HANGMEN Returns to Broadway - Previews & News Thread- Page 3

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/8/22 at 11:50pm

Was at the show tonight and as a HUGE McDonagh fan, I had a good time. I get all of Austin’s points and agree that it’s not his best play. But really the worst McDonagh play to me is better than so much of the other new stuff out there. The audience seemed to love it though, which made me happy. 

I do wish the ending were a little…meaner…? Not sure how that sounds but while it’s a damn good ending I think knowing his past work, I was just hoping for something truly twisted. But if that’s my one big complaint, I can live with it. I’m looking forward to going back in a few weeks - I’d love to sit as close as possible next time. 
 

[JasonC3]

Posted: 4/9/22 at 4:08am

Hoping it is not too close, but since I am 6'6" I opted for one of the $99 front row center seats, figuring that with my height, even the tall set should not require too much neck-craning ... hopefully.

Updated On: 4/9/22 at 04:08 AM

[BearcatBroadwayLover]

Posted: 4/9/22 at 6:59am

I was at last night's first preview sitting in one of the those seats (I was 109 so directly front row center) and I'm 6'4" so I shared a similar concern as you. Thankfully there was only one short scene at the top of Act 2 where I felt a little strain from neck-craning. 

Otherwise though the seat was perfect (could only miss extremely minor moments behind the bar but that was 2-3 instances top).  Overall I'm super happy I went ahead and got the front row seat. 

I do echo a lot of other people's sentiments that the show is an amalgamation of a number of themes and tropes already mined by McDonagh (the ending gave me super Three Billboards vibes with it's ambiguity regarding death, execution and innocence) and that some of the non-PC humor just didn't land (a joke about Africa being filled with monkeys comes to mind) but overall I really enjoyed the show.  

The acting was pretty excellent too, especially since it was one of their first nights in front of an audience. The true standouts for me were Tracie Bennett, Alfie Allen and Gaby French.  Just watching Alfie's interactions with Gaby made my skin crawl at times and the final bits of a dialogue at the end of Act One gave me chills. Totally recommend seeing the show! 

[Markecib]

Posted: 4/9/22 at 9:39am

I was there last night also. 3rd Row Center 107 it was a lotto ticket and a a great view. The top of act 2 is a little neck straining and the scene change after scene 1. I enjoyed the show a lot. Everyone pointed out what I thought so I won’t go into the same. The acting was great! I loved the set especially top of Act 2. 
 

While exiting the show staff that were taking notes were talking they seemed pleased and were noting some props were either missing or out of place, which who in the audience. I just noticed one part when Allie reached for his cigarette cases and the paper was missing because it fell out of his pocket in an earlier scene.

 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/9/22 at 10:16am

“…reached for his cigarette cases and the paper was missing because it fell out of his pocket in an earlier scene.”


Oh, that’s what that was! I wanted to yell out “You dropped something!”

[Markecib]

Posted: 4/9/22 at 6:07pm

Also, fair warning if you are close. There is a lot of smoke that come up from the deck and it was pouring into the front rows. So, if you suffer allergies or smoke dries your eyes out be prepared.

[musikman]

Posted: 4/9/22 at 11:29pm

Overall a very enjoyable evening, though definitely not my favorite McDonough play.   The first act (especially after that terrific first scene) draaaaaaaags for the first 25-30 minutes or so, but once it gets going, it’s really entertaining. I’ll definitely agree that it’s a bunch of rehashed Mcdonagh tropes and plot points so it felt predictable-ish to me, but there are definitely something riotously funny moments (and also some lines that should definitely be cut).

Acting was terrific all around, but also was pretty difficult to make out some of what they said.  The set is also terrific. 

[MadsonMelo]

Posted: 4/10/22 at 12:46am

Is Alfie in the running for the Tony?

[Synecdoche2]

Posted: 4/12/22 at 12:20am

Thought this was excellent. I disagree it's a weaker McDonagh play. To me, it feels like a deeply mature work from a gleefully immature playwright. The cast does fabulous work [equal, if not better than the Atlantic cast in 2018] and the nail-biting second act more than justifies the length.

Hopefully this is well-received and encourages somebody to present A Very Very Very Dark Matter in Manhattan. This play is really seven years old at this point and we deserve his newest work in the city. And by all means we should revive the Aran Islands trilogy and The Pillowman while we're at it.

Updated On: 4/12/22 at 12:20 AM

[broadwayboy118]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 3:58pm

I saw this show the other night and thought it was great!! Definitely agree with Act 1 dragging a bit, but it definitely ended strong.  Act 2 was absolute theatrical perfection! 

