The View UpStairs

See it if you're into LGBTQ themes, gay history (stories inspired by real events), and immersive theatre.

Don't see it if you can't stand it when a theme bludgeons you over the head. The writing is super heavy-handed. No subtlety. Loud and proud, I guess.

See it if You love fantastic set design since the set is awesome

Don't see it if You want good acting or to care about the characters, since they are one-dimensional and poorly portrayed.

See it if you want to see a new off-Broadway musical. This show is worth seeing for the fabulous set design and talented actors.

Don't see it if you don't like shows that try too hard or take the easy way out. This show uses "funny" quips to avoid facing the uncomfortable.

Also Sadly, this show doesn't dig deep enough. It merely skims the surface when discussing the real event and barely touches on some of the characters' backstories. I wanted more of a character study than a history lesson for a millennial somehow transported back to 1973.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to learn about an episode in LGBT history that deserves attention done in an engaging immersive manner

Don't see it if You expect perfection , cast is uneven and not particularly strong vocally . Saw two understudies which may have been the issue

Also They want people to care about the topic and have a great piece in the program to help audience members understand the context....they just don't give them out until the end . Most people turned them down . Counter productive .... Read more Read less

See it if you like polyester pants. Or want to support new original work

Don't see it if you expect modern references to actually be modern. Or characters burried in cliche bother you.

See it if you like imaginative set design & lighting effects. Compared to the Public Theater's 'Gently Down the Stream' this is a real disappointment.

Don't see it if you don't have comp tickets.

Also To be fair, the night we saw this there were three understudies substituting for principal roles. Even so, the couple sitting next to us had seen it before and thought' "It was terrific both times". Having spent a little time in the French Quarter as a young adult (in the 1960s and early 70s), this production seemed overly stereotyped, and it simply disappointed when I had truly hoped to like it.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see incredible singing, lighting and use of the space.

Don't see it if you're not interested in a lackluster book or an unfocused, messy story.

See it if you care to spend 90 minutes at a "fabulous, tacky" gay bar in 1973 New Orleans.

Don't see it if you have no interest in gay history in the post-Stonewall period.

See it if you're like me & you enjoy exploring new Off-Broadway musicals, since that's where a lot of risks are taken. This show had a nice message.

Don't see it if you're going to be disappointed by two-dimensional characters, trite thematics & eye-rolling dialogue. This risk doesn't pay off.

Also I enjoyed the staging & the immersive experience. The cast is spirited & works hard. And the music was nice. But the concept was really hackneyed & trite.... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in hearing some truly wonderful songs of love, loss and acceptance. You are a Frenchie Davis fan.

Don't see it if You can't appreciate individual songs and storylines held together by a ridiculous premise that needs some judicious editing

See it if You like campy LGBTQ themes, a fun set, decent singing and some decent acting.

Don't see it if You aren't a fan of contrived caricatures and one dimensional characters and "all about me" songs. You are a stickler for accurate accents.

See it if You are a die hard theatre geek. There are some talented folks amongst the cast including Frenchie Davis and T.Frey

Don't see it if Expect a fully rounded product. This falls shy of its target and the lead is weak.

See it if you know nothing about the UpStairs Lounge fire and you like poppy musicals.

Don't see it if you want some real history of the event or a memorable or original score.

See it if you want to know more about gay history and like the idea of spending time in New Orleans.

Don't see it if you hate immersive theatre.

See it if Campy humor, gay history, energetic. Fun-house set and a few polished performers.

Don't see it if A revue of second-rate songs about the gay community with an unconvincing story and cliche characters to hold it together.

See it if you don't mind some seriously boring lectures with your fun drag show.

Don't see it if you're looking for a coherent or moving gay fantasia. The cast is wildly uneven, songs are forgettable, story is muddled. Swing and a miss.

See it if you enjoy shows that are based on an actual event, want to learn a bit of gay history, see actors who perform their hearts out.

Don't see it if you are uncomfortable with seeing gay characters lead their lives, want to see lots of dancing, need a lot of character and plot development

Also Overall I thought the show was enjoyable but it was a little uneven. I really liked how it started and ended but there just wasn't enough development for me to really feel for the characters. Some of the songs were very moving but others didn't do much for the plot. The actors themselves were quite good, but some of their performances were uneven too. During one song they would do "okay" and on another they rocked it out. Nathan Lee Graham though was one of my favorite performers of the night. He seemed to have a blast playing his character! --- I also felt that it was unfortunate that they gave Playbills out after the show because it would have moved me more had I known it was based on an actual event. I think with more time and work, this show definitely has the potential to move forward. All in all, it may not be a spectacular show but it has some very strong points and I definitely think it's worth supporting.... Read more Read less

See it if you are into the LGBT culture and you like glam-rock. There are some great numbers in this show.

Don't see it if you don't like over-the-top acting. The transition from scene to scene felt unbalanced and forceful sometimes.

Also The protagonist of the show is unlikable. As well as some of the other characters. The writer and director are ambitious to link the historical event of the show to the recent Orlando tragedy. The message is strong but it somehow got lost for most of the time until the very end.... Read more Read less

See it if This is essentially a cabaret act using a major historical event in gay culture as an excuse to show off some vocal talent.

Don't see it if If you're looking for the story of the fire at the Upstairs Lounge in New Orleans, it is barely mentioned. Hard to get why the show exists.

See it if You love a set that emcompases the theatre making you part of 'the action.' Nathan Lee Graham gives a great monologue... Lighting is great.

Don't see it if You don't like prose set to music, songs are unmemorable, lyrics even worse. Lead actors who can't sing, but look good, Avoid this.

Also The story should be told, it's good...how they tell it is not handled so well. There are many cast changes the next few weeks...understudies will be doing performances by known Actors. Seating is deadly (as in dead butt if you don't get a regular Theatre Seat). I wanted to like this show, I left, with Fanny Fatigue, and a bad taste in my mouth appropriate, perhaps, for leaving a Gay Bar in 1973 where and when the play is set...but not from a Theatre in NYC now.... only Nathan Lee Graham's monologue was really worth seeing...and getting to the Theatre wasn't easy either.... Read more Read less

See it if You want some gay and lesbian history and meet a cast of likeable characters

Don't see it if If you expect singers to be on key and you dont want to be preached at

See it if A crisis in the history of gay oppression in America merits your attention, or you want to examine an ambitious new musical.

Don't see it if You need a strong throughline in your musical dramas.

See it if You want to know more about a time in gay history that seems just as relevant today.

Don't see it if You don't want to see & hear just about every gay cliche in the book & if you don't mind good music performed by less than good singers.

See it if you want to see a bit of gay history imagined in musical form.

Don't see it if you can't get discounted tickets

Also I really liked the subject matter and the actors all did a fine job but there are a lot of flaws in this musical. I found it to be very preachy at times and yet I wasn't sure what it was trying to preach. Was it how much better life is now for gays? How gays spend too much time on their phones? How we've become so much more superficial? That you need to have a dream?

The singing was great but found the staging to be pretty routine, although the stage was so small I can see how difficult it would have been to stage something like this.

I was also disappointed that there had to be a love story in this and that it had to be the two most attractive actors in the play.

Don't get get the on-stage cabaret seats if you're not comfortable being a part of the show... Read more Read less

See it if Half the show is well acted and sung with some exciting new songs...

Don't see it if The other half is not strong. The lead is unlikeable as a character and he could not sing the songs written for him the night I saw it.

Also By choosing to focus on modern protagonist, the show cheapens the memory of those who died... Read more Read less