The Time Machine (NYMF) NYC Reviews and Tickets
About the Show
Part of the New York Musical Festival: In this wicked retelling of the classic novel by H.G. Wells, a troubled inventor discovers a modern dystopia where machines are nonexistent and love is forbidden.
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See it if You like operatic voices and time travel stories.The costumes and choreography are better in Act 2.
Don't see it if You expect perfection and continuity.
See it if You enjoy the story and want to see a work that teenagers will enjoy. It deserves a production with more glitz, i.e., lighting and costumes
Don't see it if You're not satisfied with a simple telling of an old tale--it's made surprisingly relevant, however.
Critic Reviews (5)
"The revamping of the plot is not an improvement...Cooney's choreography has the cast striking curious poses...That quirkiness might have worked if 'The Time Machine' kept tongue in cheek throughout and injected some humor into what becomes a grim, then ultimately confused and nonsensical story. But neither the director nor the writers establish a consistent tone for this two-hour musical, and that makes for some inevitable clock-watching."
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"A rollicking evening of expanded story, which adds songs to flesh out and expand the inner monologue of each character, while simultaneously staying true to the namesake novel on which its based...The 115-minute romp is slow to start, and the piece as a whole feels like it’s doing much with its music; that is, it’s a bit too 'stuffed,' so to speak, moving hurriedly from song to song, with little room to breathe in between...What really saves the show, however, is its heart."
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"This NYMF production is delightfully inventive, whimsical, exciting, and touching. That doesn't mean it's perfect, but it does mean it's a lovely adaptation of Wells's novel...Hunsaker's Thomas has an enthusiasm and childlike sense of wonder that renders him immediately endearing...Aside from Hunsaker himself, the strongest element is its delightful inventiveness...I felt the play dragged on a bit in a few places."
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"An overwrought musical adaptation of the H.G. Wells classic, plagued with too many genres, resulting in a enfeebled main plot...The message is lost as flippant styles emerge from one scene to the next. The music and lyrics are quite impressive, but seem to embrace a dark, heavy somber tone with little diversity. The book seems to be the weakest element of the production, with changing intent and shallow characters in search of dimension. The cast is superb and outshines the material."
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"The music and lyrics are simply beautiful. The show is blessed to have Voth, Keith, and Hunsaker in their cast to make this music soar...The direction doesn’t add to the production and at times, along with the choreography, makes the show seem muddled...Mauk and Mandabach know how to write dialogue, but not how to make a show compelling. There is definitely a show here, but characters need to be fleshed out...Has potential, but it needs nurturing."
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