Got to the box office around 5.15 just to ask what the rush policy was - to my surprise there were some tickets left for tonight, the first preview, so I grabbed one. My seat was the house left outermost seat in Row B (this theatre also has Rows AA and BB), with plenty of legroom to the side (not against a wall, though the row in front is).
mild spoilers ahead.
all I knew about the show going in was that 'it wasn't just Michael Moore and a mic', and that's correct. There are some props and scenery, and music and lighting is used very well. I'd say only about half the material is Trump-related, lots of his own personal stories about growing up, Glenn Beck and Flint crisis. There's also a guest-segment, and tonight it was Judah Friendlander from 30 Rock - I presume the guest thing will go in a similar way to 'Oh, Hello', though the mini-interview is politics-based so perhaps not as traditionally big-named as the guests for Oh, Hello. If Tina Fey, for instance, doesn't talk politics, then she wouldn't do well here.
The show actually ran over two hours when it was billed as 90 minutes. If I was the director I would probably cut a few segments - the bit about Gov Cuomo didn't land too well, and some time could be saved simply by tightening the show as well. The audience interaction bit was hit-and-miss, though Moore will get better at this as the run continues.
Some parts are actually surprisingly hard-hitting and candid. He talks openly about the attempts that have been made on his life and what happened to his book deal following 9/11. The story about Flint is extremely moving, too. Letting Moore draw attention to that justifies this being on Broadway alone.
Overall I really enjoyed it, and wouldn't say that you'd have to be a politico to get a lot out of it. This, for me, definitely deserves its place on Broadway with a very candid and entertaining turn from Moore. As DAME said, one thing this production is not is boring. It is no dry political lecture, Moore briskly moves from bit to bit with a lot of energy and self-deprecation. He really is putting in a lot of effort and it shows. I think everyone that sees this will have a terrific night out. It is somewhat preaching to the converted but I guess that is inevitable. Though I'd love to see what happens when a Trump-voting tourist from Arkansas/Mississippi/Montana etc buys a ticket from TKTS not knowing what the show is! I'd give it four stars out of five.
Also - I stage doored and Michael was great. I left after I got my playbill signed to give other people room so don't know how long he stayed. But he seemed happy to be talking to people - though for how long that lasts I don't know!
Looking forward to reading other people's thoughts and the type of guests that make an appearance in future.
Updated On: 7/29/17 at 11:42 PM