Heartbreak House

See it if Great acting all around, though the 3 women steal the show. :-) First 2 hours are fun, funny, smart and fast-paced​.

Don't see it if The last 40 min (3rd act?) did stretch it too long and was very slow.

Also At 2hr 45min the show takes a turn in​ the third half. Almost no action and all "philosophy" talk. All the scenes this segment in and of themselves are well crafted, smart and really well acted. It just slows plot almost to a halt and moves the comedy into quasi-admonition​.
The show could have easily ended before that for a much more accessible show and fun experience.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see some great performances by an amazing cast. Great female characters.

Don't see it if You aren't in the mood for a 2hr45min show. It's too long and ends up meandering in the last 30-40min.

See it if You’re a fan of Shaw. These are some top notch actors-you don’t get the opportunity to see a play like this very often. Great direction.

Don't see it if You don’t like madcap metaphorical adventures down the rabbit hole of politics and human rights and just about every other hot topic.

See it if Long rambling satire of British gentlemen & women frittering their time while the threat of war approaches. Humorous character acting.

Don't see it if Dated main theme of young woman deciding whether to marry old guy for money. Silly characters drawn out for 2 1/2 hrs. Not much substance.

See it if Strong ensemble led by Ziemba, Hewett & Thompson hone Shaw's message of capitalistic nihilism to a fine edge despite unfocused direction

Don't see it if Staller's framing devise seems clever but ultimately proves obtrusive Cluttered set hinders movement yet Shaw's prose still shines radiantly

See it if you're a fan of Shaw, like great ensemble action, enjoy an unusual but legitimate setting, like intelligent comedies

Don't see it if you're not a fan of Shaw's, don't like Shaw abridged or set in an unexpected location, don't need reminders of the Blitz or World War I

See it if Shavian political serio-comedy. Very talented cast especially Fraser,(like a Glynis Johns), relish their dialogue.

Don't see it if Slow political 2.5hr. Shaw in cramped Lion theatre with very little staging requires commitment from audience. But, gee, that ensemble.

See it if Prescient Shaw warns world of complacency regarding economic and political corruption, exploitation, fraud and consequences of inaction.

Don't see it if You don’t like Shaw’s wordy, idea-filled plays that drag on with soapbox monologues.

See it if you enjoy G. B. Shaw's humor and well acted, relevant theater.

Don't see it if you find long, wordy plays tedious even though the content is entertaining and intelligent.

See it if See a well-acted version of Shaw up-close.

Don't see it if The framing concept didn't really do much. First act drags but it does pickup in the second act

See it if Intriguing wartime drama with great actors appeals

Don't see it if You only like Bway musicals

See it if you like Shaw, even one of his least popular shows. Acting is great, though as a morality play, it is hard to find anyone to admire.

Don't see it if You don't want to spend 2 hours and 45 minutes wondering what the play is really about.

See it if you enjoy Shaw- both his comedy and his wordiness. Actors were individually great but hasn't gelled as a company when I saw it in previews.

Don't see it if You prefer minimalist scripts and acting. The set and costumes were gorgeous and elaborate, just like the play.

See it if You're a big Shaw fan and want to see a cool new take on one of his plays.

Don't see it if You're bothered by really shoddy acting and a slow story. I don't know whether the shitty acting was a choice or not, but it didn't work.

See it if you enjoy a slow WWII silly comedy with an audience sing-a-long

Don't see it if you expect a show with some depth, want something more serious.

See it if you enjoy light comedies and integration of audience sing alongs

Don't see it if you don’t like plays in British accents (or inconsistencies of it), British humor, or can’t sit through long plays (2 hrs 40 mins)

Also I found the first act (1 hr) to be entertaining and humorous and looked forward to the second act which ended up being 1.5 hrs. I didn’t find the second act as entertaining and it was too long.... Read more Read less

See it if Don’t let the title scare you! More heart -lift than heart-ache. Teriffic cast of real pros put on one of Shaw’s funniest plays during the

Don't see it if Play runs well over two hours with one ten-minute intermission. British accents.

