EUREKA DAY Reviews

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 12/16/24 at 2:11pm

Link to the previews thread: https://forum.broadwayworld.com/thread/EUREKA-DAY-Previews

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 12/16/24 at 8:23pm

Critic's Pick from Jesse Green (gift link)

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/16/theater/eureka-day-review-broadway.html?unlocked_article_code=1.iE4.AX9b.iMcPMI9-sJBW&smid=url-share

Holdren in New York is positive also

https://www.vulture.com/article/theater-review-jonathan-spector-eureka-day-jessica-hecht.html

[sppunk]

Posted: 12/16/24 at 9:24pm

Hoping for universal praise. I greatly enjoyed this play and found the writing incredibly sharp. 

[FunathonGroff]

Posted: 12/16/24 at 11:11pm

Wow, stellar reviews across the board. This was one of my favorites shows of the year so very glad to see it. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 12/16/24 at 11:54pm

This was enjoyable but I might have liked it better if The Zoom Scene was its own self-contained play or short film. It progressively loses steam after that.

This play will age like milk, but until it does every regional will have a great time doing it.

Updated On: 12/16/24 at 11:54 PM

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 12/17/24 at 12:21am

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "This was enjoyable but I might have liked it better if The Zoom Scene was its own self-contained play or short film. It progressively loses steam after that.

This play will age like milk, but until it does every regional will have a great time doing it."

Why would this age like milk? The opposite, it was written pre-pandemic and has gotten more prescient/powerful as a result since.

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 12/17/24 at 1:00am

I've been thinking about why this play didn't quite land with me and I think it's that just because it deals with topical issues, that doesn't mean it's necessarily powerful or saying something interesting (at least not interesting to me).  We already know that there are a lot of anti-vaxxers.  And I'm sure a lot of them correlate a bad experience with the vaccine when it's not necessarily the cause (as Jessica Hecht's character does).  But beyond that it feels like the play just stages a (very amusing at times) discourse between different sides of the vaccine argument without any new perspectives, and then ends up just patting itself on the back for "doing what's right".

Perhaps it would've been more interesting if Hecht's character were less insufferable from the get-go. She's kind of pinned as the antagonist from basically the first time she opens her mouth so of course she's the anti-vaxxer, and while I have sympathy for some of her experiences, the play never gives her anywhere to go.  I've mentioned before that Meiko was the most interesting character to me because she actually has an arc, but she's still fairly underwritten for the majority of the show and we never actually see that arc play out.  I think there's more nuanced kinds of discourse around vaccines that could have been included, so sorry to say that I just didn't find this very fresh or insightful and perhaps that's why it feels as though it may not age well (as I can see some of these conversations feeling newer pre-pandemic), though it's still wildly entertaining at parts.

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 12/17/24 at 1:26pm

DTLI Consensus: A rather thin fall slate for Broadway comedies gets a badly needed shot in the arm. 

9 positive (including the NYT), 3 mixed, 1 negative.

https://didtheylikeit.com/shows/eureka-day/

[broadfan327]

Posted: 12/18/24 at 12:56am

I saw this play Saturday night, and I enjoyed it greatly.  I didn't read all the reviews, the negative one I skimmed, and it basically was complaining that the play is already outdated because RFK Jr. could become HHS secretary, we need a more forceful play to fight the anti-vaxx movement that could become stronger as a result of the next administration.  I think this play speaks to profound themes concerning our current society greater than just vaccine disagreements.

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 12/19/24 at 2:59am

I'm surprised this got a NYT Critics pick.  I thought it was mostly a bore with not much to say.  Also, I didn't see the Amber Gray role as superwoke, I thought she was the voice of reason?  I didn't think the play was that funny.  Jessica Hecht sounded exactly like she did for Summer, 1976. 

[Smaxie]

Posted: 12/19/24 at 5:42pm

The play creates total audience pandemonium and you call it a “bore”? Sure… 🙄

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 12/19/24 at 10:16pm

Amber Gray's character is not supposed to be superwoke? Shes supposed to be the levelheaded one who they make assumptions about. And I have not seen a play with such uproarious laughter in many years- the audience was drowning out the cast. So "bore" also seems a bit off.

In other words, WELCOME BACK BROADWAYFLASH

[quizking101]

Posted: 1/8/25 at 4:38pm

Extended again! Through 2/16.

Eboni Flowers will take over for Amber Gray on 2/1.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/EUREKA-DAY-Extended-Again-on-Broadway-Through-Mid-February-20250108

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 1/8/25 at 4:53pm

Now it makes sense why they had Eboni as Ambers understudy

[quizking101]

Posted: 1/8/25 at 5:01pm

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "Now it makes sense why they had Eboni as Ambers understudy"

…aside from the fact that all performers need an understudy anyway?

[Dan6]

Posted: 1/8/25 at 6:39pm

So happy for the latest extension, which means I can see this on my February trip. Any seating suggestions…far sides of orchestra vs center mezz? (And any discount codes out there?)

[Mike66]

Posted: 1/8/25 at 8:17pm

If I had a choice of seating I would be sure to be 'centered' since the 'laugh until you cant breathe' scene requires that you see the screen in the back wall of the 'library.'  We sat Center Mezz and had a perfect view.  My guess is that every seat has an 'adequate' view of the screen, though, so I wouldnt be too concerned.

And all of the story happens close enough to the center of the stage that you shouldnt have a problem in the far left or right of the theater.

[angoradebs]

Posted: 1/9/25 at 1:26am

I sat far right (against the wall) in row BB of the mezz and had no trouble seeing the screen

I couldn't see what I'm assuming was the door to the library, so I missed some entrances/exits, but nothing important. I got my ticket through digital rush.

[Wick3]

Posted: 1/9/25 at 12:38pm

I sat third row extreme side orchestra and had a clear view of the screen as well. Honestly I wasn't sure how to concentrate ---- keep reading the screen or watch/listen the actors act.

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 1/14/25 at 6:29pm

Tonight's performance is cancelled due to non-COVID illness in the cast.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 1/14/25 at 8:14pm

EDSOSLO858 said: "Tonight's performance is cancelled due to non-COVID illness in the cast."

It's surprising they cancelled since it's only a five person cast and they have four understudies.

[dearalanaaaa]

Posted: 1/15/25 at 7:15pm

I'm surprised nobody posted this, but a pleasent surprise for the understudy today was Jennifer Laura Thompson in for Jessica Hecht! she barely stuttered, I really enjoyed the show! Longer review later if I remember.

[steven22]

Posted: 1/15/25 at 8:17pm

What’s the 30 under 35 code for this?

[quizking101]

Posted: 1/15/25 at 9:52pm

steven22 said: "What’s the 30 under 35 code for this?"

EUDAY3U3

[quizking101]

Posted: 1/15/25 at 9:54pm

ACL2006 said: "EDSOSLO858 said: "Tonight's performance is cancelled due to non-COVID illness in the cast."

It's surprising they cancelled since it's only a five person cast and they have four understudies."

As often is the case, sometimes it’s the perfect storm of principal and understudy for the same role being sick and thus they cannot do the show without a character