TEETH Previews - New World Stages

[quizking101]

Posted: 10/18/24 at 6:54pm

Starting tonight!

Following its sold-out, extended run at Playwrights Horizons, TEETH is still hungry for more. Beginning this fall, the “brazen, cackle-worthy new musical” (The Washington Post) is setting up permanent residence at New World Stages!

Dawn O’Keefe is an evangelical Christian teen with a powerful secret not even she understands – when men violate her, her body bites back. That’s not a metaphor. From Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award® winner Michael R. Jackson (A Strange Loop) and Anna K. Jacobs (POP!), TEETH, based on the cult classic film of the same name, is a fierce, rapturous, and savagely entertaining new musical crackling with irrepressible desire and ancient rage – a dark comedy conjuring the legend of one girl whose sexual curse is also her salvation.

I’m going tonight. Is anyone else?

[jpbran]

Posted: 10/18/24 at 9:04pm

Next Sunday… looking forward to it. 🦷

[BOM]

Posted: 10/18/24 at 9:21pm

Loved this at Playwrights Horizons. Made the mistake of wearing a white sweater before the splash zone became a thing. Hope everyone seeing this has an amazing time!

[quizking101]

Posted: 10/19/24 at 12:10am

Okay, having seen this 4 times at Playwrights, I went in knowing fundamentally what to expect and there were still quite a few surprises. They fleshed out some more details, including more of the Brad/Dawn storyline and added a reprise of “When She Gave Birth” in the second half after “I’m Your Guy” to punctuate Dawn’s transformation.

The score hasn’t changed and the main storyline is essentially the same from the final Playwrights iteration. There are definitely more pieces of dialogue added in some scenes and some of the numbers were restated to include the ensemble and make use of the larger space. Some new stylistic elements were added to - some awesome (look up during the finale) and some…weird (orgasm confetti? the AI voice being changed to Australian?)

Alyse is on FIRE. She is putting her whole ladyparts in this show and she’s really dug in and found the more demented Dentata side of her to great effect. Jared Loftin was also the showstopper once again with “Born Again”. Finally, Andy Karl was a decent swap for Steven Pasquale. While Pasquale had more menace and played it as serious as a heart attack, Karl seemed more willing to lean into the camp - both work just fine. There was a stopdown for about 7 minutes during the finale when part of the set didn’t not collapse as planned and so the SMs had to unlock and manually knock down the wall.

I was in the “Splash Zone” and they actually give you a free poncho ($20 value) if you are in the first two rows…and you will need it because there is a LOT more blood this time around. One thing I will say is that I hope the moments where blood hits the audience become a bit more organic and not like they are leaning into a gimmick.

Even if you saw the Playwrights iteration, this is DEFINITELY worth revisiting!

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 10/19/24 at 12:16am

$34 rush in person and on Telecharge (closes 30 minute prior to performance) and $34 lottery on Telecharge

Thanks for the review quizking, looking forward to it!

[Dan6]

Posted: 10/19/24 at 2:07am

quizking, a practical question…sitting in third row, do we need ponchos or to be concerned about what we wear? Thanks!

[quizking101]

Posted: 10/19/24 at 8:17am

Dan6 said: "quizking, a practical question…sitting in third row, do we need ponchos or to be concerned about what we wear? Thanks!"

It would depend on how close to the center of the row you are. I don’t think you need a poncho, but being practical about what you wear couldn’t hurt. In the second row, I definitely got hit a few times, but I also didn’t hear anyone behind me say anything about being hit. (For context, I was B-107)

[Theater3232]

Posted: 10/19/24 at 11:30am

What is the running time?  Prior reviews listed 1 hour 55 minutes with no intermission?

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 10/19/24 at 11:53am

quizking101 said: "Even if you saw the Playwrights iteration, this is DEFINITELY worth revisiting!"

Thank you! It's exciting to hear they're still making changes. I thought they didn't quite make the manosphere bit work, Dawn got a little lost at the end when Dentata took over, and they rushed the ending for the pastor. I still had a great time but it could be an even stronger show if they're tightening up the book.

[quizking101]

Posted: 10/19/24 at 1:10pm

VintageSnarker said: "quizking101 said: "Even if you saw the Playwrights iteration, this is DEFINITELY worth revisiting!"

Thank you! It's exciting to hear they're still making changes. I thought they didn't quite make the manosphere bit work, Dawn got a little lost at the end when Dentata took over, and they rushed the ending for the pastor. I still had a great time but it could be an even stronger show if they're tightening up the book."

I think they actually fixed a good chunk of those problems last night.

As for runtime, we started at 8:08 and, including the 7 minute stopdown, we were out at 10:15

[bwayobsessed]

Posted: 10/20/24 at 11:33pm

Saw the show tonight. Wow what a wild ride. I went in not knowing what to expect and really had a great time. It feels totally to me very Carrie and Heathers with touches of Spring Awakening and Little Shop at times. I thought Brad’s plot was very interesting. The show in general takes a lot of ridiculous turns and it feels so right 

question for people who have seen it about the splash zone:

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

I felt like there wasn’t that much blood going towards the audience. It felt like the doctors hand was the one moment where blood was getting on the audience. I’d imagine when it rained front rows could’ve gotten some splash. But I wouldn’t describe it as super bloody. Think something didn’t happen tonight?

