Futurity NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (28)
See it if you like very repetitive indie songs with clever lyrics and masterful staging. You don't mind a confusing story w. no character development.
Don't see it if you want a balanced musical and dislike occasional fourth-wall breaking, or if you need fully developed characters.
See it if You like an uncomfortable theatre experience.
Don't see it if You don't like being assaulted by unnecessarily loud mediocre music and lights so bright you can't look at the stage.
See it if you want a brilliant and incredibly cohesive visual and aural experience, exemplified most by its scenic design and instrumentation.
Don't see it if you have very specific ideals about musical theater. That said I believe theater-goers of all tastes have something to gain from Futurity.
See it if You love folk or indie rock or exuberant innovative musical theater; you want to see the John Doyle musician/singer conceit perfected
Don't see it if you need a ton of plot/story to keep you engaged
See it if you want to be reminded of the potency and unlimited, transformative possibilities of musical theatre.
Don't see it if you hate all things twee.
See it if you have an open mind towards experimental types of musical theatre with plots that require a lot of thought.
Don't see it if you were hoping to see something like Wicked. Soho Rep/Ars Nova is far, far from Kansas.
See it if you like idea-driven, ambitious musical theatre with live music and a charming cast.
Don't see it if you're allergic to hipsters, or if you need everything to make perfect sense in the end.
See it if you enjoy tales of fictional history, science, and peace; if you love music and a talented cast. Very relevant to today's troubling times.
Don't see it if you can't handle scenes of war, death, or unconventional choreography. Also if you don't like when actors cross the fourth wall. Read more
Critic Reviews (22)
"It does all work, and it does feel very good. Every song hits its mark, whether it’s a banjo-plucking piece of Americana or indie pop...Alvarez and Tunis make an adorable pair on stage, and their intermittent banter creates a welcome, grounding counterpoint to the story’s fantastical premise and lofty idealism...Yet as utterly charming as all of that is, the production never really dreams the future."
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"Ultimately 'Futurity' probably offers up too much food for thought without it adding up to a completely satisfying meal. Still, the show is worth it for the music. Most of the dozen members of the cast play their own musical instruments, which enrich the musical on many levels, including the drama; the instruments serve as symbols, and as harmonious contrast to the discord of war."
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"While the score generally makes for easy listening, too many tunes eventually begin to sound like one another. And, though the subject matter is provocative, and there are interesting ideas to ponder—including the relationship between the present and the future, the possibility of a world without war, the 'animating force' responsible for human intelligence, and the impact of technology—there’s little forward dramatic movement to the events."
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"Though I admire a lot of it, I am not a fan of its score. The combination of indie pop, country twang and repetitious themes, leave me cold. I’m also not a fan of pretentious 'I’m sure you won’t get it' banter and wink, wink ad libs...What is wonderful about 'Futurity' is its direction by Sarah Benson, its set design, the compelling lyrics that are hit and miss and the amazing cast who not only acts, dances and sings, but actually plays their instruments with aplomb."
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"Pretty amazing and heady stuff for musical theater. Equally impressive as the concept for the show is its score. The songs are filled with erudite lyrics that also brim with emotion and compel theatergoers to contemplate the contemporary relevance of the tale...'Futurity' proves to be very much like the invention at its center: forward-thinking and experimental. And though it’s not fully successful, it’s difficult to not admire the attempt."
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"Mr. Alvarez’s music, combined with the relentlessly appealing cast under Sarah Benson’s capable direction, makes the show and its big, intellectual ideas feel personal and intimate...'Futurity' is not without its shortcomings...That said, so excellent are most elements of the show, the performers so thoroughly charming, that they overshadow the show’s few flaws and make the experience of 'Futurity' a pleasure."
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"'Futurity' consists mainly of beautifully rendered songs pushing forward the story of a soldier and mathematician who build a giant machine in an exploration of peace and the nature of man. What makes 'Futurity' a vital piece of American theater is what they are able to create in the way of an extraordinary marriage between gorgeous song composition, impeccable staging, and innovative performance."
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"If we think of the traditional musical as one that features characters who sing out of the need to express emotion, 'Futurity' stakes out a position that is more opaque, overtly conceptual. Characters are created in order to serve the songs, and the songs themselves are packed to the brim with philosophy, science, ideas. It’s poetics, not just poetry."
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