The Wrong Box

See it if You enjoy shows like Gentleman's Guide, farces, over the top comedies

Don't see it if If you're looking for a serious show, you prefer more modern musicals

See it if You enjoy laugh out loud funny musicals that are based on classic stories.

Don't see it if You prefer show of a more serious nature. And if you expect more Broadway style staging

See it if You like fun musicals in the vein of Gentleman's Guide. This was easily the best off off Broadway musical I've ever seen.

Don't see it if Only minor quibbles: I noticed 2 Americanisms, there's a song I'd cut, & the actors should be miked (a few times I couldn't hear the lyrics)

See it if you enjoy an energetic cast giving it their best with good acting and singing while constantly changing the set. It also has good laughs.

Don't see it if you want perfection - good voices not heard over band, almost constant set changes in a long production, or you do not enjoy black comedy.

See it if You liked "Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder" and enjoy period, old-style musicals with quirky sensibilities.

Don't see it if You only like modern work that's been heavily polished. This is a festival show.

See it if you appreciate drawn out British farces with big, enthusiastic acting and dancing; you’re looking for something light and fluffy

Don't see it if you have a hard time hearing vocals over music (the musicians are on the stage); shaky sets make you nervous (lots of unbalanced set pieces)

See it if know someone in cast or team, want BROAD comedy with your musical theatre, like the ridiculous, like silly, like improbable, + pretty cast

Don't see it if complicated. almost incoherent plot lines frustrate U, British accents make most of the text unintelligible, U want edited finished product

See it if Theater for New City does it for you. This one's a good one. BIG time enthusiasm from entire cast from the get-go dials up your mood-volume.

Don't see it if you know the '66 movie & expect THAT book. VERY different. Singers aren't miked, loud 4-piece on-stage band makes it hard to capture lyrics.

Also Saw their first performance Saturday afternoon.

From the high-energy (long) opening number... over-the-top facial expressions, kitschy choreography, silliness all around... if you're alive, you're enjoying it.

For the most part, the vocals are excellent, but the performers are not miked. Unfortunately, because of the loud band, you miss-out on a lot of the lyrics.

Clearly they were still getting their feet wet in their first performance. Found out afterwards they'd NOT had a dress-rehearsal, & only a partial tech (might explain the sound issues). Even w/some mixed-up entrances/exits... not having mastered the many boxes & luggage pieces needed to be maneuvered over & over throughout... the reward is the high-caliber talent.

It IS different from the 1966 movie, and DOES work well as a musical. With a longer run it might tighten-up loose ends. It could easily be remounted on an actual Off-Bdwy stage, but it definitely needs to be shortened.

Lot of fun, definitely worth experiencing.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy Monty Python style English humor. The plot is ridiculous, the characters unbelievable, staging controlled chaos - all set to music

Don't see it if a long play even with an intermission is not for you. Some of the colloquial language is difficult to understand particularly when sung.

See it if You enjoy British farces. You want to see a new show that has the feel of an operetta rather than a contemporary musical.

Don't see it if You are hard of hearing. The actors perform sans microphones and while I head mostly everything loud and clear it might be harder for others

Also Farce treats the improbable as probable, the impossible as possible. -George Pierce Baker

Well said George. The Wrong Box is filled with wonderfully improbable and impossible coincidences.

Although I was not blown away by the book or score, what I did appreciate was the sense of dramaturgical structure throughout the show.

Unfortunately that structure is two and a half hours long. And while that's a perfectly fine running time for some pieces, it definitely began to weigh upon this one.

The actors are wonderful. Thomas Conroy is delightfully petty as the much put-upon Michael. Jianzi Colon-Soto and Simon Schaitkin are wonderful Ingenues.

The direction is crisp. The orchestra sounds great, though again, though no fault of theirs, sometimes overpower the vocalist.

With a good pair of scissors for editing, this already funny show could be a lot tighter and more appealing.

Definitely give this musical a shot if you're farcically inclined.... Read more Read less

See it if you’d enjoy seeing great acting talent run away with an original and madcap Victorian plot

Don't see it if you think you might get bored with a somewhat homogenously bland score

Also The lyrics seemed clever, but without any miked performers, they were oftentimes difficult to make out over the music.... Read more Read less

See it if enjoy a romping farce with an amusing book, plot, and great singing/acting.

Don't see it if you need a score that you can hum to with variable songs.

Also This show has promise. Although given a mediocre score, the venue made hearing lyrics and lines very difficult. In another theater, the actors could be miked with better acoustics. The show may be better as a play than a musical insofar the book was very good, the score seemed lackluster and forgettable.... Read more Read less

See it if you like to support the works of local community theater or like "British" farce in a musical format.

Don't see it if you don't like mediocre comedy, can't sit through 2.5 hrs, don't like inconsistencies in costumes & accents, or have trouble with hearing.

Also Actors don't use the mike so some of the songs/actors were hard to hear or understand. The band/orchestra is on the back of the stage with the actors. It also bothered me that some of the costumes were inconsistent with the time period of London in the late 19th century, and one of the actors was wearing her nose ring (not a stud). I thought that was odd. Although most of the actors were good, I didn't find the jokes funny nor the songs memorable. That being said, I thought the 2.5 hours was way too long and it needs to be tighten up. As someone had mentioned, I think it may be a better fit as a play rather than a musical.... Read more Read less

See it if If you want to see a British Farce. 2.5 hrs. long! It has some really funny parts. Theater in works-something different. If you have good

Don't see it if sense of humor. It's long, costumes are weak, can't hear some of the sung words over the music. Accents come and go.

See it if Old school musical, without much substance, but full of high spirits. The title tells all -- a farce about missing contents.

Don't see it if Some plays are not worth reviving. Feels dated and ditzy, and falls flat.