THE MUSIC MAN Reviews- Page 3

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 12:11am

Those saying that the show doesn’t need raves are mistaken. To sell $750 tickets you need people desperate to see a sellout hit. This run has been far from a sellout and with a generous exchange/return policy as well as cancelled shows they are in a far different position than the “no refunds or exchanges” days of yore. Even scalpers have been able to get their money back. 

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 12:25am

Sounds like Foster has put together a fun and engaging character even though there seems to be a split on the vocals. 

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 12:26am

‘The Music Man’ Review: Hugh Jackman & Sutton Foster on Stage – The Hollywood Reporter

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 12:35am

Three Stars From Time Out

[SueFB]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 12:49am

Sutton Foster is the Real Star (Daily Beast)

[SueFB]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 1:03am

A Rave From Newsweek

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 2:48am

Like MJ, the overall consensus on Did They Like It is all over the place.
At the moment: 3 positive, 3 mixed, and 4 negative. 
 

https://didtheylikeit.com/shows/the-music-man/

[JasonC3]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 5:21am

Jordan Catalano said: "Three Stars From Time Out"

"The show is fine; it hits its marks. But at these prices, the marks might be us."

Ouch.  That's quite the kicker.

[ShowBro]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 6:54am

With these mostly underwhelming reviews, here is yet another potential door left open for C,OC in June. Ammirite @Jordan?

[jmfinny]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 6:58am

These are definitely more brutal than I expected.  I personally found Hugh to be as charming and enjoyable as one would hope.  The production itself was fine.  So yes for the prices they are charging one would hope it would be a little zestier, but I certainly don’t think it warrants the sour reviews.  Jesse Green has been on tear lately.  Taking down every lead in a production one paragraph at a time.  
 

I personally think people want to see Hugh.  That’s the price of the ticket and he delivers.  He’s even more famous to people than he was when he did Boy From Oz and especially as a musical talent due to Greatest Showman.  Music Man is also a more well-known property.  I don’t see the reviews hurting things.  I think audience word of mouth will carry this out because Hugh really electric on stage especially if you are excited to see him.

[quizking101]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 7:17am

The Times review seemed mostly reflective of my experience. It was cute but, especially with the overwhelming talent on that stage, I was quite disappointed at how it never really “exploded” like DOLLY did. 

If anything, any assurances this show had of picking up Tonys in big categories (from a revival standpoint) just disappeared, especially when you’re contending against COMPANY (the main front runner) and CAROLINE OR CHANGE. 

 

[massofmen]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 7:28am

Maybe...cancelling one of the greatest entertainment producers of the last century wasn't the best idea. 
Maybe broadway shows need intelligent successful producers to guide creative teams to help make the show spectacular. 
Maybe..A lead producer would have helped bring the show to where it needed to get to. Maybe we can allow people to apologize for their actions and let them try again rather than banishing them to the upside down without understanding the consequences of our actions.
 

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 7:36am

Or maybe it was a revival of a show that was always just gonna be “meh.”

But sure let’s bring back a known abuser back into the spotlight, because a creative team could give The Music Man more ZAZZ!

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 7:38am

I think it’s been made pretty clear that this is still Rudin’s Music Man. His name just isn’t on the posters anymore. The end result would have likely been the same. This is just a Carousel and not a Hello, Dolly.

[JasonC3]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 7:39am

massofmen said: "Maybe...cancelling one of the greatest entertainment producers of the last century wasn't the best idea.
Maybe broadway shows need intelligent successful producers to guide creative teams to help make the show spectacular.
Maybe..A lead producer would have helped bring the show to where it needed to get to. Maybe we can allow people to apologize for their actions and let them try again rather than banishing them to the upside down without understanding the consequences of our actions.
"

Maybe that lead producer you want to bring the show where it needed to get to could actually be someone who treats collaborators fairly and humanely instead of a serial abuser.

[FirstNighter2]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 8:37am

How you can screw up The Music Man is beyond me. It’s time tested and pure Americana. They cut a song. From a classic American musical comedy. Why? They added a tap number. Why? They put a big red wall up. Why? So many odd and disrespectful (to the property and the audience) decisions — all of which have been a topic here for the last two months. It’s not as if they didn’t have notice. It’s that they didn’t care. And that’s what makes this revival so easy to skip.

 

Except now it’ll be 25 years til we get another Music Man revival. We have to wait because the creatives on this one screwed it up. Badly. 
 

What a waste of an opportunity. And those ticket prices? A scandal.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 8:41am

massofmen said: "Maybe...cancelling one of the greatest entertainment producers of the last century wasn't the best idea.
Maybe broadway shows need intelligent successful producers to guide creative teams to help make the show spectacular.
Maybe..A lead producer would have helped bring the show to where it needed to get to. Maybe we can allow people to apologize for their actions and let them try again rather than banishing them to the upside down without understanding the consequences of our actions."

