Harry and the Thief NYC Reviews and Tickets

85%

(5 Reviews)

Positive

60%

Mixed

40%

Negative

Members say

Clever, Funny, Entertaining, Ambitious, Amazing

About the Show

The Habitat presents an epic comic adventure about modern-day activists traveling back in time to try to help Harriet Tubman.

Jeremy, a Harvard-educated physicist, has built a time machine to send his cousin Mimi back to the Civil War to bring Harriet Tubman a bunch of guns. But when Mimi gets sent back to the wrong time period, history sets off on a different course. History Herself is our guide in this socially conscious riot of a play that mashes action-adventure blockbuster with historical Southern melodrama. When destiny calls, will you rise up?

Member Reviews (5)

Clever, Funny, Original, Relevant

See it if you like an original take on racial issues, and/or you like edgy, slightly quirky, innovative theater.

Don't see it if you can't sit still for two hours without an intermission, or you can't accept the notion of time travel.

Enchanting, Exquisite, Funny, Clever

See it if You like to work your brain

Don't see it if you dont like actual funny theatricals.

Critic Reviews (4)

"A shrewd and mischievous action-adventure comedy...Tubman, clearly, is having a cultural moment, and it’s a pleasure to meet a version of her that twins heroism and humanness...Ms. Gilmer means the time-hopping play to be a trunk show with a mix of cinematic styles, and Lindsay’s production gamely takes up that challenge. But Ms. Lindsay has miscalculated significantly in allowing the show’s narrator, Anita, to be a giant, attention-craving personality, upstaging the other characters."
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"Anyanwu commands the stage with the gravitas that one would expect of Tubman herself. And commanding any scene in this fast-paced comedy performed by a dexterous and talented ensemble is no small feat...Though Gilman skillfully uses archetypes, no character is merely a stereotype...An action comedy that uses history to discuss contemporary race issues may sound far-fetched, but in the end, I was grateful to find 'Harry' more than worthy of the re-imagining...This is not to be missed."
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"It is always a thrill to see a show that takes history and messes with it...'Harry' did just that…The show is purposely over-the-top and askew...The story and hilarity would have been just as successful with some unnecessary moments cut out and, most of all, utilizing the character of History better...With some edits and better utilization of set and certain characters, 'Harry' has the potential to be a phenomenal drama, comedy, musical, farce, and an avant-garde piece."
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"In many respects a very winning show, an underground sci-fi comic book brought amusingly to life...There are many real laughs and some earned emotional payoff amidst the mayhem...The show needs–deserves–some work. The brisk blocking and pace is spot-on but is ultimately wearing without enough additional dramatic or entertainment value...But the biggest area worth working on is paying off the central premise in the book."
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