The Woodsman NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (280)
See it if you want a unique and fresh theatrical experience, with music and puppetry in a way you would never expect. Very beautiful and emotional.
Don't see it if Everyone should give it a chance. You will be surprised.
See it if You enjoy a fresh take on conveying a story...emoting with minimal speech
Don't see it if You are with young children ...can be a bit scary for them.
See it if You love The Wizard of Oz! But more importantly if you enjoy original, intelligent movement pieces that touch your soul and heart!
Don't see it if You need full dialogue, because there is almost none. You must FEEL this show along with the actors. It's an exquisite experience.
See it if you like an inspired story based on a classic (Wizard of Oz), performed with great heart and imagination and creativity
Don't see it if Just see it -- one of the more enchanting and theatrical shows I've seen, ever.
See it if you're sick and tired of Lion King's puppetry and you wanna see better of it
Don't see it if you wanna hear talking and singing casts
See it if you are a fan of unusual theatrical experiences. A sweet, believable tale using dance/movement, spoken word, song, mime. Gorgeous setting!
Don't see it if Nuance escapes you.
See it if want to see something imaginative & the back story of the tin man of Wizard of Oz.If you want a story told through movement instead of words
Don't see it if like alot of dialog or don't like imaginative staging
See it if you're up for a beautiful 90 minutes of non-traditional storytelling.
Don't see it if 90 minutes of no dialogue is going to put you off. Read more
Critic Reviews (29)
"It is an inventive, magical journey empowered to be told with sparse dialogue, beautiful haunting music, ingeniously captivating puppets, and a remarkable cast that is able to embody and exude endless natural sounds and conjure up an array of heartfelt emotions...It is pure, honest, human and a theatrical feast."
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"'The Woodsman' is a lovely movement piece set to instrumental music; the actors play out each scene in imaginative ways using motion and puppetry, with very limited sets and props...The mood is set beautifully by the decor around the theater as well as through the haunting violin notes that accompany the actors throughout. It’s a magical 70 minutes at the theater."
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"'The Woodsman' is theatre at its most basic and beautifully creative…'The Woodsman's' success isn't simply a result of good source material…Though the actors are all excellent storytellers, and the ensemble work is excellently executed, the stars of this show are three puppets...So go see this piece which has a great deal of heart, even before the Tin Man loses and finds his."
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"The acting is also what makes this show so special. The majority of the cast have been a part of the show since the creative process and/or in preceding productions. The fact that each actor knows their part inside and out results in an emotional performance...It is plain to see that there is something very special about 'The Woodsman'...The time and effort the cast and creative team has put into this show is obvious, which is why 'The Woodsman' deserves a long, long, long life."
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"What could have been an ordinary prequel is actually an aesthetically rich piece of art that completely reimagines a land of Oz that is heavy on impulse and light on text...The skill exhibited by the performers is quite fascinating as you believe the puppets are alive without much suspension of disbelief. Directors James Ortiz & Claire Karpen create a full sensory experience. It is visceral."
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"I went in expecting a skilled and unique telling of the origin story of the Tin Man and boy, does 'The Woodsman' deliver...Strangemen & Co breathes life into this dark story with spectacular Bunraku style puppetry and hauntingly beautiful original music...Be prepared to immediately want to dust off your copy of the 'Wizard of Oz' so that you may finally have the happy ending to this simultaneously heart-wrenching and heart-warming story."
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"A dark dance-theatre exploration of love, loss and transformation...The production is a piece of theatre magic, woven from movement, sound design, lighting, props and the delicate accompaniment of violin. The puppets are magnificent...Directors James Ortiz and Claire Karpen breathed life into everything...Every detail of the production receives careful attention...'The Woodsman' offers us the best of several worlds plus puppets as interesting as those in 'War Horse' at Lincoln Center."
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"The spectacle is handmade, infused with breath and light...With so many pieces well in place, it seems churlish to complain, but one significant flaw holds 'The Woodsman' back: The storytelling isn’t clear enough. The visual language can be muddled, and important bits are sometimes rushed. The performance lasts only an hour, and maybe that’s not long enough. By letting a few more moments linger, this show’s talented creators might just lodge 'The Woodsman' in our hearts."
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