Was 4th row center tonight thanks to TDF. My thoughts are very convoluted, so bear with me.
Up until 90 minutes into the show, I really, REALLY hated it. I was so bored, and hadn't the slightest clue what they were trying to achieve on stage, even though I am familiar with the book. I thought the writing was poor, the direction misguided, and the performances rivaling that of any community theater across the country.
But THEN, there's the moment. And yes, it was cool. But I spent the majority of my time on the subway ride home not pondering the plays political stances or theatrical (attempted?) achievements, which are blatant and in-your-face, but whether this is a good show or not. I still can't say.
Some random observations:
- Olivia Wilde was the strongest of the evening, by far.
- I strongly disliked Tom Sturridge's interpretation of the character. I found him mainly annoying, and didn't root for him at all.
- Reed Birney is being WASTED here, in a role anyone could play. He is at the height of his talent, and I truly wish he had taken a new role that stretched him as deep and wide as Man From Nebraska or The Humans.
- Michael Potts makes the most of what is a small and unforgiving role.
- The sound design is atrociously loud, and I was very disappointed on how heavily they rely on cheap scares throughout the evening. People were plugging their ears all around me because it's just incessant - yes, theatre should make you uncomfortable, but this was unnecessary.
- There was no standing ovation for the majority of the curtain call, until about a third of the audience stood at the very end. I cannot recall the last time I saw a show in NYC (and I'm at over 60 shows this year), where there wasn't a full standing ovation by the end.
- The show was far over an hour and 20 minutes, longer than the advertised "101 minutes" insert in the Playbill.
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TL;DR
The show is attempting great things, but fell incredibly flat in my eyes. The politics of the show are shoved in your face and the show ultimately plays out like a poorly directed episode of Black Mirror.
Very interested to see what others thought. Definitely not a must-see in a time where Broadway is filled with truly incredible pieces right now.
Updated On: 5/18/17 at 10:59 PM
I've received no additional communications from the theater (since my confirmation) and I've been checking the site every day, where my seat still shows as "unavailable". If they try to deny me at showtime I will raise h*ll.
