Mockingbird, Network, or Ferryman

[joytobroadway]

Posted: 1/2/19 at 4:19pm

Hello!

I am visiting at the end of the month. I have three show slots, only one is filled thus far with Waitress (really want to see Sarah as Jenna!), and want to see one of the plays currently getting lots of buzz. May see two plays but definitely want to see at least one, so I wanted to see what the consensus is between The Ferryman, Network, or To Kill a Mockingbird - if you had to pick just one?

There is potential for a fourth slot if I can make it from the airport in time Friday night but not buying anything for that night in advance, based off the advice I received here! Anyone think any of the standing room tickets for Network would still be available possibly minutes before the curtain on a Friday night in January?

Thank you in advance for your help!

[JBC3]

Posted: 1/2/19 at 5:26pm

These requests are always so hard to answer when you do not tell us the type of play you might most enjoy. All you can get here is a very small set of random responses from random people.

If you review the threads for these three shows you can get a real sense for whether or not you want to select one of them for your visit.

Ferryman: generally liked (strongly my many) with some dissenters. Longer show that is slow to start but finishes strong.

Network: Cranston and the unique production values turn this into an event, but many have found the other leads and the book to be lacking.

To Kill a Mockingbird: lots of positives for the acting and the storytelling, but some find it too Sorkinesque and do not like the adults playing kids.

[jared123]

Posted: 1/3/19 at 11:09am

in my preference.   

Ferryman!!!!

if you can see a second show, Network.   

I found Mockingbird underwhelming.   But maybe its improved since the preview i saw

[ilysespieces]

Posted: 1/3/19 at 3:14pm

Like others have said, it's really hard to make suggestions without knowing what kind of shows you like, but of those three I'd probably go with Ferryman or Mockingbird. I just wasn't that into Network as I was with the other two, but that's just my personal feelings, so you may love everything about Network that I didn't like. It's still a good show, but the staging just didn't keep me interested.

[Tapdance2]

Posted: 1/4/19 at 9:57pm

Tough, they’re all good shows. Think I’d go with Mockingbird, but could argue for any of the 3. Also, would love to have JBC3’s 2 sentence summation on all shows )

[BenElliott]

Posted: 1/4/19 at 11:15pm

This is a seriously tough one. I would probably go with To Kill a Mockingbird and The Ferryman. I'm seeing Network this weekend, but I've heard that aside from Cranston, the ensemble ranges from mediocre to bad.

[jbp1232]

Posted: 1/4/19 at 11:43pm

All three are good choices in my book but Ferryman is the clear winner. Network and Mockingbird both have their strengths and weaknesses, but Ferryman is pretty near perfect in my book.

[annang]

Posted: 1/6/19 at 1:02am

I've now seen all three. I loved Ferryman and hated the other two. They're Sorkin and Van Hove each applying their standard lacquer to works that don't need it or benefit from it, and the plays are bad versions of the book and movie, respectively.

Mockingbird has been Sorkin-ized beyond recognition, and now plays for shock value and sanctimony, stripping all the heart and poignancy of the book. I saw it with a black friend who cried afterwards, not because the play stirred emotions, but because she was so heartbroken that a book she loved had been ruined so thoroughly by a constant, unnecessary stream of the n-word and black characters being used as teaching tools for white characters.

Network, only Cranston is worth seeing, and had there been an intermission, I likely would have left because the lights were hurting my eyes. And I'm not particular sensitive to that sort of thing; it's just a play where best thing about it is the set, and the set is only interesting for the first few minutes, after which it's literally glaring. If you adore Van Hove and want to see his schtick again, I'd wait and see his West Side Story.

[pacificnorthwest]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 9:16am

I'm sure that this had been posted somewhere on these boards, but I absolutely loved this NY Times piece about the choreography, as it were, of The Ferryman. I was thinking about all these things, the comings and goings, the noise, the animals, the baby and more as I watched this show in amazement.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/04/arts/ferryman-broadway-butterworth-mendes-animals.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage&section=Theater

The Ferryman and this magnificent cast have a short shelf life. The show is set to close six months from today. Network closes in April, but my choice between the two would definitely be The Ferryman. Unlike some others here, I loved TKAM, but you'll have plenty of time to see it later.