THE SOUND INSIDE Previews

[mar6411]

Posted: 9/14/19 at 1:14pm

The Sound Inside started previews yesterday September 14 at Studio 54.  It opens October 17.  I'm interested and would like to hear thoughts from those who have seen it.  It ran at WTF previously.

[Kitsune]

Posted: 9/15/19 at 6:32pm

Just got back from the matinee, which I believe was the second preview.

The Sound Inside was my mom's pick for this trip. After seeing a lot of comparatively more conventional musicals this weekend (Moulin Rouge, Dear Evan Hansen, Come From Away), it was a nice palate cleanser to see something that really makes you think.

I'm not super familiar with Mary Louise Parker (other than I know she was in Proof), but she was really, REALLY good. Earlier this year I saw Kiss Me Kate at Studio 54 with its big production numbers. Mary Louise Parker was often alone on the stage, but she always filled the room and drew me into her character. Will Hochman was also very good as the off-kilter Christopher.

The sets are sparse, but fit the story well. I really liked a few of the lighting effects.

The shows talks a lot about what's "expected" in fiction and what's "inevitable." Neither my mom or I are completely sure that was "got" the ending, and I'm still thinking about it. But I'm still thinking about it in a way that feels good, rather than frustrating, if that makes sense. I'm really curious what other people think, and what they got from it.

This was a detour from my usual fare, but I'm glad I went.

David Kromer (Director) and his Associate Director (Bryn Herdrich) sat next to us (Center of the last row of the Front Mezz). They came in a few minutes before curtain and had out pads of paper to take notes. They explained to everyone around what they were doing ahead of time, and warned that they might be whispering to each other. I was sitting next to Bryn and hardly heard anything. After my awful experience with a chatty couple during Moulin Rouge, they were wonderful neighbors!!! They also very graciously took my mom's comments about the sound levels after

[hveasey]

Posted: 9/16/19 at 12:29am

^Thank you for the detailed post! I’m seeing the show Tuesday and will report back.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 9/19/19 at 8:58am

(Wasn’t sure which thread to put this in, so I’m posting it in both) 

I thought this was a really strong show overall. 

The play is deceptively simple on the surface, and reveals more and more layers as it progresses. And even after seeing the show, I’m still really processing it. The show subverts the audience’s expectations at almost every turn, but not in an annoying Game of Thrones kind of way. The whole show is kind of ABOUT subverted expectations; the path that a narrative/life takes, and a writer/person’s relationship to that path. It sets up lots of parallels between the structure of the play we’re watching, and the conversations they have within the play about literature. But that’s just one interpretation; the plot is easy to follow, but I feel like if you ask 10 people what this show was really about at its core, to might get 10 different answers (and I think that’s a sign of a nuanced piece of writing). 

David Cromer’s direction is fairly quiet and restrained, and like the play itself, the staging is deceptively simple - and very smart! I especially appreciated the tasteful and well-integrated use of projections. 

Parker is giving a really beautiful, subtle performance. She really carries the show on her shoulders, and she does an excellent job. Will Hochman manages to hold his own reasonable well opposite her, but his performance didn’t wow me the way hers did. 

I hope this show gets more buzz as the run goes on. I haven’t really heard people talking about it, but I think it’s a really solid, interesting addition to the season. 

 

[LesWickedly]

Posted: 9/19/19 at 9:31am

Has anyone done TodayTix rush? What were the seats like?

[Susanswerphone]

Posted: 9/19/19 at 11:08pm

LesWickedly said: "Has anyone done TodayTix rush? What were the seats like?"

Last night's performance saw about 35-40 of us waiting for the concierge until about 745. He apologized, explaining that had "a lot of late orders". Nothing alphabetized made it more frustrating. Finally, a level head in the crowd said just call out the names in the order of envelopes in your hand. Thank God!

I sat front mezzanine center, having purchased right at 10am. A friend who bought late afternoon ended up in the orchestra. There were still.many empty seats in front of and behind me.

