Billy and the Killers NYC Reviews and Tickets

68%

(23 Reviews)

Positive

65%

Mixed

22%

Negative

13%

Members say

Great singing, Entertaining, Intense, Edgy, Slow

About the Show

A play meets a rock band in this world premiere alt-rock musical about a pair of misfit lovers and a bloody crime of passion.

Billy is a sensitive young songwriter, but his music is violent and disturbing. Living in a trailer park with his ex-con father, the deck is stacked against him until he meets Nell, a kindred spirit, fascinated with death and in love with music. Billy’s dark vision mixed with Nell’s rebellious nature is a volatile combination. When Nell is brutally murdered, the police listen to Billy’s music and accuse him of the crime. Why is it art can heal the artist and destroy the artless?

Member Reviews (23)

Disappointing, Excruciating

See it if You love loud rock music and play in a loud rock band.

Don't see it if Dull plot, bad acting, heavy smoke effects burn the eyes, music way too loud & people had fingers in their ears. Torture on all the senses.

Insipid, Raunchy, Quirky, Slow, Cliched

See it if You like raucous musicals

Don't see it if You're sensitive to loud music

Entertaining, Clever staging, Excellent musicianship, Great singing, Very dark & intense

See it if you enjoy LOUD rock. Story is rough but it's highly supported by some great music/musicians, singing (w/harsh & dark lyrics), & ok acting.

Don't see it if you can't handle the above. It's not BIG other than some excellent musicians who act AND sing, plus 4 great band-mates supporting the cast. Read more

Absorbing, Clever, Entertaining, Great singing, Great staging

See it if Rockabilly opera with talented singers appeals to you. Slight convoluted plot adds to energy.

Don't see it if You abhor loud music

Great singing, Tuneful, Entertaining, Good music

See it if You want to see a fairly simple murder mystery with some good music mixed in. This would be great as just a cast recording.

Don't see it if You're sensitive to sound because it's a small space and the music is loud. Also the story isn't that great and ends up pretty obvious.

Dull, Boring, Wasted time, Meatless

See it if you want to suffer 1hr40min. Actors really try but the music and story just don't have it. The whole annoys and leaves a dull aftertaste.

Don't see it if This is one of those shows, which is not horrible but it just doesn't deliver. It doesn't touch you and one can't wait till it's over.

Dark, Slow, Complicated, Uneven

See it if you like contemporary music with a focus on dark topics & quality onstage musicianship. It's attempting to be edgy without much success.

Don't see it if you want an easily relateable plot or characters. It's over the top with only one relateable relationship. Also has uneven actors & singers.

Entertaining, Great singing, Intense

See it if you want an intense and dark teen love story from leads who can really sing

Don't see it if you're not a fan of rock music or dark, slightly exaggerated storylines Read more

Critic Reviews (3)

“But then the music stops, the dialogue returns, and it's back to dullsville, with Shankman's nonlinear story mostly vacillating between the insipid and the inane. Although one part does cover both bases: the explanation for why Billy is in that orange jumpsuit. It seems a detective (Paul Sadlik) thinks he killed someone, and neither Billy's ex-con father (Tom O'Keefe) nor his shifty lawyer (Sean McDermott) can prove him innocent, at least not until a groan-inducing deception is revealed.”
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"A lackluster and mopey affair...This production is guilty of several crimes. These include harboring an uninteresting minor, operating a fog machine with intent to choke, lyric writing without a poetic license, and, most egregiously, failure to rock when given the right of way...All the cast is under-served by the score. Stopschinski’s music had the audience sitting still for 100 minutes while Shankman’s lyrics are a downward spiral of end rhymes."
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"The music is 80’s rock, which if it weren’t so loud and had better lyrics would have been enjoyable. It is well sung...Another problem is the songs do not seem to fit the plot...The book is generic and the dialogue thin...The direction does not help, as the dialogue breaks into song for no reason at all except to put on a concert...If you are looking for an indie pop concert, this will be up your alley. If you are looking for a musical with substance, you might find want to bring a aspirin or two."
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