See it if you want to see a classic musical that is an old school musical.
Don't see it if you don't want to be entertained.
See it if You like tap dancing and just want to have a good time. Or if you're a fan (as you should be) of Lesli Margherita.
Don't see it if You don't like tap dancing, or are looking for something deep and thought-provoking.
See it if you are impressed by tap dancing. This show was hilarious and the cast gave stellar performances. Flashy and fun.
Don't see it if you aren't interested in dance-heavy shows. This show can be cliche and dated as it was written quite a while ago.
See it if you enjoy old fashion entertainment with lots of great tap dancing and a show that doesn't try to be more than it is. pure entertainment!
Don't see it if You're looking for something deep and meaningful. This is a Bway confection and that's OK!
See it if You enjoy classical musicals and simply want to be entertained. Great tap dance numbers.
Don't see it if You want more than a very simple, predictable story.
See it if You love tap dancing and musicals that poke fun at old fashioned musicals in a tongue and cheek way.
Don't see it if you are looking for a larger than life Broadway musical. This is the small little show that could!
See it if You like light-hearted musicals with a lot of tap.
Don't see it if You require large-cast, big set musicals with or without the fluff.
See it if You like classical musicals, tap dancing, and funny women (Leslie Margherita is hilarious as Moana)
Don't see it if You don't like classical musicals or smaller productions.
"'Dames' is a perfectly happy theatrical entry, but perhaps it has spent fifty years off Broadway for a reason: its satire does not bite so much as nibble. This production could have benefitted from a larger cast, a larger theater, or a larger reason to exist — something that turns it from nice to necessary. As this very solid production stands, it’s not particularly nautical and not particularly naughty, either."
Read more
"Staged by director-choreographer Randy Skinner with lots of pep but little personality, the hardworking six-member cast tries to overcome the lackluster material by aggressively playing up the campiness, to the point of relentless irritation. It ultimately comes off like a low-rent, manic production of '42nd Street,' which by comparison had spectacular production values and contained the actual songs that 'Dames' tries so hard to mimic."
Read more
"If you enjoy the glitzy, silly movie musicals of Busby Berkley you will see what the creators of 'Dames at Sea' were up to back in 1966 - spoofing backstage classics such as '42nd Street.'...'Dames at Sea' offers a few nostalgic chuckles, but it’s hard to see what it’s doing on Broadway...This cute retro trifle seems a bit at sea."
Read more
"For lovers of the genre, 'Dames at Sea' is a delightful romp that doesn't feel like it's aged a day since 1966...Director and choreographer Randy Skinner brings the material to life as if it exploded out of an old movie...Those who regularly get goosebumps when they hear a tap shoe hit a Masonite floor will be on cloud nine for hours after the curtain comes down."
Read more
"Randy Skinner's tap-happy production delivers plenty of sly amusement thanks to a ferociously talented sextet of triple threats. If this tiny show occasionally sits a little awkwardly even on a small Broadway stage, it's a small price to pay for the abundant fun on display…It's musical comedy madness accompanied by a cascade of insanely catchy songs…The inclusion of an extended dance break for nearly every number results in a certain predictability that slows down the first act a bit."
Read more
"'Dames at Sea' may be incredibly limited in its scope and aims, but it does what it does smartly enough that, when it's adeptly helmed by a director and choreographer like this production's Randy Skinner, you don't really care. No, it never registers as much more than what it is...But it jumps into its daffiness with both feet, and splashes you with fun. For a mere two hours, even I can't find a way to argue with its charms."
Read more
"This well presented but overblown production is misguided and relatively tiresome... By jettisoning the original light production values that delighted critics and audiences at the time this 'Dames at Sea' sinks under the weight of its contemporary trappings."
Read more
"The classic all talking, all dancing, all singing, all sassy pastiche of the 1930 film musicals is back and worthy of a twenty-one gun salute... The principal creative force behind this revival is Randy Skinner. He has beautifully and imaginatively recreated that delicate balance of parody and reverence that made these 'dames' such a delight originally. But he has added just enough more exuberant dancing and production values to make it now the most irresistible musical in town."
Read more