NOW. HERE.THIS. - Reviews

Anyone think this is going to get ugly?

Isherwood in the TIMES - pretty much a RAVE and a choclate-covered Valentine to the cast!

"Good news, ardent fans of offbeat musical theater. The lovable gang from “[title of show]” is back with an endearingly goofy new diversion called “Now. Here. This.” Thin as a vanilla wafer but just as sweet, it opened on Wednesday night at the Vineyard Theater, where the same collaborators’ first show played before its little-engine-that-could chug to Broadway. (It closed pretty quickly, but still: Broadway!)

You remember the gang of course. The ginger-haired wisecracker Hunter, he of the obscure pop-culture references. Susan, of the majestic nose and deliciously dry inflections. The perky Jeff, with the Chelsea-boy good looks and peppy melodies. And Heidi, the wholesome sweetie with the heavenly voice.

But those of us who fell in love with “[title of show],” that delightfully self-conscious musical about putting together a delightfully self-conscious musical, probably consider its cast and creators something more than Facebook friends. I almost feel that somewhere in my closets gathering dust are little ceramic ashtrays made by the cast especially for me. Anyway, this fab foursome is as adorable as ever in its latest creation, a loose and loopy exercise in musical autobiography set during a Groupon outing they have undertaken to a natural history museum. The new show is less substantial — and memorable — than their first, which heaven knows was no “Sweeney Todd” in the heft department, for all its daffy charm. But the cast offers up its blend of good humor and good feeling with an audience-embracing brio that never flags. "
The Grey Lady, baby

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TheaterMania is a RAVE.


Meandering if Tremendously Entertaining

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Happy the show is getting good notices for the most part, especially from the Times.

Having only heard about it from BWW word of mouth and from a couple of my friends who saw the workshop last year, I really had no plans to try and catch it at the Vineyard. My boyfriend surprised me with tickets for my birthday, so I put on a happy face and went. Despite the first 30-or-so minutes lacking severely in any kind of enjoyable book and boasting a few enjoyable tunes (special mention to Jeff's hilarious "Dazzle Camouflage" number) that would really have worked better if the show were only a song cycle, the show really hits a high point about midway through and stays there. I found myself beside myself with laughter one moment (Hunter's father was in the audience and was pointed out by Hunter himself after sharing a particularly embarrassing father-son anecdote) and openly weeping the next (a sincere and extremely moving section devoted to coming to terms with a grandmother's death). The show is far from perfect and it thinks a bit too highly of itself, but as an enjoyable evening of theatre with four theatre artists who really love the hell out of what they do - and it's hard to ignore that they do it pretty damn well - it works just as it should. And if you walk away thinking about the theme "living in the now" for a few hours afterwards, then that's good too.

Sorry for the mini-review. Just realized I never actually shared my thoughts after I saw it.

I'm no great fan of the show, but I say this as objectively as possible -- methinks someone needs to rethink their definition of the word "rave."

These are positive reviews, but they are not raves. Isherwood's review, in particular, though enthusiastic, contains a number of not-so-positive qualifiers.

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The line about Hunter's father in audience is in the script. He's done it from the workshop, the first preview, to the night before opening.

Growl: This is true. Isherwood definitely points out elements in the show that he thinks don't work, and finds some parts banal and schmaltzy. But the overall tone is most definitely a rave.

He's fairly beguiled by the whole enterprise, weak spots and all. And his criticisms are leavened with creamy dollops of warm praise, cheering the casts' "winning personas, Mr. Bowen’s frisky songs and the generous doses of off-kilter humor" While admitting that he doesn't think the show is as strong as [title of show], he concludes with "Here’s hoping that the family forged by these talented folk — as well as Mr. Berresse and the musical director Larry Pressgrove, who helped conceive the show — will keep making sport of their misadventures, and keep making light but lively musical theater, for some time to come."

"Good news, ardent fans of offbeat musical theater. The lovable gang from “[title of show]” is back with an endearingly goofy new diversion called “Now. Here. This.”

"This fab foursome is as adorable as ever in its latest creation, a loose and loopy exercise in musical autobiography.... the cast offers up its blend of good humor and good feeling with an audience-embracing brio that never flags."

Those are killer pull-quotes. And that's a money review.

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Yes. As I said, that is a positive review.

And those are decent pull quotes.

It's just not a rave.

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Do people find Jeff Bowen exceptionally attractive?

Isherwood refers to his "Chelsea-boy good looks."

What the heck am I missing?

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No kidding? Huh. Not that I think he's unattractive, mind. I'm just always surprised that people mention his looks on the reg, so to speak.

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He has the head and face of an old man, but a nice torso.

It's a niche project and a vanity piece. It has no legs beyond this production. No disrespect to the creatives, but this piece can't be done regionally with others playing the leads. It's too random.

This run is not selling well. The die-hards have seen it, and the public isn't interested. The lab sold out almost instantly and this run has plenty of tickets.

This quartet is talented but they are lucky they have such avid supporters in The Vineyard. Something this random wouldn't see the light of day elsewhere.

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