The Girl Who Jumped Off The Hollywood Sign NYC Reviews and Tickets

“A heartbreaking look at the human cost of America's dream factory...In her performance, Hartstone disturbingly showcases the power art can wield not just over our psyches, but our physical beings...Although presented in an old-fashioned package, ‘The Girl Who Jumped Off the Hollywood Sign’ is a timely call for responsibility on the part of our self-styled dream merchants when they still have a long way to go.”
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“Hartstone has such a fine ear that she skillfully mimics not only the vocal contralto of one of her heroes--Judy Garland--but captures the speech of the era...Evie's tales about mistreated Hollywood actresses are deeply resonant...'The Girl who jumped off the Hollywood sign’ would be impressive if written by someone other than its star. But Hartstone's writing is as powerful and nuanced as her performance...The one-woman show nicely directed by Fusco was captivating from start to finish."
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“The story of the tragic, would-be starlet is an old, old one, and, after a while, one begins to wonder if there is any point in this exercise in masochism…Hartstone makes Evie pitiable, but she can't quite make her interesting. Fusco's direction maintains a nice pace and, to the extent possible, keeps the brakes on Hartstone's full-throated penchant for emoting…It's hard to recommend this to anyone looking for an incisive, gripping drama.”
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“Employing a blend of fact and fiction, song and story, Ms. Hartstone transports us into a past that is nearly as unsettling as the present...Evie comes across as a powerful chronicler of the era, but not as a heroine that we are particularly rooting for...Additionally, Evie’s suicidal tendencies feel less than fully earned...Still, Ms. Hartstone’s gutsy and gusto-y performance mostly compensates for the script’s flaws.”
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“Hartstone brings sincerity and sweetness to her portrayal…However, the chirpy, high-pitched Midwestern twang she affects…is not particularly enthralling. And…if Evie had Hartstone's pitchy singing voice, Hollywood wouldn't have made a major blunder in ignoring her…'The Girl'…seems more intent on reminiscing about Hollywood in the 1940s…than on developing a three-dimensional character we can believe might not only have lived through it but found it necessary to consider jumping.”
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"Hartstone’s writing is concise and vividly descriptive, packed with images that evoke the bustling atmosphere of golden age Hollywood. Her well-researched script is populated with entertaining archetypes...Plotwise, though, some of the show’s potential goes untapped...Harstone needs a bit more guidance from director Vince Fusco...despite these missteps, Hartstone’s warmth and charisma shines through and she is clearly a talent to watch."
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"A one of a kind show...Joanne totally embodies the character of Evelyn, and her American accent is relaxed and flawless as we are let into Evelyn's life through her many façades. Throughout the show Hartstone plays a number of different characters who she switches seamlessly from with ease...Hartstone has the ability to milk every line in this well-written show. Her connection with the audience is instantaneous and from start to finish, both actor and audience member are one."
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"Hartstone, who also plays Evie, punctuates her story with familiar songs of the period that loosely parallel an otherwise straightforward narrative. Hartstone has a nasal contralto is deeply reminiscent of the period and invests plenty of drama into each number. It’s an engaging performance delivered with sensitivity but Hartstone treads a very familiar path here. Entwhistle is borrowed as a metaphor in Evie’s story whereas she’d probably have been much more valuable as the subject."
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"Hartstone looks wonderful as Evie...She adopts not only a good midwest accent, but throws in different American accents for other characters. And she sings, song after song, in a classic 1940s style evocative of Billie Holiday. She creates another world in the little popup Fringe venue...It’s a remote and hard-to find venue...But it is worth the effort to be magically transported into Hartstone's faraway world of Hollywood at its ruthless fairy-story height."
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"Hartstone has created a marvellously evocative musical-drama...We observe Evie’s girlish glee, switching from hopeful naivety to heartfelt vulnerability as she tries desperately to be noticed....Joanne has a beautiful, soulful voice...This show has already won numerous, much deserved, awards...Joanne Hartstone is an all-round entertainer, oozing comedic, dramatic, and musical talent in this magical performance. A true super star is born."
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"'The Girl who Jumped' has the bones of a great show about hopes, dreams, and the dark side to our fascination with celebrity culture. Hartstone is a talented actor...but you can’t really connect with Edwards. She, like a female protagonist in a ‘40s musical, is too innocent and naïve before turning very quickly down a path that isn’t so innocent. This naiveté works in old musicals but just doesn’t quite connect in a contemporary play about an industry that can be heartlessly cruel."
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"Cleverly directed by Vince Fusco...It’s hard to say whether Hartstone achieves greater success as a writer or as a performer. Her story incorporates personal fiction alongside juicy Hollywood history. As an actress, she carries her show through seventy minutes of Old Hollywood bliss. Her character, Mid-Atlantic dialect, and singing are all on point...The production seduces with its elements of glamour and the macabre, with finishing touches of nostalgia and vulnerability."
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"Hartstone’s accent and delivery are perfectly ­evocative of the period–her straight-talkin’ speech recalls Katharine Hepburn or Rosalind Russell, while her singing voice is akin to Judy Garland’s...As she relates her compelling, all-too-believable tale, that gigantic half-H looms in the background, a constant reminder of (almost) certain tragedy to come."
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"This play critically examines the Hollywood dream and its power to simultaneously attract both the ambitious and the vulnerable...Hartstone gives a superb and sympathetic performance portraying the naivety, eccentricity and vulnerability of Evie. She uses humour to deal with a lot of difficult topics...This is a well-researched, poignant, and revealing piece of theatre that shows the extent of Hartstone’s abilities as a writer, singer, and actress."
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"'The Girl Who Jumped Off the Hollywood Sign' brings the glamour, dreams, and desperation of early twentieth century America to life in a one-woman show with song, showmanship, and sympathy...Hartstone exudes confidence in her character and material. Her magnetism and sharp embodiments sells Evie’s humanity...A surprisingly brilliant touch to the piece is that some anecdotes given are rumours that have been debunked now...They firmly root the show in its age and peoples."
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"Hartone is endearing as Evie, a sweet character who we immediately feel empathy for. She manoeuvres the stage well, nails the old Hollywood sound and transports us to MGM sets and producer meetings. There’s just the right amount of musical interludes, but the story needs sharpening. Time is wasted with 'he said, she saids' that aren’t needed when she’s already shifted character. Hartstone has clearly done her research and poured herself into this show."
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