Dolls chapter of Broadway.

Also See it if you loved Desperate Measures. It really, really works. I thought we were so done with the era of Italian gangster jokes, but R+B makes a case for why some loves manage to persist through time. This is too funny to feel like a soul-stirring love story, but you do get a sense of some old musical theater magic (and English Renaissance magic) being restored in just the right ways for the right reasons.

Freshman leads do a terrific job alongside Broadway and Off-Broadway veterans. Great costumes but comparatively bare set. Saltzman and Cohen make some clever meta moves, but would much rather you enjoy the jokes and setups in front of you than dwell on their deliberate management of artistic heritage. It’s not edgy or modern, but it’s wholesome, hearty, flavorful, and entirely satisfying.... Read more Read less

See it if you like a humorous, musical "sequel" to Romeo and Juliet, set in 1960 Brooklyn. Fun from start to finish! Reminiscent of Desperate Measures

Don't see it if it upsets you to mess with Shakespeare or you have no sense of humor.

See it if you want to her some fantastic singing with a funny, kitschy story.

Don't see it if you're a Bard purist. This is Romeo in 1960s Brooklyn - LOL.

See it if You want to experience a well-written musical with clever plot & pleasing cast. This musical has room to grow & could head directly to B-way

Don't see it if There is room for improvement with this small production. Couple of cast, sets & staging tweets would certainly add to this enjoyable favor

Also What a fun evening with a musical with such great potential. It definitely has a very bright future written all over it! The script was witty with very funny Brooklyn colloquial phrases which had the audience in stitches. The musical score was interesting and had some hummable songs. The choreography was creative & could be enhanced on several numbers.

All and all, bravo to the entire team. Thank you for a very enjoyable evening!`... Read more Read less

See it if You are looking for a Valentine's Day show. This would be a very cute date night on Valentine's Day. You enjoy mob comedies.

Don't see it if You dislike humor that relies almost entirely on stereotypes and cliches. You are looking for an original score that will stay with you.

Also “O teach me how I should forget to think." -Romeo & Juliet

If you, like Romeo, want to turn off your brain and enjoy the fruits of life, Romeo & Bernadette might just do the trick.

While the laughs all rely upon humor that you have, without a doubt seen numerous times on stage and screen, they are laughs none-the-less.

The cast is spectacular, and does much to elevate the material.

Unfortunately, the show is hampered by a number of issues. Firstly, the frame narrative serves little purpose and, worse, actually lowers the stakes for the entire evening.

The set design leaves much to be desired. The same Brooklyn that is so warm and lovingly referred to many times in the script and music is rendered in a sort of minimalist white scaffolding. It is completely at odds with the tone of the show.

While there are many wonderful songs, quite a few of them feel somewhat curtailed in their structure.

The vocal arrangements are often quite beautiful though.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see a modern retake of Shakespeare. Great singing and very funny. A must see

Don't see it if You are a Shakespeare purist. Do not like nyc stereotypes about the mob etc

See it if you enjoy off-off-Broadway productions in small theaters; you're looking for a fun evening with enormously talented performers

Don't see it if being in a small theater for a delightful little musical with talented performers isn't enough for you

See it if you just want to be entertained by an extraordinarily gifted cast in an imaginative riff on Shakespeare. Delightful antidote to stress!

Don't see it if you don't like musicals, only like serious plays, and don't alternate versions of Shakespeare even in jest.

Also Incredibly talented cast - dazzlingly skillful!

See it if You enjoy clever shows with catchy, fun songs, a great cast, and smart use of simple staging.

Don't see it if You don’t like silly humor, don’t like Romeo & Juliet, or need elaborate staging.

See it if You want to spend a delightful evening listening to charming music, beautifully performed, be entertained and walk out smiling.

Don't see it if You don’t like Brooklyn, Shakespeare and lack a sense of humor.

See it if you’d enjoy alternate, contemporary versions of Shakespeare, or comical plot with great singing.

Don't see it if you like traditional Shakespeare, prefer elaborate sets, or don’t like gangster comedy.

See it if you want to see a fresh take on a story you know by heart with a bunch of new and exciting performers

Don't see it if you are looking for something substantive or anything more than a genuinely good time

See it if You want to see a fresh new musical that is deftly done and great fun. Lots of laughs while still staying [somewhat] true to the original.

Don't see it if You want something deep or meaningful. You need to see lavish sets, costumes, and Broadway stars. This is light and fun.

Also Great job! You can even take the kids.
Everyone in the audience had a great time. You don't even have to 'brush up on your Shakespeare'. Great young talent playing age-appropriate roles.... Read more Read less

See it if An utterly delightful romantic comedy reimagines Romeo in 1950s Brooklyn. Broad humor that lands and enchanting, often operatic, singing.

Don't see it if The plot is as light as air. Bare set. If you see predictable romances populated with Italian mob stereotypes, and think fuggedaboutit!

Also Romeo and Bernadette reminded me of the 2007 Disney film Enchanted. In both, a starry-eyed romantic finds themselves transported to a more modern and gritty era. Both are also charming, unapologetically silly crowdpleasers. The entire cast of Romeo and Bernadette is excellent. Nikita Burshteyn’s Romeo and Judy McLane’s mob wife Camille are standouts. To me, the most glaring flaw is the minimal staging. This type of show would benefit immensely from an elaborate set, one which suits the magical storyline. Judging from the audience reaction, this show certainly merits a larger budget and higher profile venue. With some embellishments, this musical feels like it can be a surefire hit. (And I ain’t tawkin da mob kind.)... Read more Read less

See it if you like a spoof on Shakespeare & 1960's Brooklyn mob. Wonderful ensemble, beautiful singing, very funny! Reminiscent of Desperate Measures.

Don't see it if you don't have a sense of humor, don't like mob stories or only like traditional Shakespeare.

Also This was the funniest/wittiest musical we saw after Desperate Measures (which we still cite every now and then and miss dearly!). Hope Romeo & Bernadette will go far!! As with Desperate Measures the success seems to depend in large part on this very talented and well-cast ensemble as a mixture of highly talented young actors/singers and veterans! Hope they will stay together!... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested by a modernized, musical Romeo & Juliet, mixing elements of renaissance and 50s era Brooklyn mob.

Don't see it if You avoid off Broadway venues with simple sets and not entirely top notch acting. The story needs some tweaking.

Also Even if the Romeo & Juliet story has been done to death, this new take manages to be delightful. Setting it in the mob world of 50s Brooklyn was a clever idea. The singing is exceptional, especially from the actors playing Romeo and Bernadette’s mother. I laughed a lot and enjoyed the beautiful music. Overall, a very fun show.... Read more Read less

See it if you are looking for a fun time musical.

Don't see it if resetting and license-taking of Shakespearean shows are not your style.

Also Mark Saltzman has taken traditional Italian songs as well as opera, re-orchestrated them and added appropriate lyrics. Clever and fun at the same time. Every actor is perfect for the role they are playing. Just a good time and the music is quite varied which is a bonus.... Read more Read less