JUNK Previews — Page 2

I have to admit, you do make me laugh!

Updated On: 10/7/17 at 02:06 PM

sppunk said: "Want to see this at the end of the month since nothing else jumps out (Band’s Visit that night). Any discounts by chance?"

Received Theatermania code today

JKTM17

I found Act 1 to be incredibly gripping and then Act 2 to be a complete let down. There is an audience for it, but they don't come to the theater too often, so I'm not sure who will enjoy all of this. My best suggestion is to cut a bunch and make it a one act.

FWIW, the usher told me that the producers gave a BUNCH of notes when they saw the show on Saturday and they have a lot of work ahead of them. (what the usher actually knows, I don't know)

To me it was a lot of "technical" jargon and talk of "stocks" and "bonds," and they kept saying the word "Junk" over and over. And the characters weren't fleshed out or real people. And I thought some of the writing was amateurish. Particularly the narrator's stuff. I don't even really understand why we needed her there? Just to show that greed can happen to everyone? I just found it all very confusing, but not in a twisted narrative interesting way, but in a rather dull I don't care to figure it out sort of way.

I recently saw Junk, and I liked it quite a bit. The play moves at break neck speed, and I think it is safe to say that no scene in the play lasts longer than maybe four minutes at most. There is A LOT going on, and there A LOT of characters to keep track of.


This was my first time seeing a play with pacing this fast, and I thought it was quite intriguing and interesting. The staging, however, was quite problematic. I was sitting in the front row in the side 500s section (seat 505 - so I was not even all the way up against the wall), and I spent a lot of the time looking actors’ backs. The play is playing on a thrust, but it has been mostly directed as if it is playing in a proscenium.


Steven Pasquale is really great as Robert, and the rest of the cast is just as great. I thought the actresses playing the female reporter and Robert’s wife were both fantastic. I found it interesting that I was rooting for these characters even though what they were doing was wrong.


Overall, I would recommend this. I found it to be immensely engaging and enjoyable.

Updated On: 10/14/17 at 05:52 PM

You think Michael Aronov would have made it better?

This was a miss for me, not something I would recommend. Steven Pasquale was excellent but that's the only thing positive I found (I really like the Playbill cover too but I think the cover art of the Lincoln Center Newsletter would have been nicer especially for a window card). I'm not sure if it was the fact that none of the characters were likable or the fact that I don't have a background in finance which lost my interest. There isn't much of a set except for these tiered boxes, and I half expected Paul Lynde to make an appearance. During the final scene, Steven Pasquale was talking about something in finance which a few in the audience started laughing about but I was in the confused camp. If someone could explain that bit with a spoiler toggle would be appreciated.

Bernie Madoff? That could be it. I felt like I was missing some inside joke but I felt that way many times in this play even before the final scene. I think it would be a nice idea if the playbill came with some pamphlet that explained some of the financial references since this play is heavy on terminology the average person without an MBA wouldn't get.

I am very far from a financial guru, but I still really enjoyed this play, and I was able to follow it.

Agreed. I think to me it was just a lot of talk and not a lot like human interaction? I think it'll probably make for a great movie someday, but didn't work for me as a play.

If ever there was a timely companion piece to what is going on today - literally today - with the first of Bob Mueller's anxiously awaited indictments - it is JUNK. Fast paced, riveting, excitingly staged - a huge cast (22 strong a crazy number for a play) dynamite performances - Steven Pasquale, Michael Siberry, Joey Slotnick, Henry Stram, Rick Holmes leading the pack. Having sat through and enjoyed but was non-plused by the Torch Song Revival and Time & The Conways Junk gave my theater going this season the jolt it needed. Very much in the vein of the film The Big Short you get an education in what junk bonds are all about and the strategies of prosecution while making comment on the state of America and its commerce and the personalities and motivations involved. I sat all the way to the side in the orchestra level of the Beaumont and did not miss a thing, clever use of mirrors within the basic set reflected certain action which may have been missed form that angle but 95% of the show is performed on the thrust. Marketing feels odd on this show - not as sophisticated or intriguing as the show itself but I am sure the LCT subscriber base will help it find its audience. I highly recommend Junk but if films like The Big Short and Spotlight and procedurals are not your thing and dynamic staging and high energy performances wont make up the difference you may want to pass on it.

BroadwayConcierge said: "Just heard from a friend that tonight’s performance got cancelled in the middle of the show?? Anybody have any info on what happened?"

The sound board froze, according to a friend who was there.