The Girl Who Jumped Off The Hollywood Sign
Closed 1h 10m
The Girl Who Jumped Off The Hollywood Sign
74

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

74%
(38 Ratings)
Positive
79%
Mixed
18%
Negative
3%
Members say
Ambitious, Slow, Entertaining, Great acting, Great singing

About the Show

Charting over 30 years of the Golden Age of Hollywood, including stories from the Silent Era, the Great Depression, and World War II, this solo play with music features songs from cinemas greatest stars.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (38)

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302 Reviews | 87 Followers
90
Delightful, Great acting, Great singing, Relevant, Great writing

See it if you appreciate Hollywood and Greatest Generation era nostalgia mixed with their ugly truth, and music with melody and intelligent lyrics.

Don't see it if you dislike Hollywood nostalgia genre, a solo woman show with minimal set and a capella, or LES, or cannot sit 90 minutes without interval.

MJK
677 Reviews | 193 Followers
87
Absorbing, Great acting, Refreshing, Evocative

See it if you want to be immersed in the world of 40s Hollywood & captivated by the experience of one tragic, guileless actress in search of her dream

Don't see it if you have no interest in old-world Hollywood & the timeworn story of the dewy-eyed midwest actress in search of silver-screen stardom. Read more

762 Reviews | 147 Followers
86
Clever, Entertaining, Great singing, Slow

See it if Goes thru Hollywood dreams and falls, the pain of not making a star on Hollywood Blvd, with some true facts

Don't see it if It's slow at points, and not a happy play.

64 Reviews | 13 Followers
85
Delightful, Entertaining, Great staging, Great singing

See it if you want to hear interesting stories of what life was like during the the 30's and 40's with some songs sprinkled in

Don't see it if are not a fan of one woman shows or interested in Hollywood during the Golden Age

83 Reviews | 14 Followers
85
Great singing, Clever, Ambitious, Great staging

See it if You like to look back on Hollywood history.

Don't see it if You need the main storyline to start right away.

290 Reviews | 92 Followers
85
Absorbing, Great acting, Great singing, Resonant, Intelligent

See it if You like strong female performers with a good story to tell. She draws you in and one can relate to what it takes for success in this world

Don't see it if If you want to see a flashy Show with full sets and costumes. This is simple and direct. And works

563 Reviews | 194 Followers
84
Absorbing, Entertaining, Great writing, Quirky, Delightful

See it if You want a play w/music about old Hollywood that feels contemporary. You want a well written & edited solo show.

Don't see it if You prefer plays w/modern settings. You don't like plays w/music. You dislike solo shows.

127 Reviews | 36 Followers
84
Resonant, Enchanting, Intense

See it if The sparkle in her eyes as she sings you her dream of becoming noticeable is hauntingly honest and mesmerizing.

Don't see it if Lots of references near the times of the roaring and the depression years. Essentially one-woman-show telling truths of abuse in Hollywood Read more

Critic Reviews (16)

Theatermania
January 9th, 2018

“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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BroadwayWorld
January 8th, 2018

“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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Lighting & Sound America
January 10th, 2018

“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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Front Row Center
January 9th, 2018

“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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Theatre's Leiter Side
January 8th, 2018

“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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E
January 10th, 2018

"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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BroadwayWorld
March 12th, 2017
For a previous production

"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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The Stage (UK)
August 21st, 2017
For a previous production

"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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