Runaways at Encores Off-Center

I thought Enron would be the first and last time I saw people dancing around a stage in velociraptor masks, but I was wrong!

It was wonderful to see such a gloriously diverse cast of incredibly talented young actors all on stage together, but (and it's a big but) the show is a stinker. The show is like a hybrid of Hair and Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope, except without a strong score. And at the end of the day isn't the point of Encores to show off really wonderful scores?

The monologues were very dated, often causing them to lose what edge they once might have had. There were a couple ok songs, but most of it was lackluster, reminding me why the cast recording sits dusty on my shelf.

The last half really dragged and I was tricked by several endings, only to be plunged into despair that another monologue had begun.

On top of all this the audience around me was the pits. Seemed like all family members with bouquets of flowers ready to hoot and holler after their child performed. So much talking and cell phone use. The ushers tried their best, but it was hopeless. One usher came over and said to a man, "Turn your phone off," to which he replied, "Who are you, the FBI?"

Rough crowd. Rough show. Still not as bad as Irma, but it ranks down there with it as one of the lesser Encores.

I respect Whizzer's assessment but I have to disagree with it. I absolutely loved what I saw tonight. It's definitely not a traditional musical in any sense of the word; it has more in common with devised theatre than anything else. Some of the references are a bit dated but I didn't really find it distracting. I also appreciated the very conscious diversity of the cast, and I thought all the kids were great and I genuinely enjoyed watching each of them.

I was in the mezzanine and I didn't notice anything terribly egregious re: audience behavior except for someone recording one number on their phone...my only complaint about the audience was the applause after musical numbers where there clearly wasn't meant to be applause.

Updated On: 7/6/16 at 10:47 PM

I always respect and look forward to your opinions, perfectlymarvelous. I'm glad you were able to see something in Runaways that I couldn't. Despite the kids being so great I just couldn't connect with or become drawn into the material.

WhizzerMarvin said: "I always respect and look forward to your opinions, perfectlymarvelous. I'm glad you were able to see something in Runaways that I couldn't. Despite the kids being so great I just couldn't connect with or become drawn into the material. "

High praise from you, sir! :) Your reviews are always well thought out and fair and I appreciate them whether or not I agree with them.

It's definitely a piece that you're either going to be into or you're not; the friend I was with and another friend who was there tonight both loved it as well. I honestly have to think on what exactly hooked me about it, but it may just be that intangible thing that sometimes happens when a show really grips you. I'm also a great lover of musicals that push the form outward in some way. They're always really fascinating to me on an intellectual and artistic level, even if they don't totally work. Runaways obliterates the box and incorporates so many different styles of music and performance, and there's also something to be said for the impact of having genuine youthful energy on a stage. I also think it's important to note that Liz Swados was only 27 when she wrote and directed this show, and her youth definitely shows in ways that are both positive and not. Overall though it was effective for me, and I think it's worth looking at because of how wildly different it is from pretty much anything else in the canon, whether or not someone finds it personally satisfying.

Why did Whizzer start a new thread?

It is the kind of show that is meant for a small dilapidated East Village theatre. So in presenting it at City Center it becomes more of a concert version than an experience. And given that some of the talent is raw (which kind of works) some are working in broad strokes to either fill the space or find their characters. The talent was all over the map and the direction was so so.

Did anyone here see the original Broadway production? It ran 274 performances, which is nothing to sneeze at, and was nominated for 5 Tonys (Musical, Book, Score, Direction and Choreography).

"It is the kind of show that is meant for a small dilapidated East Village theatre. So in presenting it at City Center it becomes more of a concert version than an experience. "



That is basically the point of Encores Off-Center.

I saw the final dress on Tuesday and I quite enjoyed it. The cast of kids is truly phenomenal. Yes, my interest did wane in the final third, since the show has no real through-line and it's really sort of a collage with not much in the way of character, and I acknowledge that Swados' music is idiosyncratic and may not be for all tastes. I thought the piece is definitely worth revisiting- some aspects of it dated, but at its heart very much relevant. The diverse cast, with actors of all types, and prominent use of ASL and Spanish, is really what makes this worth seeing, though. That is a hard working and talented group and they really sell this show.

The program provided at the dress rehearsal gave no information about the kids- no bios, just a cast list. Does the full program contain bios? I was really curious about the backgrounds of the cast.

Kad said: "The program provided at the dress rehearsal gave no information about the kids- no bios, just a cast list. Does the full program contain bios? I was really curious about the backgrounds of the cast."

Yes, there are bios in the full Playbill. Not being involved in youth theater, I was surprised at the range of shows some of these kids have done. This page on City Center's website also has little info cards on all of the kids, but doesn't include theater credits.

CarlosAlberto said: "Awww, my heart just sank. I'm sorry you had such a bad experience at the show Whizzer.



Aww, thanks, but it does seem like I'm the outlier here, so if you were on the fence maybe you should still go see it. The bad audience members around me clearly affected my enjoyment, but my dislike of the show ran much deeper than the distractions nearby. Oh well- here's hoping I like the jamboree and Mr. Rosewater more!

WhizzerMarvin said: "CarlosAlberto said: "Awww, my heart just sank. I'm sorry you had such a bad experience at the show Whizzer.



Aww, thanks, but it does seem like I'm the outlier here, so if you were on the fence maybe you should still go see it. The bad audience members around me clearly affected my enjoyment, but my dislike of the show ran much deeper than the distractions nearby. Oh well- here's hoping I like the jamboree and Mr. Rosewater more!

Sorry to go off topic but has anyone heard any rumors about who might be at the Jamboree besides Foster, Groff and Tesori?



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