Hand to God Previews- Page 2

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/14/15 at 11:45pm

No. It fits perfectly at The Booth.

[Kad]

Posted: 3/14/15 at 11:47pm

That was not simple.

[BroadwayBaby14]

Posted: 3/15/15 at 12:01am

Ripped Man - I loved your detailed comments but I don't understand "this is not s great play." When I saw it, I felt it brought up so many worthwhile questions about family, good/evil, and the demons we all have to quiet or balance in our lives. That seems to me like a better play than many others I have seen in the past few seasons.

Were the lulls just pacing? That may improve...

Also, were the characters complicated enough to be realistic? I remember being impressed with the mother's character development more than the others.

Thx

[macnyc]

Posted: 3/15/15 at 12:24am

A wonderful puppet show with religious themes!

Updated On: 3/15/15 at 12:24 AM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/15/15 at 12:37am

No, it doesn't feel too small for Broadway by any means. It's a good fit for the Booth. I kind of wish the design were a bit... I don't know. It felt a little closed off in the space, but again, that's totally minor. It was fine.

*Maybe Spoilers?*
I just mean it's not a great play in the sense that I don't think it needs a Pulitzer or anything. I loved the comedy bits, but none of the jokes were all that fresh or new. I thought the opening scene was probably the best. I thought the climax of the whole evening was the puppet sex scene. Just flat out brilliant staged and acted and written, and I think that's how this show should have handled the more dramatic moments. After that scene, we had a scene where he yells something like "you killed him, you made him eat too much" or something and you could just feel this awkward tension in the audience, like, do we laugh at this? Is this a serious moment? I liked how the puppet sex moment helped alleviate that tension. We were laughing, but they were having a real conversation. To me that felt fresh and interesting, but the scenes that followed just felt forced. Even the big "fight" between him and the puppet didn't get many laughs because we'd already expelled all our laughs at the puppet sex scene. I think it's a 90min show, and they've stretched it. Honestly, if I could have been there for the development, I think it would have been kind of interesting to see if the climatic moment wasn't them at the church doing their presentation that resulted in the puppets having sex and all the drama being spilled, etc. I felt like the last couple of scenes felt forced, and the end monologue was...weird? I don't know. By no means did I hate it. I totally recommended it to like 10 people after I saw it. But I tend to find that with things I love, I nitpick.

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 3/15/15 at 12:57am

*possible spoiler*

the fight scene isn't suppose to be funny, when I saw it people were screaming which is the goal, its a really scary moment, this guy is smashing his hand with a hammer out of delusion or actual possession, its not that the play wasn't good its that you apparently didn't get it.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/15/15 at 1:04am

Didn't get it? What's there not to get? It's pretty straight forward.

And I'm not talking about that bit. I'm talking about the preceding 5mins of stage combat. And it's billed as COMEDY. I expect to laugh, so calm down. I'm not saying it's bad play. It's just just a good play with awesome performances.

[lightguy06222]

Posted: 3/15/15 at 2:31am

I was there for the first preview.

Absolutely stellar performances all around. The cast was SPOT on. The show felt tighter, the characters more developed, more three dimensional. They have ALL benefited from the work, and the process.

The show was incredible. Constant hysterics. Smiles, laughs, and tears.

Intermission was PERFECT. NECESSARY. and i couldn't WAIT to find out what happened next.

even though I've seen it off broadway, it was completely fresh, new, and exciting.

The show fit PERFECTLY in the booth. I doubt there's a bad seat in the house.

The direction and staging felt fluid and purposeful.

GORGEOUS set, great lights, great costumes.

of COURSE there were some 1st preview mistakes. Light cues too early, too late, some transitions that will still get work. but i see what they're doing, and I'm CERTAIN the kinks will get worked out.

GO SEE THIS SHOW.

you have no excuse not too. prices are incredible.

there will be tonys...

[lightguy06222]

Posted: 3/15/15 at 2:35am

and just to play devils advocate on the opposite end of the spectrum, any scene that DIDNT feature Jason/Tyronne seem to lag for ME. and I cpuldnt WAIT for Boyer to return to the stage

[Seperite]

Posted: 3/15/15 at 7:37am

I second the whole "conflicted" conclusion.

First, the good -- there are moments throughout the play that are hysterically, laugh-out-loud funny. The comedy works perfectly, it's laugh out loud funny, and the audience responded to every joke. The acting is superb, particularly by the mother, and, of course, the lead guy (Stephen Boyer) who spends most of the play talking to his hand...and yet, as an audience member, you are completely mesmerized, and convinced that he is actually speaking to another person. He is absolutely brilliant. And the audience...wow, were they wowed. Hooting and hollering and screaming with joy and adulation throughout (I don't know that I've ever heard as thunderous and excited a round of applause as I heard last night.)

As a comedy, it's phenomenal...but it's not (solely) a comedy. There are some very dark moments in the piece, replete with stage-fighting was executed superbly (it is likely the most violent and gory stage-play you're ever likely to see). The overarching point of the piece is also quite serious. When the play turned from comedy to exploring these themes, I was much less engaged. The "message" is delivered by a narrator at the beginning and end of the piece, in a direct and forward "this is our point" sort of way that is more reminiscent of a fourth grade classroom (sans the salty language) than a play. Subtle, it's not. And for me, it seemed out of place. When 90% of the play is a raucous, laugh-out loud, dirty comedy, with puppet sex and characters' pants falling down played for laughs, having the other 10% seriously tackle themes like the existence of the devil and the folly of religion seemed too stark a change of pace.