This is the same production we would have gotten with Rudin, so your point is moot. Let's not forget Rudin was the producer beyond the awfully misguided CAROUSEL revival as well. The man was just as capable of mounting some misses as he was hits. 

 

[Owen22]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 8:50am

FirstNighter2 said: "How you can screw up The Music Man is beyond me. It’s time tested and pure Americana. They cut a song. From a classic American musical comedy. Why? They added a tap number. Why? They put a big red wall up. Why? So many odd and disrespectful (to the property and the audience) decisions — all of which have been a topic here for the last two months. It’s not as if they didn’t have notice. It’s that they didn’t care. And that’s what makes this revival so easy to skip.


They did NOT screw up The Music Man. They did NOT screw up The Music Man. They did NOT screw up The Music Man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a first rate revival with star performances that is the essence of the pure joy of musical theatre. No, I did not get the otherworldly rush I got from the Hello, Dolly! revival (which is odd as Music Man is a better, way more creative musical) but it came as close to anything I've seen in recent years since.

If you notice how contradictory a lot of the three star reviews are, how a lot of them are condemning the show for it's prices (and I can't argue there) or it not being Fish's Oklahoma! deconstruction (or maybe even subliminally who its original producer is). 

Helen Shaw is the best critic working at the moment (and even she sometimes drives me nuts) but her review is the closest to being spot on (even more so than the raves).
 

https://www.vulture.com/2022/02/theater-review-hugh-jackman-in-the-music-man-on-broadway.html

 

 

Updated On: 2/11/22 at 08:50 AM

[carnzee]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 8:54am

bwayphreak234 said: "massofmen said: "Maybe...cancelling one of the greatest entertainment producers of the last century wasn't the best idea.
Maybe broadway shows need intelligent successful producers to guide creative teams to help make the show spectacular.
Maybe..A lead producer would have helped bring the show to where it needed to get to. Maybe we can allow people to apologize for their actions and let them try again rather than banishing them to the upside down without understanding the consequences of our actions."

This is the same production we would have gotten with Rudin, so your point is moot. Let's not forget Rudin was the producer beyond the awfully misguided CAROUSEL revival as well. The man was just as capable of mounting some misses as he was hits.

"

Rudin had hits and misses. But if he were still involved with this he may have been able to shape it into something better. It's not like all he did was hire personnel and then step away. So it isn't the same production we would have gotten if he were still involved. 

[BJR]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 9:21am

Sure. Because he didn't work on it, you're right. But that doesn't mean it would've solved these concerns the critics had.

[carnzee]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 9:28am

BJR said: "Sure. Because he didn't work on it, you're right. But that doesn't mean it would've solved these concerns the critics had."

Maybe, maybe not. We'll never know. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 9:42am

ShowBro said: "With these mostly underwhelming reviews, here is yet another potential door left open for C,OC in June. Ammirite @Jordan?"

I think “Company” was always going to be COC’s major competition for Revival.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 9:44am

FirstNighter2 said: "How you can screw up The Music Man is beyond me. It’s time tested and pure Americana. They cut a song. From a classic American musical comedy. Why? They added a tap number. Why? They put a big red wall up. Why? So many odd and disrespectful (to the property and the audience) decisions — all of which have been a topic here for the last two months. It’s not as if they didn’t have notice. It’s that they didn’t care. And that’s what makes this revival so easy to skip.



Except now it’ll be 25 years til we get another Music Man revival. We have to wait because the creatives on this one screwed it up. Badly.


What a waste of an opportunity. And those ticket prices? A scandal."

 

THE MUSIC MAN is a delightful property. I saw the previous revival when Eric McCormack took over.  Both the show and Eric were marvelous. It was a straight forward production. It seems this version was tampered with too much.

 

[Georgeanddot2]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 9:52am

Jordan Catalano said: "ShowBro said: "With these mostly underwhelming reviews, here is yet another potential door left open for C,OC in June. Ammirite @Jordan?"

I think “Company” was always going to be COC’s major competition for Revival."

Is Company not considered the frontrunner for Best Revival?

[ShowBro]

Posted: 2/11/22 at 9:56am

Georgeanddot2 said: "Jordan Catalano said: "ShowBro said: "With these mostly underwhelming reviews, here is yet another potential door left open for C,OC in June. Ammirite @Jordan?"

I think “Company” was always going to be COC’s major competition for Revival."

Is Company not considered the frontrunner for Best Revival?"

Why, because Sondheim died last year? Mostly joking here.