The Room Sings NYC Reviews and Tickets

42%

(5 Ratings)

Positive

Mixed

40%

Negative

60%

Members say

Confusing, Excruciating, Quirky, Slow, Disappointing

About the Show

Talking Band presents a new play with music about a room in a country house that sings of those who have lived there over a 70-year span.

In 'The Room Sings,' Obie-winning troupe Talking Band uses an array of genres—'40s noir, Chinese ghost tale, Chekhovian farce/tragedy, and a Sicilian puppet opera sung by beavers—to tell the stories of four interlocking sets of people. As their tales unfold, they intertwine and illuminate each other. 'The Room Sings' offers multiple fractured views of a place and the people who have inhabited it.

Show-Score Member Reviews (5)

53%

Confusing, Strange, Quirky

See it if you want extraordinarily unconventional theatre, you don't mind something a bit underdeveloped.

Don't see it if you want put together-theatre with a clear storyline or intention. Read more

52%

Ambitious, Banal, Disappointing, Slow

See it if You're interested in vaudeville numbers and a fascinating beaver puppet opera.

Don't see it if you desire more from your experimental pieces than "we tried really hard to make it weird."

48%

Confusing, Disappointing, Quirky, Excruciating

See it if .. you can sit through 85 min of nonsense to enjoy 5 lovely minutes of the finale .. you are into things weird

Don't see it if .. you can't tolerate bad singing

35%

Confusing, Excruciating, Indulgent, Intense, Slow

See it if You want to see experimental work.

Don't see it if You want to have a good time.

24%

Banal, Confusing, Excruciating, Unfocused, Nonsensical

See it if you want an outing while under the influence.

Don't see it if you value dramaturgical reason and well-made theatre.

Critic Reviews (4)

“An overwrought work…That most of the actors come off as real people in the midst of this wackiness is to their credit. The best performances, however, are those of the beaver puppets...Exquisitely crafted by Ralph Lee, these critters sing and, most adorably, dance in unison...Also well executed are the video projections…The music integrates less smoothly…Appealing as parts of the house that Zimet built are, at the end of the day, it's in need of some renovations.”
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"A patchwork of familiar stories about family, relationships and passions...It’s not exactly clear why these stories are strung together as such but 'The Room Sings' is definitely most interesting when the stories intersect...Some of the technical aspects stand out in this production...The beaver by Ralph Lee puppets are remarkable...'The Room Sings' shows that no matter who occupies a space, it’s the people with whom we share it that make it home."
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“Paul Zimet succeeded at assembling quirky and unexpected characters…‘The Room Sings’ while having some major flaws, nevertheless, has its divine moments. We forgive Ellen Maddow her dull singing voice, trying to catch up in energy and speed with the recording, for the touching absurdist poetry of Zimet’s songs. We forgive weak acting for the masterful puppetry, designed by Ralph Lee.”
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"'The Room Sings' has a delicate structure, more poetic than dramatic; its allusive text resonates with a viewer long after the lights fade...To tell you more would spoil the play's extraordinary apotheosis. Let's just say that the Obie-winning team behind 'The Room Sings' have a sure hand on the tiller, steering their new piece along tricky shoals between fantasy and realism. Take a holiday from our current woes, and revel in it."
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Trailer

Creative team