LYSISTRATA JONES Reviews — Page 2

Otherwise you have the Caliber of Soul Calibur.

---

So relentless is this show in its meaninglessness, in fact, that it makes Beane's previous bubble-gum tuner, Xanadu, seem as emotionally resonant as The Iceman Cometh. Neither librettist Beane, composer-lyricist Flinn, nor director-choreographer Dan Knechtges has provided a single reason to justify the rampant, haunting emptiness that is masquerading as a free-for-all musical comedy. They simply unleash it, polished to a migraine-inducing gleam, apparently in hopes that by saying nothing it will speak for itself. Needless to say, it doesn't work.

Needless to say...see you in hell, Matthew!

---

The AP is mixed-to-negative

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/12/14/entertainment/e174136S12.DTL

---

Updated On: 12/14/11 at 09:07 PM

That's the new review!

Oh, no. I posted one from Variety, but it was not from the Broadway run.

---

The Philadelphia Inquirer is Positive:

http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20111214_Broadway_Review__Lysistrata_Jones.html

Backstage is a Rave:

"When I heard that 'Lysistrata Jones,' the nifty little musical presented Off-Broadway by Transport Group earlier this year, was making the leap to the Main Stem, I wasn't sure if its intimate charms would survive in a larger house. This cute update of Aristophanes' classic comedy worked quite well at the gym at Judson Memorial Church, where set designer Allen Moyer and director-choreographer Dan Knechtges transformed the space into a basketball court and a variety of settings at a small college, where the titular heroine wages a war against indifference.

Well, my fears were unfounded. Apart from a few new jokes and some heightened production values, 'Lysistrata Jones' remains unchanged and is as sharp and sassy as ever. The premise sounds paper-thin: A modern-day, cheerleading Lysistrata takes a cue from her ancient Greek predecessor and persuades her fellow pompommers to withhold their sexual favors from the basketball team until the apathetic athletes actually win a game. It sounds as if it could barely support a 10-minute comedy skit. But book writer Douglas Carter Beane, who worked similar wonders with the stage version of the cult junk film "Xanadu," transforms this slender idea into a fully fleshed-out, stereotype-shattering comedy. Beane's dialogue explodes with powerful puns and quips, while Lewis Flinn's lyrics are equally playful and his music spicily combines traditional show sounds with such influences as hip-hop and bubble-gum pop..."

http://www.backstage.com/bso/content_display/reviews/ny-theatre-reviews/e3i45e874211a4a731331ee51d784323260

---

Updated On: 12/14/11 at 09:57 PM

The Huffington Post is Positive:

"'I am older than time and there is only ever one story,' says the character Hetaira, a spirit who shadows the action in the new Broadway musical Lysistrata Jones. Hetaira, played by Liz Mikel, is the odd one out, but also the greatest source of wisdom -- and other times humor -- in this irreverent show that updates Aristophanes' Lysistrata for modern times. With Greek tradition in place only for its format and framework, the show runs wild. Douglas Carter Beane's book is chock full of contemporary cultural references to Siri, Newt Gingrich, and sexting. Along the same lines, director Dan Knechtges plays up gags for the audience's delight.

The play centers on Lysistrata Jones (Patti Murin), a student at Athens College who, after learning the history and heritage of her namesake, decides to organize the women of her school to impose a sex boycott on their basketball-playing boyfriends until the team wins a game. After the guys rebel, this standoff escalates to the point where neither side can remember why they ever entered into this no-holds-barred war, and 'Lizzie J' winds up the school pariah. The play never takes itself too seriously, and draws upon both Greek and Broadway traditions..."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/danny-groner/lysistrata-jones-aristoph_b_1149689.html

---

Hopefully that Brantley rave will sell some tickets. Even if it's not the best musical ever, it deserves to stay open for at least a few months.

This is kind of exciting. I can't wait to see if the NYT rave turns into increased ticket sales. I guess it could go either way. Didn't BRIGHTON BEACH get raves and then close after 9 performances?

I wonder if the producers of this show will give it a chance...we will wait and see!

It's looking more and more like BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON; one of those shows a number of critics embrace but is having trouble catching fire with audiences. The reviews could yield a run, but then again, like BLOODY BLOODY it'll ultimately fail to ignite with theatergoers.

Sorry, a little off topic, but is it just me or does it seem like shows that open in the Fall season don't last as long as those that open in the Spring?

Congrats on the raves LJ!

Theatermania is Positive:

http://www.theatermania.com/broadway/reviews/12-2011/lysistrata-jones_46241.html