The Seagull/Woodstock, NY (The New Group) NYC Reviews and Tickets
About the Show
Production Covid-19 Safety ProtocolsMember Reviews (54)
See it if It's a solid show with an overall good story and excellent performances, especially Parker Posey.
Don't see it if Needs trimming and more explaining who some characters are. Also felt like the direction on some characters made the plot unbelievable.
See it if 2 Words: PARKER POSEY! Her performance alone is worth the price of admission. She is a comic genius w/ a huge stage presence.
Don't see it if The show itself needs some work. It should be about 30min shorter. Sometimes when Posey is not on stage the show tends to drag.
See it if you enjoy anything based on a Chekhov play, especially if made raunchy in its modernization; Parker Posey is delightful & the main draw.
Don't see it if I found the play confusing & departing too ridiculously from the original; many of the jokes fell flat & the play is much too long. Read more
See it if you like backstage stories.The acting is uneven, but the script is terrific.The set is good.
Don't see it if you only like frothy musicals. This isn't a profound play, but it is interesting, well done and fun.
See it if The Seagull is depressing, and a lot of crummy stuff happens even if this is contemporary, clever upstate NY magic.
Don't see it if Some clever antics including an enchanting song, but otherwise a bit unwieldy, with confusing relationships, but some great comedic acting.
See it if you love modern re-adaptations of Chekov's The Seagull. And Ms Posey understands that it's a comedy.
Don't see it if you don't want to see precious pretentiousness--really, starting with an actors' warmup? A shoddy adaptation.
See it if The thought is "why bother?"unimportant characters transported to an uninspiring locale.The original Checkov is difficult enough to pull off
Don't see it if you were expecting magic. There is none here. Mediocrity abounds and it is boring/
See it if you are fans of any members of the cast and/or if you want to see a play with some inside jokes for theater fans.
Don't see it if you want a play with consistent performances and tone. This show just doesn't come together despite a game effort by the cast.
Critic Reviews (16)
"I’m left to wonder whether a few moments of enhanced relevance are worth the bother of a comprehensive and often counterproductive update. "
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“Scott Elliott, directing, doesn’t get the rest of the cast whirring at her level. There are awkward gaps between bits of dialogue, and the scene transitions lose momentum, sapping the comedy.”
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“ ‘The Seagull/Woodstock, NY’ brings out qualities in the Russian playwright that are often smothered in gauze...Call it a theatrical Tinder hookup that is as surprising as it is rewarding.”
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“After you’ve acclimated to the colorful language and pervasive horniness of the amusing first half, you realize Bradshaw has adapted ‘The Seagull’ without deviating from the plot...If Bradshaw contemplated big blasphemies to the canon, he chickened out with Seagull.”
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“There's much to appreciate and admire in this stone, even with its flaws. Bradshaw updates Chekhov and squeezes his play for every drop of comedy it has... That said, this is the most I've ever enjoyed ‘The Seagull,’ imperfections and all.”
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“There's plenty of Russian-style discontent to draw on but The Seagull/Woodstock, NY rarely taps into it. Bradshaw has been conscientious about finding contemporary analogues for Chekhov's characters and situations, but their behavior often seems dictated by the mores of a previous century…The leisurely pace of Elliott's production doesn't help, nor does a lengthy opening sequence in which the actors do warmup exercises, then urge us to sing and clap along to Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young's "Our House." In a production where less would surely be more, such little indulgences push the running time to the two-hour-and-forty-five-minute point.”
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“Regrettably, the design elements were not enough to transport me into the world of the play. I found myself growing more and more impatient. “
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“The show feels long, very long, but not to worry. If you find yourself nodding off, you’re likely to be jolted awake by the periodic blowing of an air horn onstage.”
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