The Wildness

"A cross between an exorcism and a wake. The show is also as cuddly as a well-worn plush toy. For in facing down the complexities of being grown-up, which include acknowledging the inevitably of death, 'The Wildness' retreats to the sanctuary of childhood...The production has been smoothly and attractively staged, with neatly synchronized choreography...The show’s treacle content is leavened by the sense of genuine pain that courses through the music toward the end." Full Review

"'The Wildness' just may be the most delightful cult meeting you'll ever attend...Cooper and Worsham make for a mesmerizing pair of heroes, balancing mature performance with the childlike innocence of a game of dress up...As these kiddie games gradually merge with the adult 'reality' the company so skillfully builds around our heads, the result is a tragic catharsis that will make you yearn for the simplicity of the past, yet communally embrace the confusion of the present." Full Review

"By the time the actors passed around a bag of Jolly Rancher candies for us to share, I felt I had had quite enough sugar for the evening...The members of the band are aces, and the director, Sam Buntrock, skillfully guides the action up and down the runway...So talented is everyone involved that one has a nagging feeling that they would be better off creating a more adult entertainment. The faux-innocent, mock-spontaneous tone of 'The Wildness' eventually wears out its welcome." Full Review

"There’s stuff to be wild about in ‘The Wildness: Sky-Pony’s Rock Fairy Tale'...there’s also stuff not to be so wild about. But this evening of semi-immersive theatre—in which you’re squeezed into Ars Nova’s intimate venue on either side of a planked wooden runway, with TVs, projections, musicians, and lighting instruments all around and practically up your kazoo—is worth a visit, especially if you belong to the target audience of millennials who lapped it up like theatre manna when I attended." Full Review

"Jarrow's music is earnest, catchy and a whole lot of fun, and the company sings the hell of out of it—particularly the excellent Cooper. But it's forced to do all the emotional heavy lifting. 'The Wildness' hammers its fairly simplistic themes into the ground, all while delivering a predictable, half-baked story. It walks ground that's been heavily trodden before, and better." Full Review

"This amazing score is worth the trip alone...The band and the singers are rebellious, free, passionate, talented and inspiring. Chase Brock’s choreography is a lot of fun as are the costumes. 'The Wildness' is directed with such imagination by Sam Buntrock. Not everybody will like this show, but I can guarantee millennials, those who love classic rock and those who love theatre that is expanding, will. I for one adore this show." Full Review

"'The Wildness' is super fun. And you should go. It’s sexy, smart, and honest. The aesthetic is one part steampunk, one part Rose Art unicorns, one part Atari, and one part Studio 54…All this plays out in the beautiful Ars Nova space on Kris Stone's long runway of a set. Director Sam Buntrock keeps us moving through the show with expert pace and precision…It’s a wonderful theatrical event worth checking out before it ends its limited run." Full Review

"Energetic and well sung, with an electrifying rock score, 'The Wildness' is undermined by a book that cobbles together elements that don’t always blend fluidly...If this sounds silly in the description, it is less so under Sam Buntrock’s excellent direction...Still, the script feels disjointed as it echoes a variety of sources...It only makes one wish that the collage-like book could match the quality of the music and performances in this respectable, if muddled, effort." Full Review

"It’s a very cozy venue and the action took place mere feet in front of me for most of the show — an exhilarating way to experience this music and story. The whole night was imaginative, catchy, and fun. And Lauren Worsham, the co-creator and co-lead, was nearly 8 months pregnant when I saw the end of the show’s run. Her character does not wear much and she owned her body with a fierceness I have not seen on-stage before." Full Review

"Musical tastes aside, 'The Wildness'' real malignancies reside in the show’s theater elements. The two storylines, the audience participation, the cast’s monologues, their attempts at improv—none of it works…Director Sam Buntrock is unable to get his performers to make the prosaic, sentimental texts work, and watching the actors struggle, it’s difficult not to feel embarrassed. The failure is catastrophic." Full Review

"The music is energetic, high-spirited, and clever, if not incredibly memorable; the most interesting songs to me were the two that were quieter and weirder…But the vocal arrangements are terrific…There’s nothing particularly new here, but it still feels fresh and has plenty of charm; its blend of kitsch, camp, genuine emotion, high spirits and sincerity somehow works, perhaps better than it should." Full Review

"The company stomps and struts down the sparse runway-like set and gives 200% energy to a show that feels light on story at times...I loved seeing a sexy, punk-rockin' pregnant lady giving her all onstage. It’s a very inspiring, glitter-coated femme-positive show in that respect. And despite the hard-candy exterior, the whole thing is shockingly earnest. Only in the final moments, where the fairytale and the real life merge, does everything else snap into context." Full Review

"This into-the-woods-and-back tale is belted with passion and verve by a great group of singers...The performers make this the rare concert musical that sustains the energy of an actual concert...It's relentlessly affirmative and more than a little wide-eyed, and it substitutes enthusiasm for nuance. But judging by the young people in the audience clapping, dancing, and singing along, it's also the kind of buoying affirmation we all need to hear once in a while." Full Review

"'The Wildness: Sky-Pony's Rock Fairy Tale' is smart, thoughtful, and exceedingly well-executed, and it ought to be on the short list for a lot of awards this season. If you care about live musical theater — and in particular, live musical theater which only New York can deliver — go see this, as soon as you can." Full Review

"The musical takes many twists and turns, shifts its tone on a dime, and delights with unexpected and whimsical meta-theatrics and rituals intended to build community amongst audience and performers...Much credit goes to the director, Sam Buntrock...While some might find the whimsy and emotions of 'The Wildness' a bit overblown, there is much to like in this production and many reasons to hope it’s just the beginning for a show that contains as much heart as it does invention." Full Review

"The best work I’ve seen created by self-identified millennial artists has been deeply, achingly sincere. And another perfect example is Sky Pony’s 'The Wildness'...This blurring of fact and fiction–characters who are named for their actors, who are both real, and not real–creates a delightfully sticky and engaging immersive experience...'The Wildness' taps successfully into the sound and feel of the millennial sense of seeking and alienation." Full Review