IRENA'S VOW Reviews

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 2:55am

Well, hello there, and welcome to another REVIEWS Thread!

Today, is Sunday, March the 29th, and it also marks the official opening night performance of The Directors Company production of IRENA'S VOW! The inaugural production, which played an extended engagement at the Baruch Performing Arts Center last fall, officially opens tonight at its new home, the Walter Kerr Theatre! Written by Dan Gordon, the play began preview performances on March 10th, under the direction of Michael Parva.

The company includes Sandi Carroll, Tracee Chimo, Tovah Feldshuh, Steven Hauck, Scott Klavan, Peter Reznikoff, Thomas Ryan, Gene Silvers, John Stanisci and Maja Wampuszyc, all reprising their work from the original Off-Broadway mounting.

Irena's Vow, according to the producers, "is the uplifting true story about one of the most courageous and unsung heroines of World War II. During the German occupation of Poland, Irena Gut Opdyke (Feldshuh), a Polish Catholic, was forced to work as head housekeeper for a very prominent Nazi major. Over a two year period of service, Irena would risk her own life in order to save the lives of twelve Jewish refugees whom she secretly took under her care. Irena's Vow is the extraordinary story of one woman's choice and the twelve lives that would ultimately be saved ? or lost ? by her decision."

My best to all involved!

[Princeton78]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 7:38am

Brantley is a RAVE!

..."Not since Reva Rice's unforgettable turn in Starlight Express, have we seen an actress so fully inhabit a role. Get tickets before, much like Reva, they skate out of here."


Nice to see they're off to a good start!

Updated On: 3/29/09 at 07:38 AM

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 7:42am

Well I've been a vocal supporter of this show, and I truly wish the cast and crew a wonderful opening. I hope Tovah receives across the board gushy love letters tonight!

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 10:15am

I agree. I have my fingers crossed for everyone involved in IRENA'S VOW. This was by far one of the best shows I have ever seen on Broadway and it deserves rave reviews from every paper. This show needs to be seen and I hope the positive reviews help encourage people to go see this show. The attendance hasn't been great lately, and I would hate to see it close prematurely just because people didn't know it was on Broadway.

I briefly spoke to someone who works in the industry last night, and he had never even heard of the show. I hope the marketing team for this show has a lot of plans to spread the word once the rave reviews are out. Whizzer and I can't spread the word alone, so hopefully the marketing team will come up with a strategy soon.

Congrats to Tovah and the rest of the cast of IRENA'S VOW for putting on such an incredible show. I hope you get the amazing reviews that you deserve.

[MiracleElixir]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 1:07pm

I hope this show gets the review... it deserves. I'm expecting a rave from Word-of-Mouth at least...

Everyone else is tough to call

[madbrian]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 1:40pm

I am a huge fan of both the show and Tovah's performance. I get all the comments about how the play could have been structured better, but that in no way diminished its powerful impact for me.

[scott68]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 2:00pm

It's a great story, and Tovah's performance is definitely worth seeing. I personally didn't enjoy the play itself much, but I wish them all the best.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 2:18pm

Agree Scott. It's worth seeing Tovah's performance, but the actual structure of the play and the storytelling could have been better. Same with the technical elements.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 2:34pm

Loved this play and its breathtaking leading performance. Wish them the best...

[MiracleElixir]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 2:38pm

I thought Tovah's performance was good (if not at the "it changed my life" level of many on here), and I wish the cast/crew all the best.

But as much as I don't wish for the closing of any show, I can't honestly tell a paying customer that Tovah's performance is worth the money it will cost them to sit through this warmed-over, familiar, redundant piece of theatre.

I'm very curious to see the reviews.

[James2]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 2:43pm

Best of luck to Ms. Feldshuh and the rest of the cast and crew. I saw the show yesterday, and I must say this: Ms. Feldshuh is not magnificent. She is magnificence.

[MrJNLong]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 7:05pm

Um...
The Brantley quote is a joke right?

[MiracleElixir]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 7:08pm

Yes.

Isherwood will be reviewing it.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 7:11pm

Variety is up. I'd call it Mixed for the play, Rave for Tovah.

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117939959.html?categoryid=33&cs=1

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 7:16pm

This is my favorite quote from the Variety review:

As is often the case in Holocaust drama, the text is not averse to moral hectoring. "You are the last generation who will hear from a living witness to the Holocaust," Irena tells us. "You have a responsibility ... every time you meet hatred, you must stand up against it." Every time you meet bad playwriting, too.

Congrats to Tovah. I wonder if this will be her Tony-winning role.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 7:16pm

AP is generally Favorable though not especially gushing.

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/03/29/ap6226824.html

[scaryclowns2232]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 8:29pm

"You are the last generation who will hear from a living witness to the Holocaust," Irena tells us. "You have a responsibility ... every time you meet hatred, you must stand up against it."

I would be ashamed, as a playwright, to have such sentimental pedestrian sludge in my play. I mean, its a nice message, but SHOW me, don't tell me.

Come on Dan Gordon, you should know better.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 8:48pm

That's what I said.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 9:00pm

2 stars from USA Today:

"There is at least one reason to be grateful that Irena's Vow (* * out of four) has arrived on Broadway: After this production, it's doubtful that anyone will be itching to produce a stage adaptation of Schindler's List...

Gordon reduces Opdyke's tale to a clumsy, at times cartoonish, melodrama that largely wastes the talents of leading lady Tovah Feldshuh."

http://www.usatoday.com/life/theater/reviews/2009-03-29-irenas-vow_N.htm

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 9:01pm

Wow.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 9:03pm

Talkin Broadway:

"Feldshuh makes the potentially unmemorable Irena?s Vow into a truly unforgettable fusion of character and charisma - an event of the kind we can never see too often. It?s easy to see why this show enjoyed a much-extended Off-Broadway run at the Baruch Performing Arts Center earlier this season, and it would be unsurprising - and unconcerning - if it repeated that feat on Broadway. Irena and Feldshuh deserve and demand nothing less."

http://www.talkinbroadway.com/world/IrenaVow.html

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 9:18pm

I can't believe someone thought this should get the Pulitzer. No thanks.

I think Tovah is great, but the mediocrity of the play might overshadow her performance. She def. should be/will be nominated.

[Kad]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 9:20pm

This play wouldn't even be eligible for the Pulitzer, would it?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 9:20pm

I don't think the play is perfectly-written, but I also don't think it's mediocre. I think it's a very strong play with a great lead performance. I enjoyed it a LOT more than 33 VARIATIONS which seems like it may get the same level of reviews as this...

[James2]

Posted: 3/29/09 at 10:03pm

The Word of Mouth panelists were moved by the play and were flattened by Ms. Feldshuh's performance. In fact, one of them said this show needs to be recorded.

http://www.broadway.com/Irena-s-Vow/broadway_reviews/5024159