REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES Reviews- Page 2

[hayden6]

Posted: 4/27/25 at 10:44pm

The energy in the theatre tonight was electric! There was so much love for this cast and crew & they really earned the mid-show standing ovation after the title number.

I did notice some tightening in the book after having seen it during previews. I love everything they’re doing — the cast, the score, the costumes, the lighting, the sets are all beautiful! I’m already looking forward to seeing it again.

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/28/25 at 12:00am

So the best reviewed new musicals of the season look like Maybe Happy Ending, Dead Outlaw...and Real Women Have Curves.

[TheatreMonkey]

Posted: 4/28/25 at 12:13am

MemorableUserName said: "So the best reviewed new musicals of the season look like Maybe Happy Ending, Dead Outlaw...and Real Women Have Curves..."

My problem with quick analysis like this is that they aren't ...weighted or curved. For instance, MHE got 14 positives, no mixed or negatives, from a total 14 reviews -- but Just In Time was reviewed a total of 19 times, receiving 13 positives, 5 mixed, 1 negative. What if five more reviews came out for MHE and weren't all raves?

I think you have to correct for the difference in total number of reviews to be most accurate.

[djoko84]

Posted: 4/28/25 at 12:37am

TheatreMonkey said: "MemorableUserName said: "So the best reviewed new musicals of the season look like Maybe Happy Ending, Dead Outlaw...and Real Women Have Curves..."

My problem with quick analysis like this is that they aren't ...weighted or curved. For instance, MHE got 14 positives, no mixed or negatives, from a total 14 reviews -- but Just In Time was reviewed a total of 19 times, receiving 13 positives, 5 mixed, 1 negative. What if five more reviews came out for MHE and weren't all raves?

I think you have to correct for the difference in total number of reviews to be most accurate."

You also can't just go by a thumbs up or thumbs down. Each review has to be read because not all thumbs ups are all-out raves. Siskel and Ebert popularized the thumbs up and thumbs down and most of the thumbs ups were not Best Picture material.

[TheatreMonkey]

Posted: 4/28/25 at 12:58am

djoko84 said: "TheatreMonkey said: "MemorableUserName said: "So the best reviewed new musicals of the season look like Maybe Happy Ending, Dead Outlaw...and Real Women Have Curves..."

My problem with quick analysis like this is that they aren't ...weighted or curved. For instance, MHE got 14 positives, no mixed or negatives, from a total 14 reviews -- but Just In Time was reviewed a total of 19 times, receiving 13 positives, 5 mixed, 1 negative. What if five more reviews came out for MHE and weren't all raves?

I think you have to correct for the difference in total number of reviews to be most accurate."

You also can't just go by a thumbs up or thumbs down. Each review has to be read because not all thumbs ups are all-out raves. Siskel and Ebert popularized the thumbs up and thumbs down and most of the thumbs ups were not Best Picture material."

Exactly! That's one reason I don't like the BWW Review Roundups because they assign thumbs to non-starred reviews, and then assign a percentage at the end; how do you decide a numbered score on a review that doesn't have one and is now being subjectively rated based on one editors read of it? (What, if any, is the criteria to make one mixed review a 75% or another 60%?)

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/28/25 at 9:28am

Sometimes I forget how exhausting the people on this board can be...but I'm always reminded.

A) "Best reviewed new musical" is not that serious and was certainly not intended to be a determination made with absolute scientific and mathematical precision. 🙄

B) Reviews and the way people read them are inherently subjective. Different people can interpret the same review very differently (as we've seen in the many arguments on these boards over what's positive/mixed/negative, or in the differences betweek DTLI and BWW's determinations), and yes, full reviews should always be read.

C) It was supposed to be just a fun (remember fun?) little comparison based on easily accessible and nicely visual information. DTLI collected most (though not all) reviews from major sources, made their own determination of what was positive/mixed/negative based on their reading (so that was at least a constant, as much as it's possible to have one), so that could be compared. Everyone is welcome to take as much or as little from that as possible, or dig deep and provide their own weighting and mathematic analysis as desired.

dramamama essentially did the same here comparing the DTLI reviews if anyone wants to reprimand her for improper weighting. (Oh, the weighting!)

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/28/25 at 9:31am

To throw more fuel on the fire, someone on Reddit did their own chart comparing DTLI and BWW's scores (though BWW is still missing some of this show's reviews). Take as much or as little from it as desired.