THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/13/06
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews#1
Posted: 10/13/21 at 9:32am
Thoughts of a Colored Man officially opens on Broadway tonight, October 13, at the John Golden Theatre.
As the sun rises on a single day in the pulsing heart of Brooklyn, seven Black men are about to discover the extraordinary - together. By Keenan Scott II, one of today's boldest new voices, Thoughts of a Colored Man blends spoken word, slam poetry, rhythm, and humor into a daringly universal new play. Welcome to the vibrant inner life of being Black, proud, and thriving in the 21st century.
The Thoughts of a Colored Man ensemble cast features Dyllón Burnside (FX's "Pose,"
, Bryan Terrell Clark (Hamilton), Da'Vinchi (Starz's upcoming "Black Mafia Family", Grammy Award® nominee Luke James (Showtime's "The Chi", Tony Award® nominee Forrest McClendon (The Scottsboro Boys), Grammy Award nominee Tristan Mack Wilds (HBO's "The Wire", and Esau Pritchett ("Prodigal Son".
Had the great pleasure of seeing this show over the weekend and I could not recommend it enough.
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews#3
Posted: 10/13/21 at 9:12pm
Critics are starting to chime in with their reviews. So far, they appear to be pretty mixed on Thoughts of a Colored Man.
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Review-Roundup-THOUGHTS-OF-A-COLORED-MAN-Opens-On-Broadway-20211013
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews#4
Posted: 10/13/21 at 9:23pm
Jeffrey Karasarides said: "Critics are starting to chime in with their reviews. So far, they have welcomed Thoughts of a Colored Man with open arms.
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Review-Roundup-THOUGHTS-OF-A-COLORED-MAN-Opens-On-Broadway-20211013"
Not quite open arms… the Times didn’t love it, and both Time Out NY and Variety gave mixed reviews.
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews#5
Posted: 10/13/21 at 10:09pmDef mixed reviews. Very “I wanted to like it but didn’t” vibe. I’d still love to hear more about these flourishes and stuff. Why does this show cost so much??
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews#6
Posted: 10/13/21 at 11:36pm
Not-great reviews from several Black critics, which feels like it needs to be noted after last weekend's convo.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/13
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews#7
Posted: 10/14/21 at 12:22am
It's absolutely brilliant and was totally packed when I saw it a few days ago. This won't need critics to sell, it's already doing so and to an audience that's been ignored for FAR too long on Broadway.
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews#8
Posted: 10/14/21 at 1:32am
…a no name show with a no name cast … won’t need reviews to sell… ok… but hope you’re right!
Updated On: 10/14/21 at 01:32 AMBroadway Star Joined: 5/6/16
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews#9
Posted: 10/14/21 at 6:17am
SouthernCakes said: "…a no name show with a no name cast … won’t need reviews to sell… ok… but hope you’re right!"
For the world outside of broadway...luke James is famous. You are ignorant.
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews#10
Posted: 10/14/21 at 10:23am
Yes, papering the house is common for press performances, Sutton, which might explain the "packed" nature of it. It looks less than half full for tonight and the majority of performances in the coming week (which will also likely have second-night press), so "packed" it is not. I wish it well. I don't object to its brilliance, but brilliant art is different than something that large numbers of people want to pay to see.
And rg, if Luke James (or anyone else in this play) were actually as famous as you say he his, his agent would have negotiated for his name to be above the title, and the producers would be promoting his name in all the advertising. He may have 1 million instagram followers, which is far more than Rob McClure or even Audra McDonald, but that doesn't mean people are looking to spend $50+ to see him in a play on stage.
There are some quotes they can advertise from lesser publications than the NYT, and the GMA piece yesterday was quite good, so the numbers might see a moderate boost. But at this point, the play is far from a hit.
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews#11
Posted: 10/14/21 at 10:37am
As with A DOLL'S HOUSE PART 2, I wonder how much the title THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN is hurting or helping the show's audience appeal? This is anecdotal and not scientific by any stretch, but I have heard grumbling from several friends in the Black community about the title...so it might be alienating audiences of all races.
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/26/19
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews#12
Posted: 10/14/21 at 10:53am
ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "As with A DOLL'S HOUSE PART 2, I wonder how much the title THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN is hurting or helping the show's audience appeal? This is anecdotal and not scientific by any stretch, but I have heard grumblingfrom several friends in the Black community about the title...so it might be alienating audiences of all races."
The title is definitely an issue. A few black relatives of mine who I go to see shows with wouldn't even be curious to find out about the details of the show because of the title. I think it might particularly be alienating to older black audiences.
Broadway Star Joined: 11/18/13
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews#13
Posted: 10/14/21 at 4:23pm
I do hope to see this in a few weeks once the show I'm in closes. The reviews are promising enough. But the ticket sales have me concerned it won't be open when I'm back in the city.
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews#14
Posted: 10/14/21 at 4:29pm
Falsettolands said: "I do hope to see this in a few weeks once the show I'm in closes. The reviews are promising enough.But the ticket sales have me concerned it won't be open when I'm back in the city."
I am going to assume they at least have enough money in the bank to run another month at low ticket sales, considering the hefty budget? But we should expect this to close in January or sooner unless there's a massive uptick in sales. Or if it's somehow secretly doing sustainable business (unlikely).
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews#15
Posted: 10/14/21 at 5:11pmCall me ignorant all you want, but the facts are the facts. The show is not selling out, not making money, and there are no “name” stars in the show. But go off, sis. Glad you liked it.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/13
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews#16
Posted: 10/14/21 at 5:22pmYou haven't seen it, you know nothing about it. So sit down and shhhhh....
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews#17
Posted: 10/14/21 at 5:26pmAnd I’ve never stated my opinion on the show. So what’s your point? The show cost as much as the Lehman Trilogy to produce. For whatever reason, it’s an expensive show. And the numbers just aren’t there. And the reviews were pretty mixed. So time will tell.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/13
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews#18
Posted: 10/14/21 at 8:11pm
Time will tell. It's a great show and I hope it's successful.
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews#19
Posted: 10/16/21 at 12:24pm
Saw this show again. Regardless of what baseless review Maya offered from
the NY Times, this show is moving, kind and expresses so many shades of the Black male experience. As a white person, I usually feel attacked with subject matters of equality. This was funny, insightful and inviting.
I think if they keep going more will know and feel the same
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/13
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews#20
Posted: 10/16/21 at 12:28pm
Correct. Thanks, Troy. With this board being so white, I hope people will give it a chance and not feel weirdly "attacked" by the title or by the uncomfortable conversation of equality.
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews#21
Posted: 10/16/21 at 1:47pmHonestly I’m just so curious as to why it has such a large budget? Seems like a reasonably sized cast, the set is small and just uses projections. So what makes it cost the same as Lehman Trilogy? Seems like some wonky producing.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/13
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews#23
Posted: 10/16/21 at 5:47pm
troynow said: "Saw this show again. Regardless of what baseless review Maya offered from
the NY Times, this show is moving, kind and expresses so many shades of the Black male experience. As a white person, I usually feel attacked with subject matters of equality. This was funny, insightful and inviting.
I think if they keep going more will know and feel the same"
Troy, I’d love to hear more about the physical production since you’ve seen it a few times!
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews#24
Posted: 10/16/21 at 7:57pmThe set is extremely sparse. It’s just some scaffolding with a level or two and the word COLORED in huge grey letters in the center. It makes use of a lot of projections and the lighting is quite nice as well.
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN - Reviews#25
Posted: 10/17/21 at 3:33amThanks Totally! Still baffled this costs so much to produce. Interesting.
Videos