Parker and Hochman are both wonderful. Don't miss thisl

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 7:50am

I saw this yesterday, and I found the entire 90 minute play to be enthralling beyond belief. Mary Louise Parker proves once again that she is one of the best dramatic actresses of our time. Will Hochman holds his own, and the two of them have amazing chemistry. Cromer's direction is simple, concise, and perfect. There is very little set to speak of. The stage is a black void for the entire play, and it is quite effective in really bringing focus to the two characters at the heart of the play. I think this is the season's best offering thus far, and I HIGHLY recommend checking this one out.

[Steven A2]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 9:30am

Front row OK for this? I'm pretty tall.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 9:48am

Steven A2 said: "Front row OK for this? I'm pretty tall."

Front row would be awesome  I was second row and it was a dream. At times she will sit right in front of you. You’ll feel enveloped.  She’s a master class in acting.

 

[bxs89]

Posted: 9/27/19 at 1:06am

Any more thoughts on previews so far?

Also, has anyone else gotten rush tickets through TodayTix and can report on what day/when you purchased them and your seat locations? Thanks!

Updated On: 9/27/19 at 01:06 AM

[PianoMann]

Posted: 9/27/19 at 10:32am

I saw this last Sunday and think it's an excellent play. Mary-Louise Parker is incredibly good, at once captivating, funny, moving, and eerily detached. I don't know how the Tony Award nominations will shake out with Parker vying for two bids in the same category, but this is most certainly a performance worthy of a nomination. Hochman is great as well. Cromer's directing and staging is subtle, but very effective. I can't really say more without spoilers (see below; I have questions for those who saw it, too) but I would highly recommend seeing this and would gladly revisit it myself.

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Some of Cromer's directorial choices and the scenic design are particularly striking. For example, when the whole back wall projects Bella's scans. The contrast and the suddenness are hauntingly effective. The sparse use of music in the final few scenes also hits hard because of how unexpected it is. Truly beautifully done without feeling minimalist; the few set pieces really help with that.

Does anyone have any thoughts on what actually happened in the play? Is Bella writing an account of what truly happened, or are all of the events that unfold purely fictional? By the end, I was fully convinced of the latter. Parker constantly writing, rewriting, and referring back to her previous pages, plus the situational irony and Chris's almost novelistic ending makes me think that everything we saw on stage was fictional, an outline for Bella's next novel. How did everyone else read it?

It's a testament to Rapp's writing that the whole structure of the play leaves open room for, I'd imagine, wildly different readings.

 

[broadway86]

Posted: 9/28/19 at 1:08pm

I have a ticket to see “Rose Tattoo” on Wednesday night, but I’m thinking I’ll skip that and see this instead.

[UncleCharlie]

Posted: 9/28/19 at 1:52pm

broadway86 said: "I have a ticket to see “Rose Tattoo” on Wednesday night, but I’m thinking I’ll skip that and see this instead."

That would be a wise decision.

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 9/28/19 at 11:53pm

wow. this was great.

i went in knowing nothing, and i am glad because the description of this would not excite me. a two-hander about nothing all that dramatic with minimal sets? the pitch seems rough.

but its so great. i cant remember the last time i went into such a simple, straightforward play and literally felt myself leaning forward to see where it was going. i loved the way it switched back and forth between description and performance. it had many laugh lines but never got hammy. just a great quick moving play.

mary louise parker is doing her same mostly deadpan shtick, but with great vulnerability. she is on stage pretty much the entire time, and must have at least a full hour of talking. she makes it seem natural, and just nails it. and hochman comes out of nowhere and matches her: hes instantly likeable, has some of the funniest lines in the play, and really impressed me.

Unlike Linda Vista, which I liked and also had two central incredible performances, this felt like opening night after a long preview period. beautifully done. I am not wild about Studio 54 for this. The orchestra was pretty full (couldnt see upstairs) and i had no problem from Row G, but its such an intimate, quiet play, i cant imagine was rear mezz feels like in that big theater.

anyway, go go go.

