Kong or Lear?

Neither? Glenda Jackson's marvelous, but it's a pretty awful production of LEAR (and close to 4hours long). And KONG is an embarrassment.

Do you have any other options??

I honestly thought both were pretty damn terrible... Are these your only options?

Updated On: 4/16/19 at 08:28 AM

tombomb31 said: "One more slot to fill! Which King should I see?"

What other shows are you already seeing?

I'm not as down on Kong as everyone else seems to be here. If you're going for Pulitzer-worthy theatre then that definitely ain't it, but as a spectacle I thought it was extraordinary. Certainly like nothing I'd ever seen before on stage. That said, the success of the spectacle is really dependent on the enormity of Kong. So I'd only go if you can sit close in the orchestra and be overwhelmed by the scale of the puppetry and set design - I'd imagine it loses quite a bit from the mezz and balcony.

King Lear is one of the best things I've seen in a lifetime of theatergoing. Not just Jackson but the whole thing. I get why people don't like it... but if you have a slot and have the desire I wouldn't miss it. I believe it will be talked about for much longer than it's critics think.

King Kong is quite a spectacle. I didn't like it. I'm surprised the book and music could be quite as awful as they are... given all the development the show went through. But. You know what you're getting into... and it does deliver on the puppet.

JudyDenmark said: "Wondering why you're not considering some of the more highly acclaimed plays this season like Ferryman, TKAM, What the Constitution, Network? Did you already see them?

Interesting to prioritize Gary, Burn This, and/or Lear unless you're a big fan of someone in the cast.

Just curious!"

I’m a huge fan of Adam Driver so that’s why I am seeing Burn This.

Nathan Lane cracks me up and I’ve never seen him in anything but The Nance. Gary looks like it would be hilarious.

King Lear is seeming like it’s gonna be cut from my list so I’ll need one more.

Ive heard so much about Ferryman but I know nothing shout the story. Network does look interesting. Shockingly I’ve never been a fan of TKAMB.

I really am curious about Frankie and Johnny...would that be another good option? Love Audra !

I mean, if you're a fan of Nathan Lane, go see him. I did that with The Front Page, and while the show wasn't great, he's an absolute delight in anything he's in. You're bound to have a good time.

The Ferryman is the best show on Broadway right now, in my opinion. This cast is pretty solid, too, so I think you'll really enjoy it. It's a big, epic story, you should look it up!

I will echo Judy in that What the Constitution Means to Me should also be on your list! It's such a great show, and very quick.

EDIT: For Frankie and Johnny, that doesn't start previews until May 4th and won't open until June--I don't know what your dates are, but that might be a factor. I haven't heard anything regarding the show, but it's two great actors.

Updated On: 4/17/19 at 04:31 PM

Oh man, I had a whole reply typed and got called into a meeting, haha.

Thanks for others jumping on on The Ferryman! I agree that it's one of the best plays I've ever seen, and right now I think it's the frontrunner for the Best Play Tony. For a quick setup, it's a sweeping epic about a family in rural Northern Ireland during The Troubles (when there was conflict between one side wanting Northern Ireland to remain loyal to the UK, and the other side wanting to join with the Republic of Ireland to become one united Ireland). The writing and acting are exceptional across the board, and even though it's a hefty run time, you never feel it because there's so much intrigue. I'm someone who often gets bored in a long straight play, and this was the opposite of that. Highly recommended.

Network is kind of polarizing on these boards, but personally I loved it in large part for the innovation of the experience (the action is all live-streamed by steadicam onto giant screens in a really creative way, but it's so much more than that) and for the acting masterclass that is Bryan Cranston.

I'm going to plead the 5th on TKAM because I personally loathed it, but I know I'm in the minority on that and it's definitely an "it's not you it's me" situation. It's clearly a very polished production.

Totally different, but take a look at The Prom as well - hilarious, heartfelt, some brilliant performances, and it's poised to rack up a bunch of award nominations this season.

Also, seeing a show for the talent (Nathan Lane and Adam Driver in this case) is a totally valid reason! I was just curious about your list as a whole.

Regardless of what you end up with, have fun!

tombomb31 said: "So I bought a ticket to Hadestown because of the hype and great reviews. Well, I wish I had listened to the soundtrack first. It was torture to get through! What’s a solid musical to replace it with? Already seeing Cher Show, Prom, and Patti. In addition to some plays."



If you already have your Hadestown ticket, hang onto it. I saw it in early previews and really didn’t enjoy the live recording either. I had bottom of the barrel expectations despite the buzz and walked away LOVING it. There is something odd about that recording, I honestly couldn’t stand it and now it’s all I listen to after seeing the show. It’s just one of those shows that the music works better on stage, I suppose. Don’t miss it, it’s my favorite musical since Fun Home.



Also, don’t miss The Ferryman. I saw the original cast (but seeing the current cast right before it closes) and it’s sensational.