BRIGHT STAR Reviews- Page 3

[Kad]

Posted: 3/25/16 at 10:31am

In the case of a Broadway production, I think in many times a NYTimes review only seems to help when the show is already doing well in terms of word-of-mouth or box office.

However, when a rave comes for a production off or off-off-Broadway, it really can help sell out a run and propel the production.

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/25/16 at 10:38am

Man, I really think some of you can't read ... or comprehend what others write. You're still thinking of examples in extremes. If that's how you see things, okay.

 

EDIT: And Kad I agree with you for the most part (above).

Updated On: 3/25/16 at 10:38 AM

[Johnnywhatwhat2]

Posted: 3/25/16 at 12:48pm

When did the "critics pick" thing start at the New York Times? I do find it strange that they have given it to shows that have not been doing well business-wise and not the opposite. Is there a contrarian aspect to this or is it just coincidence?

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 3/25/16 at 12:58pm

Johnnywhatwhat2 said: "When did the "critics pick" thing start at the New York Times? I do find it strange that they have given it to shows that have not been doing well business-wise and not the opposite. Is there a contrarian aspect to this or is it just coincidence?"

There have been plenty of commercially successful shows that have gotten the "critic's pick" stamp of approval. Box office receipts have nothing to do with it.

 

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 3/25/16 at 8:51pm

Do New York Times reviews count anymore?

Sure, this may go down as 'do you remember that flop musical that was done in the Cort, that got a rave in the New York Times'.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 3/27/16 at 3:47pm

Caught this yesterday afternoon and I really found it delightful. I don't love bluegrass music, so I'm not sure if I'll purchase the recording, but I enjoyed it in the moment of the show and found it quite fitting for the piece.

The performances were nice, with the real standout was Carmen Cusack ...with a wow.  (Question: I only know of Cusack from what is in the playbill...however, the audience went NUTS for her at the opening, am I missing an obvious connection?  The response to her was much more what a KNOWN b'way star or Hollywood hot shot would receive.)

The big problem, is Act II....too much 'deus ex machina' for my own personal taste.  And yes, I was stunned that there was an audible gasp at the reveal.  I would have preferred (since most of the audience has figured it out) a series of near-misses, until it is finally discovered by the characters.

 

The house was full (seemed close to a sell out), and the audience was quite receptive.

 

[TFMH18]

Posted: 3/27/16 at 6:34pm

As for your question about Cusack's fandom... She has an Elphaba past (never on Broadway but touring), and we all know how enduringly enthusiastic those Wicked fans can be.

[adam.peterson44]

Posted: 3/27/16 at 10:45pm

She was also Nellie in the North American tour of South Pacific - i saw her in that a few years back.

[mandresser]

Posted: 3/30/16 at 1:09am

She's supposed to be pretty fantastic in this, and it's true that Wicked fans can be pretty obsessive. Not to mention Steve Martin has a cross-generational appeal and also might bring in non-musical-theater fans since he's well-known to not theater people. Idk, I've heard sweet things about the show so I'm generally rooting for it and its creators.

[KCW]

Posted: 3/30/16 at 7:22am

I honestly think that what we say on here matters more to a show than the New York Times nowadays, which is somewhat sad because the NYT is amazing.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 3/30/16 at 9:53am

That is highly doubtful.   If B'way relied on the members of this board for their income, they'd starve.  We aren't really that big in the scheme of things.  (And besides, "we" only buy tix at a discount!)

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 4/10/16 at 11:45am

Looking for some seating advice for this show/theatre. I need to make a quick exit (after curtain call, of course) so I'm looking at orchestra seats. My options are the right outside aisle orchestra just at the start the mezz overhang (row K), or middle orchestra center, last two rows. I usually hate being under the overhang, but I'm also wondering if the far right will be too much of an angle.

I perused the two threads but didn't find much that pertained to my question. Thanks in advance for any help.

[JoeyEvans1206]

Posted: 4/10/16 at 8:54pm

Has anyone had any luck with rush tickets? What time do you recommend getting in line for rush for a Saturday matinee? Where are seats located. With the mixed reviews I don't want to spend too much on tickets - but also would like to give this Martin, Brickell, Bobbie musical a shot.

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 4/18/16 at 8:30am

I saw Bright Star yesterday and was mostly impacted by Carmen Cusack's moving performance. Her voice is beautiful and she's given some great opportunities to showcase both her vocals and acting chops. It was my first time seeing her perform.

In general I found it to be a sweet show and my heart was warmed, but I think that is primarily due to Cusack and Paul Alexander Nolan's performances. My main problems lie with the book. Like others have said, the big "mystery" was pretty obvious to me early. The characters at the magazine were predictable to the point of annoyance and I also felt there was too much of wink-wink, in on the joke stuff with all the "oh it's this new writer ... [insert famous author]"

Something that frustrated me, may not matter to others, is how the show pulls you out of dramatic moments too quickly sometimes.

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

After Annie sees the suitcase (which was enough, did we really need the perfectly intact 20 year old baby sweater too?), you have this BIG powerful emotional moment. Carmen expertly portrays the shock and anguish and joy of that moment. Then, they insert this apparently comedic snippet of the frog gigging scene. People were laughing, I was not. I want to be able to sit with the emotions of a moment like that, not be pulled out of it. This certainly happens in other shows and it always bothers me.

Anyhow, despite some problems I had with the book, I really enjoyed the performances and am glad I got to see this work.