M. BUTTERFLY Reviews

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 11:05am

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 11:17am

This should be interesting 

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 8:27pm

The Chicago Tribune seems mixed...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/reviews/sc-ent-m-butterfly-review-1027-story.html

[A Canadian in NYC]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 9:01pm

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "The Chicago Tribune seems mixed...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/reviews/sc-ent-m-butterfly-review-1027-story.html"

“Seems” being the operative word... I didn’t follow that review at all No mention of the actors performances - good or bad?? The sets? Most bizzare.

[A Canadian in NYC]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 9:01pm

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "The Chicago Tribune seems mixed...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/reviews/sc-ent-m-butterfly-review-1027-story.html"

“Seems” being the operative word... I didn’t follow that review at all No mention of the actors performances - good or bad?? The sets? Most bizzare.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 9:01pm

Matt Windman is negative...
https://www.amny.com/entertainment/m-butterfly-review-a-disastrous-broadway-revival-1.14636469

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 9:36pm

Daily Beast, Deadline and Newsday are positive

https://www.thedailybeast.com/sex-sexuality-and-spying-the-subtle-genius-of-m-butterfly-on-broadway

http://deadline.com/2017/10/clive-owen-m-butterfly-broadway-review-1202195506/

https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/theater/m-butterfly-review-1.14622484

WSJ, Daily News and Hollywood Reporter are negative

https://www.wsj.com/articles/m-butterfly-review-too-busy-to-take-flight-1509064201

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/theater-arts/julie-taymor-m-butterfly-clive-owen-lackluster-affair-article-1.3590902

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/m-butterfly-theater-review-1052046

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 9:51pm

Brantley is not a fan

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/26/theater/review-m-butterfly-david-henry-hwang-julie-taymor-broadway.html?smid=tw-nytimesarts&smtyp=cur

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 10:04pm

EW gives it an A-

http://ew.com/theater/2017/10/26/m-butterfly-broadway-review/?utm_campaign=entertainmentweekly&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&xid=entertainment-weekly_socialflow_twitter

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 10:39pm

Guessing this'll be on TDF next week.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 10:56pm

Catty Brantley is always my favorite Brantley. “M. Moth.” LOL.

[carnzee]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 10:59pm

BroadwayConcierge said: "Catty Brantley is always my favorite Brantley. “M. Moth.” LOL. "

His Anastasia review was a masterpiece of the genre.

[Lot666]

Posted: 10/27/17 at 8:57am

BroadwayConcierge said: "Catty Brantley is always my favorite Brantley. “M. Moth.” LOL."

I despise him.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 10/27/17 at 8:59am

So Lion King was a fluke? 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 10/27/17 at 9:10am

carnzee said: "BroadwayConcierge said: "Catty Brantley is always my favorite Brantley. “M. Moth.” LOL. "

His Anastasia review was a masterpiece of the genre."

I love the M. Moth opening sentence! I also found his Anastasia review to be quite amusing.

[Gizmo6]

Posted: 10/27/17 at 9:28am

Wow, I wonder will this be still on for when I have my ticket at the end of November. 

[newintown]

Posted: 10/27/17 at 9:42am

"So Lion King was a fluke?"

Only if you think it's good.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 10/27/17 at 10:10am

newintown said: ""So Lion King was a fluke?"

Only if you think it's good."

I think the first ten minutes is stunning beautiful, sadly what follows is 110 minutes of pure boring crap 

[raddersons]

Posted: 10/27/17 at 10:11am

I love catty Brantley because even though he makes snide jokes, he brings up talking points that are still deep dives. Compared to Jesse Green, who says something is awful and then bashes it for a page. 

[newintown]

Posted: 10/27/17 at 10:15am

"I think the first ten minutes is stunning beautiful, sadly what follows is 110 minutes of pure boring crap."

I agree. I think that may be what makes it so popular. There's nothing pesky, like content, to distract the audience from the colors, shapes, and movement.

[BJR]

Posted: 10/27/17 at 10:30am

I disagree with Brantley nearly completely, and think Chris Jones in the Chicago Tribune nails it.

There's little point pining for the original version, because I don't think it would play today. As Jones notes, the roles of East and West have changed and the metaphors for them in the play would seem outdated and pat. What's more, I'd argue the gender reveal would be insensitive and inappropriate today: it can't be the point of the play.

That said, the revisions do come with a price, namely the suspense of that reveal and the spell the audience falls under along with Gallimard.

And IMO Owen is underwhelming and has little stage presence and Ha is wonderful (hence why I completely disagree with Brantley.) And I found the physical production to be beautiful and expressive but had trouble giving clarity to the new complexities of the script.

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 10/27/17 at 11:30am

Worth noting: Brantley and some others do not mention SPIDER MAN anywhere in their reviews, which I think is admirable (even if their MB reviews are negative). Also no mention of Spidey in Chicago Trib, Hollywood Reporter, Daily News, Guardian, and maybe otherrs too.

[newintown]

Posted: 10/27/17 at 11:51am

They're probably afraid that if they say the name, someone will try to revive it.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 10/27/17 at 12:07pm

There is nothing wrong with a couple hours of "colors, shapes, and movement." The problem is one of genre; in the theatre we expect all of those things to be in the service of storytelling. 

[wexy]

Posted: 10/27/17 at 1:42pm

Dollypop said: "Guessing this'll be on TDF next week."

It's there now !