Bastard Jones NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (61)
See it if You want to see a great small musical that could become a big one with a fantastic cast especially male lead.
Don't see it if You can't appreciate a diamond in the rough.
See it if you like light farcical comedy, close-up view of some tremendous performing talent, innovative use of tiny space & minor props, diverse cast
Don't see it if raunchy humor does not appeal to you; you have an issue with small space and not very comfortable seating (such as bar stools) Read more
See it if I loved it. Well directed and baudy fun. Great cast. Stage the size of a postage stamp and yet everything fit and worked.
Don't see it if you're offended by sexual references. I found it delightful.
See it if Some standout numbers satisfy you with this unique new take of an old tale
Don't see it if You expect a standard literary treatment of JONES.
See it if you appreciate endlessly resourceful staging and an irreverent, contemporary approach that is in keeping with the novel's social satire
Don't see it if bawdy humor isn't your thing or can't relinquish your memory of Finney in the Tom Jones film--which was great in an entirely different way Read more
See it if you'd like Rocky Horror to marry Anything Goes and go back to the 18th century in a tiny off-Bway theater
Don't see it if you hate silliness, bad jokes, a lot of simulated sex, and Shakespearean-comedy-level misunderstandings Read more
See it if you enjoy a musical based on the novel Tom Jones. Witty lyrics, catchy songs and a very talented cast. Great staging in small theater.
Don't see it if you like serious drama or dignified musicals. This has plenty of risqué humor but it's all in fun. Read more
See it if See a show that could have a further life staged in a very intimate space
Don't see it if Want big flashy musicals
Critic Reviews (16)
"Mr. Acito mostly succeeds in turning the Cell company’s limited resources into an aesthetic choice...Harder to overcome are the venue’s trying acoustics, which make it difficult to fully appreciate the score by Engelhardt...But you can still tell that catchy songs, reminiscent of Lloyd Webber’s pop-rock catalog, are lurking in there...'Bastard Jones' goes through clunky patches, but its nonjudgmental approach to sex and disability, and its brash desire to entertain, are winning."
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"'Bastard Jones' is randy yet ingenuous; it’s like a very bawdy Disney movie, with hummable pop music to match. Staged with few frills, it relies mainly on the talents of its diverse and impressive cast of nine...If this smartly plotted and irrepressible musical moves beyond the Cell, there is work to be done in beefing up the characters and polishing the jokes. But the show has legitimate potential."
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"An incredibly clever, zany, sexy, and raucous show that is as funny as it is profound...This is just the sort of guilty fun that everyone is looking for and, for a little over two hours, will bring such joy to your heart and a 'tingle' to everywhere else...With a score that is heart-pumping, contemplative and altogether wonderful, and a plot that is given a dose of modernity to make it comical, 'Bastard Jones' will become one of your favorite shows you hope to see on a Broadway stage one day."
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"Dispiritingly, the dialogue is loaded with the kind of gags not heard since Minsky's Burlesque was shuttered forever...Suffice to say that a full evening of these smirkers is enough to induce vows of chastity in audience members looking for some semblance of adult wit. The songs don't provide much relief, a few appealing melodies aside...Given the general poverty of the humor, it's striking how well the cast, under Acito's direction, maintains its sense of high spirits."
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“The shaggy and generally endearing new rock musical comedy captures the raucous spirit of the original novel while gently targeting 21st century issues…Ruggiero carries the musical with ease, and he is charming, sexy, and innocently goofy in equal measure…Acito has done an outstanding job synthesizing the expansive plot and episodes of the original source material…Acito's lyrics are rather less distinctive...Similarly, Engelhardt's music is often pleasant but not memorable.”
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"'Bastard Jones' is surprisingly accessible for a contemporary musical based on a long and episodic 18th century novel. Sophisticated and off-color, naughty but nice, it proves to be a sharp and irreverent entertainment. With a terrific cast and a star making performance by Evan Ruggiero, witty and clever, 'Bastard Jones' is both a delightful 18th century and 21st century evening in the theater."
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"'Bastard Jones' is a heck of a good time...Not all of the show's songs are equal. Don't get me wrong, the singers are fantastic, but not every number can be a winner. Luckily this talented group knows how to act through their singing, which was a nice surprise...If you are an adult and like entertaining songs, talented actors, a decent love story, funny jokes, and some plot twists, this is a wonderful way to spend an evening."
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“If I could fill this review with synonyms for ‘brilliant’ it still wouldn’t be enough, or do justice to just how good 'Bastard Jones' is…A rock musical extravaganza that stays true to the picaresque novel it is based on…A most joyous and innovative production…There is brilliant comedic timing by every single actor, catchy and powerful songs, and outstanding physical comedy…Run now, before you have to go on a wait list to see it on Broadway where it will surely find a deserving, long-term home.”
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