The Total Bent
Closed 1h 50m
The Total Bent
75

The Total Bent NYC Reviews and Tickets

75%
(102 Ratings)
Positive
74%
Mixed
21%
Negative
5%
Members say
Great singing, Confusing, Original, Entertaining, Ambitious

About the Show

The Public Theater presents a new musical by Stew and Heidi Rodewald (creators of 'Passing Strange') set at the intersection of the sacred and profane, survival and liberation, gospel and rock ‘n’ roll.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (102)

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197 Reviews | 531 Followers
88
Original, Confusing, Epic, Electrifying, Great singing

See it if It's all about the music and performances, which are thrilling. Set in the 60's, it explores the formation of one musician's artistic self.

Don't see it if Plot is muddled; themes of race, religion, civil rights movement, birth of rock n' roll and being gay are touched on but not fully explored.

109 Reviews | 63 Followers
87
Absorbing, Great music, Original, Riveting, Great singing

See it if you love great music and brilliant performances.

Don't see it if you need a script to be as focused and brilliant as the show's music.

563 Reviews | 194 Followers
87
Original, Great writing, Thought-provoking, Riveting, Great singing

See it if You want to hear original music that combines many different music genres. You want issues about identity, race & family.

Don't see it if You want a more traditional Broadway or rock score. You don't want a story that deals with big issues.

73 Reviews | 25 Followers
87
Masterful, Refreshing, Great score

See it if if you want to hear an amazing and refreshing score. Stew and Heidi bring back hope to the musical theater genre.

Don't see it if If you want a linear narrative. The book can be very confusing and could use some work. Not for everyone.

156 Reviews | 204 Followers
85
Absorbing, Dizzying, Entertaining, Original, Must see

See it if you like off-beat shows; like STEW; like gospel-ey, blues-ey, jazz=ey music; like shows with a religious theme; like to tap your toes.

Don't see it if don't like religious themed shows; don't like live band music in a show; like shows with linear clear stories (this is mostly music)

407 Reviews | 66 Followers
85
Original, Delightful, Absorbing, Entertaining, Great singing

See it if love a poignant story with great voices and a gospel/blues mix of music by Stew and Heidi. He enjoyed watching his show while he performed

Don't see it if don't enjoy gospel music and a religious text

71 Reviews | 30 Followers
83
Intense, Dizzying, Original, Edgy, Great singing

See it if your interested in quirky musicals. The story was a bit confusing but the lead singer was good.

Don't see it if if your not open to the LGBT world

182 Reviews | 31 Followers
81
Great staging, Great writing, Original, Entertaining, Great singing

See it if you like how offensive Stew's stuff can be for some people.

Don't see it if you are the one that get offended by it

Critic Reviews (28)

Lighting & Sound America
May 27th, 2016

"Somewhere around the halfway point, 'The Total Bent' becomes little more than a song cycle...Joanna Settle's direction emphasizes the star's scintillating vocal performances, otherwise maintaining a tight pace that allows Stew to step in and out of the action in rapid-fire fashion...If only the text were more intelligible. Stew remains a gifted musician with something to say, but, as of now, he is still looking for a totally coherent way of saying it."
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Talkin' Broadway
May 25th, 2016

"'The Total Bent' suffers from the limited dramatic abilities of its writers…There's nowhere unexpected for it to go or grow, and a cursory knowledge of recent American and musical history is enough to know how all this is likely to end up…No number stands out—and not in a good way. Though, to be fair, not in a bad way, either...This is exactly the kind of show that needs a galvanizing star performance to tie everything together. As it is, you get that only in limited quantities."
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CurtainUp
May 25th, 2016

"Musically, it excels, but the surrounding narrative, which is at times awkward or chaotic, lacks the fine polish of the songs and performances. One of the show's strongest assets is its skillfully assembled cast...All of this gives 'The Total Bent' plenty of substance to underlie its style, and all the more reason that clarifying the show's confusing aspects would be worthwhile...It's already a very strong piece, but there's still some fine-tuning to be done before 'Bent' becomes total."
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Front Row Center
May 27th, 2016

"A mind-bending tale that grips you by the lapels from the first note...This production moves so swiftly that backstory is just not that important. Stew keeps our noses focused on the present, and that is such a circus we never look away...In spite of the fact that, once again, the direction has 90% of the action facing the center section of the audience, this is a spectacular production. Stew is a magician, and Rodewald is a brilliant partner for the road trip."
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New York Theater
May 25th, 2016

"'The Total Bent' is a concept album whose creators are besotted with its concepts…Much of the sharp wit feels thrown in, rather than part of an overall design…This larger point may be lost. The details of the plot may be vague and confusing. But every cast member sings wonderfully, the band is in top form, and the music provides all the momentum that the typical concert-goer (if not necessarily the typical theatergoer) would need."
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Theatre's Leiter Side
June 5th, 2016

"Gold glistens most brightly in the galvanizing performance of star-in-the-making Ato Blankson-Wood, the top-notch company surrounding him, and the foot-stomping, finger-clicking gospel, blues, rock, funk, and jazz score. The book..., though, is dross...The storytelling is vague and the characters more shadows than substance. But the performances...are all terrific, most extraordinary being newcomer Blankson-Woods."
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Times Square Chronicles
May 29th, 2016

"Joanna Settle's direction keeps the show moving and brings out phenomenal performances but does not flesh out the show's story or meaning. It takes a village to build a show and Stew and Settle fail at telling a story that doesn’t leave the audience confused. The intoxicating score played by a superb seven-piece onstage band is the reason you will walk out of this show wanting to see it again and again. It is intoxicating and will draw you back despite the flaws in its structure."
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The Wrap
May 25th, 2016

"Utterly original. Just like Blankson-Wood’s breakthrough performance…'The Total Bent' is a very pared-down all-male 'Dreamgirls,' with all of the emotional impact under Joanna Settle’s compelling direction...Most musical-history shows offer up ersatz versions of classics. Stew and Rodewald write songs that are the real thing and destined to be classics in their own right."
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