SOMETHING ROTTEN Reviews- Page 5

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 4/22/15 at 11:41pm

"the Times doesn't matter anymore. It has zero power good or bad. "

 Idiot. 

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/22/15 at 11:42pm

"I think I like Ben Brantley a little bit more. Then again, he'll probably give THE VISIT a lukewarm notice. Then I'll find him irritating again. 
 "

At Williamstown, he was enthusiastic about Chita's performance, and respectful of the entire production, with some reservations towards the material. I am hopeful for tomorrow. The production has made several strong changes since the summer.

Updated On: 4/22/15 at 11:42 PM

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 4/22/15 at 11:55pm

""the Times doesn't matter anymore. It has zero power good or bad. "
 Idiot. "

 I mean, it's sort of true. I don't know a single person, aside from industry friends, who read reviews to make their decision on seeing a show anymore. Tourists sure as hell don't. Its 2015 people... if someone wants to see a show, they're gonna see it. 

If there ever was a season where this above statement was semi-true, it's this one. Honeymoon = NYT raves. Side Show = NYT raves. They're both now dead. I'm not saying this is the greatest show out there, hell it isn't even my favorite this season... but I firmly believe this will be a fat hit without the approval of Ben Brantley. 

Some of y'all are so funny. When he trashes a show you hate, you love him. When he trashes a show you love, you hate him. 

We'll see what happens. 

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 4/22/15 at 11:58pm

""Glad to see the critics are looking beyond the show's initial shtick and bringing to light the shows flaws. "
Indeed. You'll be able tell the smart critics with an interest in serious musical theater (be it funny or more "dramatic) from the ones that get swept up in hype and shtick by the end of the night. 
 "

 So basically you're saying every publication aside from the WSJ, Newsday and NYT "not smart." 

Huh.... ok. 

[theatreguy12]

Posted: 4/22/15 at 11:59pm

So as it turns out the one guy whose reviews everyone anticipates most raved "Honeymoon," but it's already done.

Conversely, he didn't like this one, and yet a plethora of other critics did like it.

So what to make of that?

It does seem to parallel what's on these boards though.  One group of posters didn't like it.  Another group of contributors did like it.

So will the review of one critic (with some backing from a couple of others) overpower all the rest who raved or gave it positive reviews, and shorten this musical's lifespan?  I guess we'll have to wait and see.

I saw it in previews and liked it okay.  Was it my favorite?  No.  I would have liked to get a little more out of it.  I walked out smiling, but not thinking I had just seen one of the best shows I've ever experienced.

But I have to admit that it also wasn't that bad, IMO.  I mean, if it's not your style, it won't resonate. For others, it will.  I found it entertaining enough.

Will it last?

That will obviously depend on the crowds.  There will be those who take a pass because their favorite critic didn't like it.  Or they'll listen to their friends who didn't like it.

But there will be others who will see it because it did get good reviews from a number of other critics.  In addition, people who did like it will pass their positive words on to their friends, and so on.

It will depend on which camp wins out in the end.

 

Updated On: 4/23/15 at 11:59 PM

[gypsy101]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 12:05am

That Times review is absolutely savage. I don't think it will hurt much, hasn't it been selling well?

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 12:07am

"So as it turns out the one guy whose reviews everyone anticipates most raved "Honeymoon," but it's already done.
Conversely, he didn't like this one, and yet a plethora of other critics did like it.
So what to make of that

Pleathora?  Seems like the important critics gave horrible reviews.   

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 12:09am

"That Times review is absolutely savage. I don't think it will hurt much, hasn't it been selling well?"

 You could have easily looked this up: let's not be lazy.  

[gypsy101]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 12:12am

That Times review is absolutely savage. I don't think it will hurt much, it's been selling well!

[HogansHero]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 12:15am

It's a hit, but not a mega hit. I think that's what it already was/is.

Ben doesn't help, but it only affects the margins. It will run, it will recoup but it won't do either as fast as it might have. 

Think Producers, not BOM. I'd take that if it were my money.

Updated On: 4/23/15 at 12:15 AM

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 12:18am

lol you think this show will run 9 years?

[theatreguy12]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 12:33am

Good point, Hogan.

I've been to NY numerous times having family who lives there and the surrounding area (CT, MA).  I've seen a lot of shows on Broadway.  

