Bastard Jones NYC Reviews and Tickets

80%

(61 Reviews)

Positive

80%

Mixed

20%

Negative

Members say

Entertaining, Great singing, Clever, Funny, Great staging

About the Show

The Cell presents a new rock musical based on Henry Fielding’s bawdy 18th-century novel "The History of Tom Jones." A rollicking adventure of deception, misunderstanding, and bed-hopping.

‘Bastard Jones’ centers on Tom Jones, a bastard-born charmer with a heart of gold and a knack for trouble, looking for love in all the wrong places. Tom gets banished from the only home he knows simply for expressing his true self, leading him to conscription in the army, a half-naked romp at a country inn, and a stint as the boy toy to an aristocrat.

Member Reviews (61)

Ambitious, Confusing, Entertaining, Slow, Well acted & sung

See it if Boisterous musical adapt of Fielding's epic novel Small ensemble play multiple parts causing confusion Ruggiero's exuberant Tom carries show

Don't see it if Far too many songs drag show's momentum & cause fatigue Sightlines often hindered by tight stage but directed w/ vigor by lyricist Acito

Clever, Entertaining, Great singing, Great staging

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

Masterful, Hilarious, Great singing, Delightful, Entertaining

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.

Clever, Great singing, Great staging, Edgy

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

Clever, Quirky, Irreverent, Well & cleverly staged, Great singing ranges

See it if A spirited, fun, well-intentioned if obvious musical farce appeals, its fully committed cast largely fine with amazing vocal ranges.

Don't see it if You're disturbed by farce, a mostly unmemorable score or watching the lead actor literally screw on his actual prosthetic peg leg. Read more

Zany, Dizzying, High energy, A little slow, Amusing

See it if you want madcap, raucous fun and bawdy humor - with clever staging. Impressive disability-inclusive casting and witty writing.

Don't see it if you're not prepared for a high energy (and, at times, exhausting) romp. A bit long, but enjoyably (if sometimes frenetically) funny.

Clever, Entertaining, Funny, Great staging, Resonant

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.

Great singing, Great staging, Bawdy, Very silly, Entertaining

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

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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