[east side story]

Posted: 9/29/19 at 9:58am

Mary-Louise Parker’s last few offerings on Broadway were underwhelming, to say the least. With this production, and certainly text, she is able to shine. The role fits her like a glove, and she delivers like the theatrical titan that she is.

Go see it!

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/29/19 at 10:03am

broadway86 said: "I have a ticket to see “Rose Tattoo” on Wednesday night, but I’m thinking I’ll skip that and see this instead."

Having seen both, I can assure that The Sound Inside would be a MUCH better choice.

[broadway86]

Posted: 10/3/19 at 10:01am

bwayphreak234 said: "Having seen both, I can assure that The Sound Inside would be a MUCH better choice."

And you are absolutely right. Saw this last night, it was fantastic.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/4/19 at 9:54pm

I’m leaving the theatre now and I’m almost shaking, that was so good.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/5/19 at 9:50am

I laid awake a good part of the night thinking about this, I couldn’t get it out of my head. I need to go back and see it again ASAP.

[hveasey]

Posted: 10/5/19 at 8:16pm

Jordan Catalano said: "I laid awake a good part of the night thinking about this, I couldn’t get it out of my head. I need to go back and see it again ASAP. "

I saw this 2 weeks ago and also couldn’t get it out of my head for a long time. A really great piece of work, beautifully acted. 
 

It’s sad this has seemed to attract relatively little attention, hopefully the positive reviews I’m sure it will get will help.

[Capeguy]

Posted: 10/6/19 at 7:15am

Saw it last night. There's so much there that can have different meanings. I won't be able to get back to NYC before it closes but I will purchase the book of the play to spend more time with it. I won't say more since I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

[mufish]

Posted: 10/7/19 at 9:39pm

PianoMann, I felt like it might be somewhere between your two thoughts, but love that the play is (seemingly intentionally) so open to interpretation.

I did the TodayTix rush for the matinee yesterday thinking I'd end up with better seats than if I did LincTix given what I've heard of the horrible leg room in the Rear Mezz, and where did I end up?  Rear Mezz row JJ, but at least I was on the aisle.  Not many people seated higher though, and anyone in the rows behind me was told they could move up by the users just before the lights went down.

Mary-Louise Parker is incredible; I've been a fan of hers since West Wing, then Weeds.  This is the second time I've seen her on stage (saw Heisenberg a few years ago, she was also great in that) and I will happily go see her in anything she does. 

For those interested in such things, stage door was very chill and not many people there.  I think there were 5 of us who had seen the play and one collector.  Will Hochman came out after 20-25 minutes, and MLP came out maybe 10-15 minutes after him.

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 10/9/19 at 1:29am

Absolutely harrowing in the best way! Like JBrodway said it started in a deceptively simple and self-indulgent manner, but as soon as the action kicked in it grabbed my attention till the light was up. It reminded me of how I felt when Celia Keenan-Bolger delivered the last “All Rise” in Mockingbird. People should flock to see the show.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 10/10/19 at 11:02pm

Saw it tonight with my wife and a friend. We all liked it a lot and actually had three different takes on what we saw. That is great theatre!

ML Parker was great in as controlled a performance I have ever seen her give. Will Hickman was also excellent; his describing of his novella was chilling.

My only quibble: the lighting was too dark for me. Since I decided to get an inexpensive ticker, I.e., first row of real mezz, the lighting made my seat worse than it was.

I expect this to get as close to unanimous raves as anything gets these days.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 10/15/19 at 9:59pm

Saw this tonight via Today Tix Rush, and was really drawn in. Very simple. Gorgeous performances. Great direction. Interesting story. Surprised that MLP could hold our attention in that vast theater.

This is what I meant on the other thread. It’s not a controversial or “timely” play. It’s just a good, interesting story.