I do have a question re: Shirley (the daughter).

 

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When Shirley returns to the pub at the end....what does she say and where has she been?? She obviously wasn't in the garage, but I could barely make out what she said. I picked up on the fact that she met up with another boy but that's about it.  Was she with Mooney for any part of the day at all?

Thanks so much!! 

 

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 8:38pm

broadwayboy118 said: "I saw this show the other night and thought it was great!! Definitely agree with Act 1 dragging a bit, but it definitely ended strong. Act 2 was absolute theatrical perfection!

I do have a question re: Shirley (the daughter).

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

When Shirley returns to the pub at the end....what does she say and where has she been?? She obviously wasn't in the garage, but I could barely make out what she said. I picked up on the fact that she met up with another boy but that's about it. Was she with Mooney for any part of the day at all?

Thanks so much!!

"

 

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Shirley: Alright, I know! I know you’re going to be bloody mad and I know it’s been hours and I know I should’ve bloody rung, but I don’t bloody care, do I?! I were waiting for me new fella, Peter, yes, Peter, and I don’t care that you don’t like him cos I do like him, or I did like him until he never came back, so ha ha, more fool me for falling for somebody in one stupid day, just because he drove me to Burnley, which was closed, and to the seaside, which was rainy, and to his place where he was nice to me for ages, and didn’t call me a mope once, and more fool me for believing him when he said he thought I weren’t his type at first but he changed his mind when he got to see the real me, and more fool me for not realising he only wanted the one thing, but maybe I only wanted the one thing too, you never think of that, do ya, that I’ve got feelings too, and more fool me for waiting in a train station with tramps for four hours when I knew he wasn’t coming after the first two, I’m not stupid, am I? But then the rain started again and I thought I may as well keep waiting as walk home in that, I’d get drenched. So then two hours turned into four, didn’t they, and I’m bloody here now, aren’t I, so can’t you just tell me off tomorrow, Mam, I’m starved?!”

 

[Auggie27]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 9:02pm

'Twas the last preview I saw before the shutdown, and if memory serves, the production's first. A Saturday night. The performance was extraordinary, Dan Stevens exemplary. I was sorry he didn't return, but the remainder of the company was remarkable. The show had a glorious physical production. 

Updated On: 4/16/22 at 09:02 PM

[broadwayboy118]

Posted: 4/15/22 at 9:31pm

imeldasturn said: "broadwayboy118 said: "I saw this show the other night and thought it was great!! Definitely agree with Act 1 dragging a bit, but it definitely ended strong. Act 2 was absolute theatrical perfection!


I do have a question re: Shirley (the daughter).

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

When Shirley returns to the pub at the end....what does she say and where has she been?? She obviously wasn't in the garage, but I could barely make out what she said. I picked up on the fact that she met up with another boy but that's about it. Was she with Mooney for any part of the day at all?

Thanks so much!!

"

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Shirley:Alright, I know! I know you’re going to be bloody mad and I know it’s been hours and I know I should’ve bloody rung, but I don’t bloody care, do I?! I were waiting for me new fella, Peter, yes, Peter, and I don’t care that you don’t like him cos I do like him, or I did like him until he never came back, so ha ha, more fool me for falling for somebody in one stupid day, just because he drove me to Burnley, which was closed, and to the seaside, which was rainy, and to his place where he was nice to me for ages, and didn’t call me a mope once, and more fool me for believing him when he said he thought I weren’t his type at first but he changed his mind when he got to see the real me, and more fool me for not realising he only wanted the one thing, but maybe I only wanted the one thing too, you never think of that, do ya, that I’ve got feelings too, and more fool me for waiting in a train station with tramps for four hours when I knew he wasn’t coming after the first two, I’m not stupid, am I? But then the rain started again and I thought I may as well keep waiting as walk home in that, I’d get drenched. So then two hours turned into four, didn’t they, and I’m bloody here now, aren’t I, so can’t you just tell me off tomorrow, Mam, I’m starved?!”

 

Thank you!! 

[ronozer2]

Posted: 4/16/22 at 7:58am

I have an extra lottery ticket for today at 2 PM available, face value. Not sure if it’s OK to split the PDF, we could meet in person, payment via protected PayPal or something like that. The seat is row O center $41 - I’m ronozer on eBay though I’ve not sold in a while. 100% rating. I prodtfe a concert series in Delaware. 

[TarHeelAlan]

Posted: 4/16/22 at 2:27pm

Markecib said: "Also, fair warning if you are close. There is a lot of smoke that come up from the deck and it was pouring into the front rows. So, if you suffer allergies or smoke dries your eyes out be prepared."

