Where the Mountain Meets the Sea NYC Reviews and Tickets

80%

(205 Reviews)

Positive

88%

Mixed

11%

Negative

Members say

Absorbing, Great acting, Great singing, Entertaining, Slow

About the Show

A father and a son take road trips at two different points in history, but still find one another.

A Haitian immigrant embarks on a journey from Miami to California on a unique road trip. Years later, his son makes the same trip, but in reverse. On the road, the lines of time blur, and they both finally find common ground and establish a connection that they hadn't found for decades.

Written by acclaimed playwright Jeff Augustin, and with folk music by The Bengsons, Where the Mountain Meets the Sea tells a story of longing, family and legacy.

Member Reviews (205)

Clever, Thought-provoking, Interesting staging, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if you like a show about immigration told in an interesting way, the paths taken by father and son. Interesting staging and use of music.

Don't see it if you don't like talk of immigration or racism. Read more

Intelligent, Great writing, Great singing, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if An absolutely moving & thought-provoking stories of a Haitian man’s immigration to US & his son’s American life told thru beautiful music.

Don't see it if If you don’t like a simple stage then skip this one.

Haitian father and son on musical journeys

See it if sweet and touching Haitian father and son alternating monologues about trips of self-discovery. Interspersed with new folk-style songs

Don't see it if you don't like monologues. Billy Eugene Jones and Chris Myers are warm, empathetic performers. Son's trip across America has gay adventures

Resonant, Slow, Touching, Well sung, Well acted

See it if alternating monologues between Haitian born immigrant & his USA born son told in different timelines with folk music interludes.

Don't see it if Slow at times. Father/son don't interact until last few minutes which may be off-putting to some. Read more

Enchanting

See it if Monologues between Haitian father and US-born son weaved with "mountain people music" (folk) shrinks the time and distance between the two.

Don't see it if Monologues only, folk music, more reflections less plot aren't your thing. Read more

Thought-provoking, Refreshing, Intelligent, Delightful

See it if A lovely show with a lot of primarily folk and blue grass music. Interesting and engaging.

Don't see it if Do not see if you are expecting a drama. This is a play with music.

Must see, Masterful, Resonant, Relevant, Absorbing

See it if you are looking for something new, different, interesting, and heart- warming.

Don't see it if you are not interested in having a transformative theatrical experience, because this show will more even the harden of hearts. Read more

Slow, Disappointing, Intelligent, Indulgent, Absorbing

See it if You enjoy seeing intimate two-handers and folk music.

Don't see it if You dislike pieces that seem to run in circles a bit, and feel stretched out even with a short run time. Read more

Critic Reviews (10)

" 'Where the Mountain Meets the Sea' feels like a kind of formal experiment, combining spoken text, live music and, occasionally, freestyle movement to capture the nomadic experience of building a life without a homeland."
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"You might walk out of 'Where the Mountain Meets the Sea' wanting to take a road trip, or call your dad, or listen to more folk music. One guarantee is that you won't leave this show feeling nothing."
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"Simple and heartfelt, Where the Mountain Meets the Sea is likely to resonate deeply with some audience members...I could feel this play's expression of grief and regret in my bones."
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"With its low-key retelling of two unremarkable lives, and its haphazard monologue-song-monologue format, 'Where the Mountain Meets the Sea'–a title, by the way, that's never explained–resolutely fails to stick to the bones."
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A touching portrait of a father and his alienated son unfolds in the Manhattan Theatre Club’s "Where the Mountain Meets the Sea" by Jeff Augustin, directed by Joshua Kahan Brody. ... "When the Mountain Meets the Sea" is not only about two different people, but two different time periods. Jean exists in memory while Jonah’s journey is to cross the country, retrieve Jean’s ashes and spread them over Haiti.
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Once again this season, a writer with a gift for language has crafted a play that is essentially a work of literature, gussied up for the stage with creative design, music, and direction. Dialogue and conflict are replaced by first-person monologue and reflection, and, except momentarily, there’s no actual character interaction.
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"As the mountains of America meet the deep blue Haitian sea, we are reminded that sometimes we need to turn around, hold ourselves open, and look back in order to understand more clearly who we truly are."
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"If 'Where the Mountain Meets the Sea' starts slow and meanders a bit, and if the score could use just one or two more upbeat numbers, a devastatingly gorgeous finish more than makes up for these minor errors in this glowing gem of a show."
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Trailer

Creative team

Manhattan Theatre Club