Loved the show and cast but ,hated the cigarette smoking. Even herbal cigarettes are problematic for those with breathing or allergy issues. There was no advance warning.
I think attempts to discredit Brantley's opinion because of his sexuality, and people alleging he has self-hatred about that, is a out of line.
Haven't seen it yet, so I can't comment. But if you're attacking private motivations of people you don't know to justify your subjective opinion, it only weakens your argument.
I knew nothing about the play (such a bad gay here) but I enjoyed seeing the show a few weeks ago. I think people who have never seen the movie nor original play will be surprisingly entertained. After doing more research and watching the movie, however, I can see why people are more critical of Parsons.
I thought Brantley’s review was spot on. It was the only one that actually reviewed the show. The others were basically synopse. Every other paper has cut the length and amount of words allowed for theater reviewing. He’s the only one who can actually dig into the material given the New York Times commitment to 5thr journalism of critics
I saw this last night. It was a wonderful production and I’m a huge fan of the original and the movie. I could really appreciate Jim Parsons as Michaell, if anything he’s a victim of his own celebrity since people cannot see him beyond his Sheldon Cooper character since there are similarities between him and Michael. Zachary Quinto was also wonderful as Harold. The whole cast was great. Hoping to write more later but this is a must see. I’m hoping to catch it again before it closes.
BJR said: "I think attempts to discredit Brantley's opinion because of his sexuality, and people alleging he has self-hatred about that, is a out of line.
I had to agree with Brantley about it being disjointed, going from comedy to the dramatic turn. It seemed as if the transition was missing. Would've loved to have seen it in its original length. I enjoyed the cast. I often wondered if Zach Quinto was channeling Harold Ramis from the 1984 Ghostbusters. The hair, wig, and voice jumped out at me. Saw it twice. Willing to see it again.
My worse review for it: the endless number of cigarettes they smoke. Don't care if they're herbal. They stink and are troublesome for folks with breathing issues like asthma, allergies, etc. From row D aisle, my eyes and sinuses were tearing and burning.
During our early-June trip to NY, my husband and I saw five new-to-us shows: Angels in America, Hamilton, The Boys in the Band, The Band's Visit, and Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.
My favorite of the lot was The Boys in the Band, followed closely by The Band's Visit.
==> this board is a nest of vipers <==
"Michael Riedel...The Perez Hilton of the New York Theatre scene" - Craig Hepworth, What's On Stage
I saw this last night and it was perfection. As someone who loved the movie these incredible gay men made this play become alive...It crackled it roared. The audience, especially gay men of a certain age laughed including me, cried and loved all the characters. I knew gay men like these on stage when I saw the movie in 1970. All the acting was brilliant...And Charlie Carver was a perfect Cowboy. I got Charlie to sign my Playbill and tell him many years ago i knew his counterpart from the original cast and movie...The audience rose as one to give all these fine men a well deserved standing ovation...Brilliant theatre that made my New York trip unforgettable !!
Pretty tired so I’ll try to keep this short. Saw TBITB tonight. Enjoyed it very much. The writing is not on the level of Kushner or Albee, but it was something to see this who’s who of modern day gay actors on stage together in this play. I’d guess the audience was at least 90% gay. There was something empowering about that.
I went a bit crazy at the merchandise booth. I bought a t-shirt (the black one...Sissy, Queer...), a magnet, the beanie plus the set of tumblers.
At stage door, Tuc, Brian, Chris and Matt came out and signed.