Thanks for this information. I was looking at those front row seats, but this just convinced me that if I buy, it will not be up that close. 

[CopleyScott17]

Posted: 4/16/22 at 3:51pm

Glad to see so much discussion about this production -- was lucky enough to see it before the shutdown and really enjoyed it. But I'm curious -- I haven't seen anybody mention a particular bit of set-design stagecraft that completely blew me away. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but if it's still there, you'd know what I'm referring to. I hope they didn't have to change the staging in the re-mount -- losing Dan Stevens is tragic enough

[joshdog2014]

Posted: 4/16/22 at 6:55pm

CopleyScott17 said: "Glad to see so much discussion about this production -- was lucky enough to see it before the shutdown and really enjoyed it. But I'm curious -- I haven't seen anybody mention a particular bit of set-design stagecraft that completely blew me away. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but if it's still there, you'd know what I'm referring to. I hope they didn't have to change the staging in the re-mount -- losing Dan Stevens is tragic enough "

The set change after the first scene is still there and is still incredible! I loved it, also absolutely blown away. The way it was used near the top of the second act was also really cool.

[kurtal]

Posted: 4/16/22 at 11:50pm

Saw this tonight (Mezzanine, D106).  The set design was breathtaking.  The writing was very strong.  The acting was mostly very solid.  I'm usually really good with accents, but I lost a bit at various points in the show, which I think was maybe more of a sound design issue than the thickness of the accents, but that was true, too.  I'm a little torn on Alfie Allen's take on his role.  His wild swings felt a bit too volatile and maybe unintentional at times -- although maybe that was the point?  John Horton stole the show, imo.  And David Threlfall and Tracie Bennett were excellent.  I thought the post-climax and resolution was the weakest part of the script and felt rushed.  But overall this was very good, and I'm quite glad I saw it.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 9:11am

After having seen the livestream of the original London cast of this play, and the same production off-Broadway at Atlantic and thoroughly enjoyed them both as hilarious and moving and thrilling experiences, I was pretty gravely disappointed by what went down on that Golden stage last night.  There wasn't a moment's tension or menace going on from anyone, most particularly Alfie Allen, who seems to have decided to play his role as a sweet-tempered little charmboy with groovy clothes, never once conjuring the menace that the character is so frequently described as possessing.  His sudden fits of rage weren't so much terrifying explosions as mousy little expressions of petulance, like he didn't get his rattle.

The whole evening was off.  Way off.  The set was brightly lit when it should have been dark, and a carefully timed thunderclap came off as strange considering how much light was coming through those windows.  One huge moment that always got massive audience reaction both times I'd seen the play before fell terribly flat.  

And those plainly visible billows of smoke rising from the floor for the entire duration of the play were a major distraction.  I've never seen anything like it.

 

[woolymammoth]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 5:07pm

For those who've seen this... how much smoking is there? Is it constant or occasional? I'm sitting in rear mezz so hopefully its far enough way that I can't smell it or it bother me. 

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 10:44pm

Was there tonight, and willing echo what others have said, definitely an enjoyable night out at the theater. Great performances, set design, and some great comedic moments, but this won't be the play that gets McDonaugh a Tony. 

[ronozer2]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 11:22pm

Smoke is only up front. I was in orchestra and it wasn’t more than a few rows from stage. 

[ronozer2]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 11:26pm

I wouldn’t go quite this negative but yes there’s some problems with the production. When I read how funny it was in the London reviews but the laughs were not really coming on Saturday matinee. I think the cast is mostly excellent but would agree Alfee seems miscast. He even seems to know it in the look on his face at the end. The opening scene is described as terrifying in the 2015 reviews. Here it just seems absurd. I did get caught up in it during act two. It doesn’t seem nearly on a level with earlier plays I’d say. 

[MadsonMelo]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 11:44pm

The more I read, happier I get that I chose to see “Teeth” and “Colored” over this, as I had seen the NT broadcast

[kwoc91]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 9:55am

I was at the show last night and thoroughly enjoyed myself! I went into the show completely blind so I can't compare this production to previous iterations, though. 

Josh Hodgkinson's scene in Act II was one of the funniest scenes I've seen this season. "Smell my hair!"

I loved the set design and how they staged the (spoiler?)

 

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hangings

It did take a bit of time for my brain to fully grasp the accents, and I generally consider myself to be quite familiar with UK accents.

Last night was a press invite. Very curious to see these reviews.