To be honest, I didn't consider this the best musical I saw on this latest trip, or even overall.   But I did enjoy it.

I think the ones I enjoyed most this time around were On the Twentieth Century, On the Town, The Visit, and Fun Home.  I also liked Neverland, Something Rotten and American in Paris, as well, though.  They're all so different it's hard to rank them.  But I liked them all to the degree that even the show I'd put on the bottom of my rankings was still good.  So overall, I was pleased with my decisions.  My vote for best musical though would be either The Visit or Fun Home.  

I agree that had Brantley and Winer called it a hit, it would have recouped faster than it might now. But it has received enough positives so far that it will do okay for a while, IMO.

And when you consider some important critics gave nods to two shows that didn't last long and have already closed, I guess we can't always be 100% sure of their opinions anyway.  No matter how important they might be.

As for "plethora"...well, yeah.  

I'm just going off the reviews that have been posted here on BWW.  True, a couple of the "important" ones didn't like it.  But the majority of the critics posted, so far, do like it. 

 

Updated On: 4/23/15 at 12:33 AM

[HogansHero]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 12:57am

why 9 years, Pinto?

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 1:00am

thats how long The Producers ran

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 1:08am

The Producers ran 6 years. Easily checked but that would be for those who care about facts.

[broadwaysfguy]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 1:18am

whew, the brantley review hurt to read...

Im excited about rotten, and will enjoy it for what it is.

Sure it could have been much been with an out of town tune-up, always a good idea

 

curious to see the visit review

 

ps pinto, producers ran exactly six years on broadway, am guessing Rotten will not come anywhere near that length of run. my guess 2+ years if it wins enough tonys....

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 1:20am

oh my god wilmington, its a mistake calm down. 

[theatreguy12]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 1:26am

So you haven't seen it yet, sfguy?  

I'm with you.  There are enough good reviews for SR, and the storyline is intriguing enough that I would have planned on seeing this too…had I not already seen it prior to its opening.

Saw it in previews a couple of weeks ago, and liked it.  I would have seen it anyway though, even with Brantley's review.  If a show seems of interest to me, and it gets enough good reviews (even if some are not), I'll take a look at it.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 1:35am

Now that we have that squared away, yes I think six years is the most they can hope for. I think it will be >2 but if it were 4 I wouldn't be shocked either.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 1:43am

Brantley's review stands out as the most overtly negative of the bunch. Frankly I am a big fan of the show and have been for some time. I hope it manages to be the hit it deserves to be, whether or not that means a Tony Award. 

[Fantod]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 2:07am

"Golly, I hate Did He Like It. Stagegrade was superior in every way."

I feel the same way. With Did He Like It, we only get like 5 critics and 3 different ratings. I like seeing the spectrum of StageGrade; it was way easier.

Critics have much more power in the spring time with awards season. These mixed to positive notices certainly aren't guaranteeing Something Rotten the Tony.

[theatreguy12]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 2:18am

Even before the reviews, I wasn't sure it was a shoo-in.  I liked it, don't get me wrong.

But Fun Home is pretty darned good.  And The Visit brings something pretty special and unique to Broadway too.  

Something Rotten, though entertaining, has some competition.

As good as the reviews are for Fun Home….pretty much across the board…I think it has separated itself from SR.  And now that the reviews, while fairly good for SR, aren't 100% in the positive range, has helped out FH a bit more.

[brdway411]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 3:56am

Personally, I found it fun for the first 20-30 minutes after that I just got bored. Good luck to them. Meh.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 5:23am

Also keep in mind that Brantley really didn't like Wicked at all, and that is still running all over the world.

[After Eight]

Posted: 4/23/15 at 6:36am

Brantley's review provided a few laughs.

He criticizes this as "sophomoric," "puerile," and in "bad taste." Uh, what are The Book of Mormon and Hand to God?

"Yet how restrained and elegant those shows [BOM and The Producers] seem next to “Something Rotten!"

Well, imagine that! I didn't know Brantley prized elegance and restraint so highly! Like the elegance, restraint, and non-puerile "humor" of "****ing frogs" and "maggots in my scrotum," right?

And come to think of it, Brantley's most recently-lauded musical offers us the elegance and restraint of someone singing rapturously about exploring another person's inner thighs and extolling said person's "ass" in Levi's.

So here's to elegance and restraint!