Good for Otto

[jbm2]

Posted: 3/1/18 at 1:36am

Anyone seen this yet? Would love to hear what people think...

[The Pecan Sandies]

Posted: 3/1/18 at 11:51am

Saw the show last week and found it to be a tedious and confusing way to spend 3.5 hrs.  The show is in need of serious trimming as the shows message's about the stigma of mental illness and the many ways the system fails those who need help get lost.  The show has a fantastic cast who all do their best with what they are given but it is not enough to save this show.  The plot is all over the place and the musical moments that take place in Ed Harris' head are weird and confusing and serve no real purpose.

The cast is really the only reason to see the show but that being said I would  recommend skipping this one

[JBroadway]

Posted: 3/13/18 at 1:02am

I saw this yesterday and overall enjoyed it. I agree with some of the criticisms above - definitely could use trimming, though it was only 3 hours when I saw it, not 3.5. Essentially Ed Harris and Amy Madigan play therapists in a small town, and the show is made up mostly of various sessions and interactions they have with patients and with each other. For me, what made the show a mixed bag was that some of the patient storylines were much less interesting that others. I liked the stuff with the little girl, the stuff with Ed Harris' mother, and I liked Mark Linn-Baker's character. The stuff with Maulik Pancholy was just ok, and F. Murray Abraham's sections were really dull and tedious for me - and they do take up a lot of time. I should clarify that none of this is a reflection on the actors: the entire cast is excellent and, as the poster above said, they do the best with what they're given. Honestly though, as much as I love him as an actor, if F. Murray Abraham's entire character were cut, I might have liked the show as a whole a lot more. 

Overall though, there was enough good stuff that I walked away very moved. I even got teary-eyed a few times. I liked the bits of music throughout, personally, andI liked the lighting a lot. Definitely a messy and inconsistent play, with some tedious parts - but I wouldn't call the whole thing tedious at all. I'd say if you're eager to see the cast, go for it. 
 

I got a $32 rush seat an hour before curtain (that's when they start selling rush). Definitely worth it. I seemed to be the only one there for rush, so it seems pretty easy.

[jbm2]

Posted: 4/14/18 at 12:08am

Has anyone seen this lately? Is it still running 3+ hours?

[kevinr]

Posted: 4/14/18 at 9:43am

I won't be in New York until July and this show will have closed.  I am curious though about the stage door for this one.....I am a huge fan of Ed Harris and Amy Madigan......just wondered have they been signing/taking photos with fans at the Stage Door?

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 4/14/18 at 10:19am

jbm2 said: "Has anyone seen this lately? Is it still running 3+ hours?"

I think it's slightly less. The first act is about 1 hr and 10 mins. The second is almost 1 1/2 hours. Intermission on the middle of course.  

Again it's still too long but the performances made this totally worth it to me. What a cast. 

[Andy51]

Posted: 4/14/18 at 10:26am

kevinr said: "I won't be in New York until July and this show will have closed. I am curious though about the stage door for this one.....I am a huge fan of Ed Harris and Amy Madigan......just wondered have they been signing/taking photos with fans at the Stage Door?"

The stage doors lead into the upstairs lobby/cafe area.  It's easy to catch the actors as they come out, and when I hung out in the cafe after a matinee performance I observed Ed Harris graciously indulging fans.