 

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 5:38pm

If they had any sense, they would have added an intermission to this for the transfer. By all accounts, there is a a perfect spot for an intermission. Oh well. If you get an aisle seat, you can easily create your own intermission for a quick bathroom run at New World Stages where the ushers and staff don’t give a f*ck about anything, unlike Playwrights Horizons where if you step out for any reason, you’re done. 

[bwayobsessed]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 8:17pm

Matt Rogers said: "If they had any sense, they would have added an intermission to this for the transfer. By all accounts, there isa a perfect spot for an intermission. Oh well. If you get an aisleseat, you can easily create your own intermission for a quick bathroom run at New World Stages where the ushers and staff don’t give a f*ck about anything, unlike Playwrights Horizons where if you step out for any reason, you’re done."

Adding an intermission would be super easy, there’s an obvious spot. That said I like it without 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 11:39pm

This was so great tonight. The audience was going wild and it was so much fun to be in a crowd so willing to go along for a wild ride. Andy is absolutely PERFECT for this so I’m happy to see him back onstage in something suited so well to him. But this whole cast is still having a ball and has only gotten better. 

If I had any criticism, the show could still use 10-15 minutes of trimming but it’s a small thing because it’s such a good time. I hope this is a hit for NWS. 

[Ptero2]

Posted: 10/22/24 at 12:11am

Changes I noticed between PH and NWS:

* A lot more blood! The ponchos are very necessary for at least the first row. They were a little too blatant about it at times (i.e. Godfrey directly pointing his stump arm at the audience and squirting blood at them) but mostly it was fun and will probably drive some good word of mouth for spooky season.

* There's a new reprise of Shame In My Body before Dawn sneaks out to see Dr. Godfrey.

* There's a reprise of When She Gave Birth before Dentata, and Dawn has a scene where she's convulsing on the bed while basically being possessed by Dentata instead of the immediate snap change to becoming Dentata from the PH version.

* There are lyric and book changes that more directly indicate that Dentata is in control of Dawn (ex: it's now "I wear *her* face like a monster mask" instead of "my face").

* Brad starts referring to himself as "Hero" at the end and also gives some indication that he has been possessed by some opposing force/god to Dentata.

* Ceiling dicks!

* The bed used for I'm Your Guy and the book scenes around it looks more like a real bed - and can even spin!

* A lot of book changes to remove ambiguity from the previous version. It's more explicitly mentioned why the other PKGs change, among other things.

* They added some more meat to Brad's scenes, which made him a little more sympathetic and less of an incel caricature.

All I can think of for now, but I'm sure there were more.

[bwayobsessed]

Posted: 10/22/24 at 8:15am

Ptero2 said: "

* A lot of book changes to remove ambiguity from the previous version. It's more explicitly mentioned why the other PKGs change, among other things.

* They added some more meat to Brad's scenes, which made him a little more sympathetic and less of an incel caricature.

All I can think of for now, but I'm sure there were more. "

I saw Sunday, did not see at PH. 
 

How did they justify why the other PKGs change? I missed that apparently….

 

I thought Brad’s whole plot was really interesting. I knew almost nothing about the show except for where the teeth are and this one really surprised me. I thought the arcs of Dawn and Brad do such a great job of showing how the psychological and physical abuse of Pastor bring them to their breaking point and prime them for being desperate for another way of life 

[Lot666]

Posted: 10/22/24 at 8:24am

Jordan Catalano said: "Andy is absolutely PERFECT for this so I’m happy to see him back onstage in something suited so well to him."

I'm so happy to hear this. I love Andy Karl and have been awaiting his return since the far-too-early closure of Groundhog Day.

[Lot666]

Posted: 10/22/24 at 8:24am

Ptero2 said: "Ceiling dicks!"

Come again?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/22/24 at 8:32am

At the end, a ton of them attached to string/netting fall from the ceiling and hang over the entire auditorium. Nearly pissed myself laughing. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 10/22/24 at 9:06am

I tried SO hard not to spoil that in my first preview review - but can confirm. The ceiling dicks are one of the singular greatest additions to this show 

[Ptero2]

Posted: 10/22/24 at 9:47pm

bwayobsessed said: "
How did they justify why the other PKGs change? I missed that apparently…."

The brief dialogue about the PKG girls hearing Dentata (presumably) talking to them in their dreams before they start the title song is new.

[bwayobsessed]

Posted: 10/23/24 at 12:03am

Ptero2 said: "bwayobsessed said: "
How did they justify why the other PKGs change? I missed that apparently…."

The brief dialogue about the PKG girls hearing Dentata (presumably) talking to them in their dreams before they start the title song is new. "

Is the idea that Dentata talks to them in their dreams and then they grow/find their teeth 

[yyys]

Posted: 10/23/24 at 12:07am

I'm excited for these changes!