Gary: A Sequel To Titus Andronicus Previews — Page 5

this might be the best new play of the 21st century.



ALOT of the dialogue went over my head. but the POINT of the show is brilliant.

Its all about massacres, coups, and the PEOPLE who are left behind to clean up the mess.

its about what happens with terrible leaders with no unchecked power.

its about the power dynamic between men and women

its about what we do with our feelings when the world is falling apart and everyone is dead and TRAGEDY has befallen us. (the answer is create art)



BASICALLY its about the current state of America, and it made me want to start an uprising, but FRAMED in a Shakespearean setting, after the fall of the Roman Empire.



this play is BRILLIANT



I know practically NOTHING about Titus Andronicus, and I understood what was going on completely.



the curtain speech was SO SPECIAL and beautiful. Nielson was in HYSTERICS. I think she couldn't even BELIEVE she got through it. she looked SO relieved..... ive never seen an actor more vulnerable in my life.

I am desperate to see this!

Well these reviews have me more than sold. Going to try and purchase tickets today for the week of the Tony's.

Um... I liked Gary but I think some of these reports are a bit too hyperbolic, which is often the case with zealous theater fans attending early previews.

I was there last night & I saw a decent, original, dark-humored & irreverent show that has a lot potential but also needs a lot of work. It's full of lowbrow humor & highbrow soliloquies, but the pacing is off. I have to admit, the show works best with the lowbrow physical stuff. I wish it was a full-on farce. I didn't really care for the introspection & profundities. I thought the message was muddled & dull. I just wanted more physical humor.

It's a decent show with a lot of potential but I would not call it the "best new play of the 21st century." That seems rather excessive. I think I need to temper people's expectations! If I had to grade what I saw last night I would give it a B-/C+.

To answer some questions, Danny Elfman's score was fine but practically nonexistent. There are only two moments with music & it totals about a minute & a half in length. (However one of those moments is a zany production number that is definitely a highlight.)

I would strongly disagree with the person that said you need to study up on Titus Andronicus before seeing Gary. All you need to know is that there's a really gory ending with a high body count. Gary (the character) also sums up the events at the top of the show. Having a basic familiarity will certain help but you don't have to do any homework. I will say I read Titus Andronicus in college but that was almost 20 years ago & I forgot most of the details, save for the gory ending... and that's all I needed to know!

The show is 95 minutes with no intermission.

While the show is full of crude jokes about bodily humor, I would say it's definitely not for children. Solid R rating. Leave the kiddies at home. (Plus they'll probably be bored silly.)

And I don't think it matters what side of the theater you see the show from. Not a lot happens on the side of the stage.

I would definitely be curious to revisit this show once the pacing is tightened & the performances gel. It IS in good shape but some of these early reports seem a bit... generous? Also, as far as last night's crowd goes, yes, most were engaged & enthusiastic but I saw a lot of walkouts. (Nathan Lane even made a joke about it.) The couple next to me quickly gathered their belongings & bolted after the first fart joke, which was in the first 10 minutes. With each dick joke I saw more people leave. (But whatever. I personally wanted more of that stuff.)

Mike Barrett said: "Well these reviews have me more than sold. Going to try and purchase tickets today for the week of the Tony's."

Just a heads up, given all of the hoopla and build-up to the Tonys, the week before the awards often has a lot of callouts, although it may affect musicals more than plays, since when I went to a Hello Dolly/Great Comet doubleheader the day before the Tonys, and had a lot of callouts for both. YMMV.

Sure, a Wikipedia brush-up is totally fine. (Hell, I did it, since I forgot most of Titus Andronicus.) Of course familiarity with the source material will enhance one's enjoyment of the show. I'm just saying it's not necessary. All you really needed to know was that it's an ultra-bloody ending with a high body count. (And that people are baked into pies... but they also explain that Gary.)

Not that I'm interested in this....but, are people (in 2019) really offended by fart and dick jokes to leave a production, 10 minutes in? Wow.

schubox said: "I was looking at grabbing seats in the second row for this, for anyone who has seen this production, is that too close? I’ve only been to the Booth once and can’t remember how high the stage is. But I usually like to sit close fornpkays, but I don’t want to miss anything"

For American Son I sat front row and it was a perfect view. Granted, I know nothing about this show's set, but you should be fine.

to each his own. I appreciate that you provided your own feedback and your own experience, but no need to knock down others opinions in the first place.

I wouldn't consider myself a zealous theatre fan, and frankly tend to hate ALOT, if not most, of what I see. I think this show brilliantly portrayed the current state of the world, in a Shakespearean period manner. and THAT is what makes good theatre for me. reflecting modern opinions in an artistic fashion

schubox said: "I was looking at grabbing seats in the second row for this, for anyone who has seen this production, is that too close? I’ve only been to the Booth once and can’t remember how high the stage is. But I usually like to sit close fornpkays, but I don’t want to miss anything"

There are pics from last night on Instagram, and the stage looks VERY low.

https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/257410821/booths-theatre/

Updated On: 3/12/19 at 03:46 PM

Well, I didn't mean to imply that there were "swells of people leaving." I was sitting row L of the orchestra, seat 101. I can tell you that the couple across the aisle from me-- row L seats 1 & 3, according to the seating chart-- got up & left in a huff during the first onslaught of fart jokes. (Those who saw the show will know what I'm talking about-- it's no more than 10 minutes into the show!) I thought it was funny that people can be so stuffy & prudish. I was on the aisle & noticed more people leaving during the production number towards the end of the show. (Again, those who saw the show know what part I'm talking about.) They had their bags with them so I don't think they were going to the bathroom. But there had to have been more b/c Nathan Lane even made a joke about it during the show! He pointed to empty seats towards the front of the theater & made a joke about how they left, then joked about another couple who look like they're thinking of leaving. I'm assuming that was an ad lib. I'm not agreeing with those folks, btw. I think they were probably a bunch of cantankerous prudes. (Biting my tongue so as to not sound ageist.) I was just pointing out that the irreverent material seems to have been oft-putting to a certain demographic of theater folk! :P But to hell with them. I loved the fart jokes.

Also, why are you saying I didn't like the show? I did like it. And I stated as much. If you go to Show Score you'll even see that I scored it a 75, which is currently the highest score. (Three other people didn't like it as much as I did.)

I just said that I don't think Gary is the "greatest play of the 21st century," which is what others have said. And I thought that some of the early praise has been a skosh hyperbolic, but I find that is typically the case on the internet during early previews. I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade. We're all entitled to our opinions. I was just giving mine. Sorry if it came off as snarky or presumptuous.