Also London blitz. A wildly eccentric but extremely charming group of characters descend on a 1914 country home. Their dialogue is as funny as Oscar Wilde’s best comedies. Men get the brunt of most of the humor and the women get the best lines. But the audience, male and female laughed at it all. Great lighting, staging, costumes and direction. Bonus: Audience sing-alongs of popular WWI songs. Get ready for some “hard common sense,” along with a lack of sentiment and a philosophical sea-captain. Absolute delight.... Read more Read less

See it if You will like anything Terry Teachout likes. I thought I did.

Don't see it if You hate farce.

Also If you go don’t sit in the back, or wear your vegan fur. They’re keeping the AC on full blast.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy seeing a bit of a twist on a classic play by GB Shaw. Lovely acting.

Don't see it if you don't enjoy long shows (a bit more trimming in the second act would have been welcome). Want your classic theater without twists.

See it if you'd like a novel "play-within-a-play" by an early (unrecognizable) Shaw. Sets & acting r great but too long & plays' themes don't meet.

Don't see it if You don't like very talky long shows. Also, in the spirit of the times, it is Acted with a capital A. There is humor. Oh - and singalongs.

See it if You love Shaw. You like long plays with lots of characters.

Don't see it if You want a coherent plot. This was very silly. Good acting, though.

See it if you are a fan of George Bernard Shaw or if you enjoy watching actors portray a zany assortment of characters.

Don't see it if you want a faster paced production.

See it if you like British plays with lovely costumes, flirtations, clever lines, or you relish Shaw's timeless morality

Don't see it if you can't sit in your seat for 3 hours, or if you need acting/tone to be really consistent

Also Picked this up on the spur of the moment walking around the Theatre District after work. Very pleased with my choice. Lincoln Center video crew was there filming it for the archives, which is always a great endorsement. The play posits solid burgher morality, with its emphasis on superficial decency, against the whims and license of bohemian aristocracy, to great effect. Shaw's stock-in-trade cultural critique includes trenchant philosophizing about love, fidelity, money, business. Very strong cast, but tone varies. Three wonderful female characters, with Karen Ziemba (nimble and nuanced) and Alison Fraser (comical) as aristocratic sisters and Kimberly Immanuel as a poor young ingenue. Immanuel is well cast but her voice is too rich and confident. She seems to be emphasizing projection over showing changes in her character. You'll be handed too much paper---three programs. Read the narrow one first.... Read more Read less

See it if you like small productions

Don't see it if you are into musicals, big Broadway productions, etc.

Also This is a very intimate and quiet staging of a terrific Shaw work. They did it more farce than I cared for and added some strange but cute gimmicks like sing along with an audience (no, you don't have to). The actors are quite mediocre with an exception of two characters, but the play is so sparkly and fun that even actors are not in its way.
I've read it many times but for the first time I saw how relevant it was with a perfect Trump figure in its midst.
Even though the play deserves a much more refined staging, this one is so disarmingly warm and humane that it's easy to forgive it its naive vices.... Read more Read less

See it if you love Shaw and are happy to seek out alternative presentations of even his lesser-known (less perfect) plays

Don't see it if you cannot see past wavering accents and occasional soapboxing to a sprawling larger theme: we're made whole by our joyful imperfections

Also This is not Shaw's most trenchant or laser-focused play, but it's vintage Shaw nevertheless. Not sure the whole 1940s framing of a 1914 situation works in 2018 Times Square, but it's a noble effort and kinda New Yorkish in the way it doesn't prevent a small space and circumstances lunge for larger meaning and even contemplation amid the hilarity and silliness. There is no backdrop of despair here, which British audiences would have implicit, which I consider the director's wrong decision because mere Anglophilia isn't a good or even reasonable rationale. Also, the failure to reign in some of the actors, whose outre' and campy scene-stealing are delicious to watch but ultimately detract from the larger play effort.... Read more Read less