ILLINOISE Reviews — Page 3

ColorTheHours048 said: "dramamama611 said: "I have an absolutely silly question: How is this pronounced? With or without the 'S'. I've been assuming WITH, because of the inclusion of the E. (Ill-i-noise) But since the title refers to the state, maybe not.

Anyone know??"

It’s pronounced as written (ill-i-noise) and is an allusion to the cover art of Sufjan’s album Illinois (pronounced like the state), which says “Come on! Feel the Illinoise!”"


also just adding to the perfect response colorthehours made is when I watched the interview that Justin Peck made during the promotion of the show at the armory he pronounced it as ill-i-noise as well.

Updated On: 4/25/24 at 11:23 PM

As mentioned above

Updated On: 4/25/24 at 11:31 PM

I overheard the merch desk dude say something about sales being limited. I "think" he said they limited how many they sold at each performance per design. (They're like 50 bucks!)

Updated On: 4/26/24 at 11:33 PM

Jordan Catalano said: "Forgot to add, I spoke to cast afterwards and they are doing a cast recording."

Because I'm seemingly obsessed with this beauty of a show and an insomniac, I re-read this last page of posts and audibly gasped to see this. Since Jordan and I posted at the same time, I didn't notice it earlier.

I cannot wait. And yes, the original will suffice perfectly until release.



As long as I get back into the St James again. And again.

Updated On: 4/26/24 at 03:37 AM

Shara is in the video at 1:55........she also opened the show I saw in 2005!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKZYb_S_KBg

Updated On: 4/26/24 at 08:46 AM

Deadline is positive.

https://deadline.com/feature/broadway-show-reviews-spring-2024-1235866317/

Deadline’s takeaway: The final Broadway production of this crazy busy 2023-24 season is also one of its most exhilarating: Illinoise is a thrilling and absolutely gorgeous dance celebration of singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens’ 2005 early-career masterpiece LP Illinois, using a large cast of dancer-actors – and three excellent singers, along with that extra “e” at the end of the show title – to flesh out the loose story that might (or might not) have stayed hidden in the grooves of the concept album all along."

Hollywood Reporter is positive.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/arts/illinoise-review-sufjan-stevens-justin-peck-broadway-theater-1235882171/

Illinoise will be a religious experience.

It’s hard to single out individual dancers in such a stellar company, but Ubeda is wonderful, channeling Henry’s innocence as much as the happiness or devastation that envelops him at different points.

The lead dancers are also more than capable actors — Cook makes Carl a blond golden boy, with so much magnetic energy that watching him break under the weight of ineffable sadness rips your heart out. No less moving is Diaz, who embodies both the pathos and the dignity with which Shelby accepts her fate.

Theatremania is positive.

https://www.theatermania.com/news/review-iillinoise-i-on-broadway-makes-audiences-hearts-dance-to-sufjan-stevens_1738430/

In a mostly dire season for musicals, the ones that actually have an imagination automatically stick out. They might not work all the way, but I’ll take a show that’s trying to do something over a chintzy production which has no discernible point of view. Justin Peck’s folk ballet Illinoise, an eleventh-hour entry into this Tony Awards race (so late that its first preview and opening night were the same 2pm Wednesday matinee), is perhaps the most original new musical of the past year.

Ubeda and Cook have scintillating chemistry, and they wear as much emotion on their faces as they hold in their bodies. It’s no wonder they both received Outer Critics Circle Award nominations earlier in the week — without saying a word, you understand their whole journey in just the language of their movement.

Updated On: 4/26/24 at 01:33 PM

I had a few sightline issues at the St. James. The audience rake in the orchestra isn't very good for seeing the stage floor and, as with a lot of dance, a good part of ILLINOISE takes place on or near the floor. I'm tall and the tall person in front of me forced me to do a lot of bobbing and weaving to follow the action. However, having enjoyed it at the Armory, I much preferred it at the St. James where the intimacy of the space and the acoustics allowed me to appreciate even more of the nuances in the dancing and acting of the piece, as well as the music and lyrics. I love this show and I hope it does well in its transfer.

I’d be surprised if the Times reviewed this again. They’ve already done so twice (very positive from their theater critic, quite negatively from their dance critic). You never know though, stranger things have happened.

I’m still surprised so many seem to be declaring this a musical. I suspect the New York City Ballet would be surprised to hear that they’ve actually been performing musicals for years. It’s a great show and it’s a pity the Tonys don’t have a category for shows that don’t fit inside the standard boxes like the Oliviers do. I hope this will encourage more people to check out more dance, there’s plenty of amazing stuff in that world that doesn’t get the audience it deserves.

I love this! The Los Angeles Times review about the book is spot on!


“Admittedly, the book by playwright Jackie Sibblies Drury and director and choreographer Justin Peck is more of an evolving scenario than a discernible drama. But the dreamlike production is thematically anchored. A compromise is struck between the theater’s proclivity for story and dance’s penchant for abstraction, allowing audience members to connect narrative strands in their own way.

Personally, I was relieved not to bear witness to another forced marriage between script and score. When the book musical works — as it does gloriously this season in the revival of “Merrily We Roll Alone”— there’s nothing more satisfying. But for every Stephen Sondheim masterpiece there’s a barrage of jukebox and movie musicals eager to cash in on the forgiving nostalgia of theatergoers.

“Illinoise” is conceived holistically. The work’s structure seems to have organically arisen from artists responding to one another, inspiration begetting inspiration. The result, grounded in love, is path-clearing”

Thank you Charles McNully!

Any chance this will extend? I can’t make it back before it closes and for next week I bought Cabaret tickets months ago when I shouldn’t have seemingly wasted my money and got tickets for this. Grrr

sppunk said: "Any chance this will extend? I can’t make it back before it closes and for next week I bought Cabaret tickets months ago when I shouldn’t have seemingly wastedmy money and got tickets for this. Grrr"

i don't think they'll decide on that until the Tony Awards. I'm sure there will be another Bway house they could transfer to in Sept.