Brief notes:

The violence is pretty brutal: this is not a show for the kiddies.

The sex: Depicted more intensely than anything you'll see in Fifty Shades of Grey.

Finally, there were many on this board who castigated Honeymoon in Vegas for being demeaning to women, sexist, etc. You're likely to find much more fodder for ire in this piece. There were moments that were...uncomfortable.

The puppet sex: a direct copy of the same scene in Avenue Q. Pretty lame that they ripped off them off so transparently.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: DO NOT GET RUSH SEATS. DO NOT SIT IN THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE, ON THE EXTREME RIGHT (even numbered seats). YOU WILL REGRET IT. Much of the action takes place on the opposite end of the stage. And much of the play, of course, involves a man talking to his hand. If you're sitting in the front, on the extreme right, you will miss a good chunk of the action, be staring at actors' backs, etc. I get rush seats a lot, and am normally quite satisfied for the prices that I pay. Not this time. This will undoubtedly be a mega-hot ticket that will be tough to score, but if you can, splurge for the better seats. The "smallness" of the piece (primary character is, of course, a hand-puppet) make having the right seat crucial to enjoyment...do not sit in the even numbered seats in the front of the house.

Updated On: 3/15/15 at 07:37 AM

[LarryD2]

Posted: 3/15/15 at 7:50am

Call me the old fart in the room, but I didn't laugh once during the entire first act last night--so I didn't bother to stay for the second. If someone would care to enlighten me on what was "funny" about any of the proceedings, I'm all ears.

[macnyc]

Posted: 3/15/15 at 10:09am

****************SPOILERS*****************

I really enjoyed the play and agree with what other posters have said. Hand to God is very funny, filthy, well acted, surprising, and moving. I also thought certain scenes dragged, such as the one with Margery and the pastor. That went on forever, and without laughs, seemed to drag even more. There were a couple like that, but I think it's fairly simple to fix. The fight choreography was incredible and very intense. Act 1 ended on a note of complete chaos, which was great. The intermission is necessary so that the "demon" can do his work defacing the church basement. I didn't see Avenue Q, so I can't say that the sex scene was lifted from that. Either way, it was very funny. Regarding the ending, I would have been happier if the play ended with the humans having reached some form of resolution, rather than having Satan have the last word. But the play opened with Satan, so I guess it's fitting that it ended that way too. I'm torn.

END SPOILERS

Our TDF seats were in Row M of the center orchestra. Perfect view.

Larry, all I can tell you is that I heard a lot of laughter from my theater buddies and everyone else in the theater, so I don't know why you didn't enjoy it. Personal taste, I guess.




Updated On: 3/15/15 at 10:09 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 3/15/15 at 11:12am

". If someone would care to enlighten me on what was "funny" about any of the proceedings, I'm all ears."

How and why would anyone be able to explain what the vast majority of the people in that theatre found funny?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 3/15/15 at 12:35pm

Looking at tickets and found a comment from someone else about not sitting too far so that you don't miss some subtleties. I can get tickets either for Front Mezz or only 6 rows back in the right orch (on the aisle).

Any suggestions which might be "better"? I'm sure neither is bad.

[Kad]

Posted: 3/15/15 at 12:43pm

I would think the orchestra seat would be better. I sat in the front mezz last night and didn't feel as though I missed anything, but this would be a play that benefits from being a little closer, it being more based on performance than design.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 3/15/15 at 1:08pm

Thanks for the insight, Kad, I appreciate it.

[LarryD2]

Posted: 3/16/15 at 9:00am

How and why would anyone be able to explain what the vast majority of the people in that theatre found funny?

Pretty easily, I should imagine, if the vast majority of people were cackling their heads off and I seem to have been the only one who didn't enjoy it. Not to be like After Eight here, but I seriously did not find an ounce of humor in any of the first act, and I'm genuinely curious about what I seemed to miss.

People in my section were exploding with laughter every time a character said "and" or "the," it seemed. Of course, my row and the row in front of me were stocked with folks associated with the production; I'm pretty sure I was the only person in my row who wasn't connected to the show in one way.

Updated On: 3/16/15 at 09:00 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 3/16/15 at 9:43am

They were laughing because it was funny. I'm not sure if you want a breakdown of why they found it so.

[LarryD2]

Posted: 3/16/15 at 9:44am

K

[lightguy06222]

Posted: 3/16/15 at 6:47pm

this show isn't for blue haired ladies and their husbands.

and you're disappointed how they ripped off avenue q??? there was muppet sex before puppet sex.

and people have been using hand puppets and dolls in therapy for years. Puppets having sex was not a new concept that q invented.

[Glittergrrl]

Posted: 3/16/15 at 7:54pm

At the risk of embarrassing myself... Is this a scary show? I'm a bit of a pansy. I've seen and enjoyed some darker works... Saw Pillowman twice and I love Martin McDonough. Love Sweeney Todd. I thought it was more of a comedy.

[macnyc]

Posted: 3/16/15 at 8:02pm

There are some scenes that are harrowing/violent. I would call them, yes, scary. Not in a supernatural sense, but in the sense that they are upsetting.

[Kad]

Posted: 3/16/15 at 8:18pm

If you enjoyed the Pillowman, you'd be more than okay with this.

[Glittergrrl]

Posted: 3/16/15 at 8:54pm

Thanks macnyc and kad.

[Mr Smith]

Posted: 3/16/15 at 9:03pm

is the comedy like 39 steps