The Outer Space NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (75)
See it if you're an Ethan Lipton fan (and if you're not, you should be) or enjoy a quirky view of life on an angle.
Don't see it if you aren't up for letting reality go and enjoying the ride through Ethan's very funny eyes!
See it if you like Garrison Keillor-type monologues and great small bands. See it if you like lyrics that make you think and that you can relate to.
Don't see it if you are expecting a real musical with lots of songs and dance. Read more
See it if You'd like a low key standup comedy cabaret musical which riffs on urban complaints, celebrating a life of having all the right problems.
Don't see it if You must always be serious, seeking only high art. You disdain an evening of lightweight fun.
See it if you don't need the frills of Broadway in order to feel connected with the characters. It's a simple production that is sweet & meaningful.
Don't see it if you don't enjoy eclectic musical offerings. It's easy to follow but not a straight forward, spoon-fed story line.
See it if You like original songs with clever conceits delivered by a talented stand-up with a dead pan delivery and some good sidemen.
Don't see it if You expect a show with sets, dancers, and a plot instead of a routine.
See it if you like folksy music, science fiction, or shows staged in an intimate setting. Also - this is a great show if you appreciate subtle humor
Don't see it if you prefer big, audacious shows. It's cabaret style staging and there's less of a book and much more of a narrative through song
See it if You enjoy eclectic music, good lyrics, a quirky story--and you live or have lived in NYC.
Don't see it if You expect a real plot and a musical with a full cast of performers. Read more
See it if see note
Don't see it if see note Read more
Critic Reviews (17)
"A funny, insightful allegory...Lipton’s songs are quirky delights. His rhymes are original and satisfying and his lyrics are joyful in their simple brilliance. Each time he sings, he employs a unique concept and executes it in a way that brings pleasure derived from experiencing truth and heartfelt wit...Occasionally the monologue part of the tale got a bit lengthy. The allegory wears a little thin...My only complaint about the show is the venue itself...I had to strain to hear the words."
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"Directed by Leigh Silverman, this trippy captivating piece is drenched with humor and a folky charm. Lipton leads us down the most charming path through discovery and exploration with his beautiful voice and fun eccentric style...The non-sensical imagery that Lipton creates with his wacky hilarious delivery and wonderful honky tonk sound is a joyous experience to behold."
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"Lipton, as both writer and performer, still makes an excellent everyman, with nerdy honesty, gently acerbic wit, and sweetly sincere enthusiasm...The band is versatile and the songs well-crafted, drawing on elements of different American musical traditions...But polish has also smoothed off a few of Lipton’s spikier edges and more pointed critiques...The show is charming and genuinely funny but the commentary hits less hard...It’s a hopeful message–and one that feels a little oversimple."
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"A funny, pointed, and strange story…‘The Outer Space’ makes something of an art form out of off-the-wall and out-of-left-field…In keeping with this approach, ‘The Outer Space’ is full of non-sequiturs and digressions. But these are funny non-sequiturs and digressions full of a kind of folksy urban social commentary…In short, ‘The Outer Space,’ helps the audience, just like that space-traveling couple, get away from it all, albeit just for 80 minutes or so.”
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"Lipton charismatically carries us along this journey in a soft-spoken, NPR kind of way. His baritone vocals won’t blow the roof off of Joe’s Pub, but it’s a soothing, unique delivery that complements his band’s terrific musicality...Lipton is at ease under the direction of Silverman, who gently guides this mission to outer space and inner exploration...I’m not sure I was any closer to discovering 'the dream of letting go.' But it was still worth the ride."
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"Lipton’s witty imagining of outer space sounds less like the final frontier, and more like a pretty conventional suburban street, but the stage of Joe’s Pub is too small for anything too elaborate, so Lipton’s lyrics must marry instead to costume and scenic designer Zinn’s interplanetary-themed drapes, lit enchantingly by Ben Stanton...The songs are a warmly waspish marriage of the domestically mundane and the Space Age."
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"This is what cult classics are made of–storytelling genius mixed with musical mastery...Ethan Lipton has written the stellar book and lyrics...The four musicians have composed a score that is complex and stirring...Director Leigh Silverman has created a tight ship–with just the right pace, so we receive every nuanced word and lyric with ease. There is a fantastic balance between humor and heartache...Take yourself to 'The Outer Space'–you won’t want to come back."
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"Lipton is an oddly engaging performer, with a singing voice that hovers around a half-whisper and an endearingly understated comic sensibility...Lipton creates a charming fictional world...The success of 'The Outer Space' hinges on Lipton’s unassuming charm, his chipper songs, and his endearing way of delivering them. Lipton is backed up by a very skilled set of musicians, who collaborated with Lipton on the score, but who nonetheless looked rather bored with the proceedings."
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