The Play That Goes Wrong vs. Bandstand- Page 2

[asimplegal2]

Posted: 8/23/17 at 1:55pm

I haven't seen Bandstand, but I can say that TPTGW is a really fun night and memorable experience!

[jbird5]

Posted: 8/23/17 at 1:58pm

See TPTGW with the original cast before they leave.  Bandstand was meh.

[Melanie73]

Posted: 8/23/17 at 2:17pm

I've personally seen both, and I enjoyed both.  However, I must recommend Play That Goes Wrong a bit more.  If you guys like farces, I promise you'll love this show.  I saw it when I was going through a really rough time, and it was such a healing experience to just laugh endlessly for an evening.  I also feel like it'll be a good complement to the other shows you're going to be seeing that weekend!  Also, the original cast are ending their run on 17th September, and what a treat it is to see these amazingly talented people in the production they wrote and developed themselves (and the production that brought them to great acclaim in the UK and all across Europe).

How about a suggestion?  If you guys have an hour to spare, you can look up "Peter Pan Goes Wrong" on YouTube.  It was broadcasted on the BBC last Christmas.  Same troupe, and the show is done in a similar style to Play That Goes Wrong.  If you guys like that, then absolutely see PTGW!

[@z5]

Posted: 8/23/17 at 4:34pm

Bandstand

 

Play that goes wrong....went wrong. It was hard to get thru that 2 hours. Just stupid, repetitive, and pretty pointless overall. So many better things to see instead.

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 8/23/17 at 4:52pm

I never quite understand the point of threads like this: Should I see Show A or Show B? Especially when Show A and Show B are so different. Invariably, you hear from fans of Show A, and fans of Show B. You can see snippets of both ''The PlayThat Goes Wrong'' (there's even a 9-minute excerpt from London) and ''Bandstand'' (they did a CD signing at Barnes & Noble, and have appeared elsewhere on TV). Google YouTube, and watch them and make up your own mind. 

[moira8]

Posted: 8/23/17 at 5:37pm

My vote goes to Bandstand.

But if you enjoy slapstick comedy, a la Three Stooges, you'll definitely have fun at The Play That Goes Wrong. It was repetitive for me, but it was still ok. Worth the TDF price, but glad I didn't pay full price for it. On the other hand, my friend was in stitches the whole time. So I guess it really depends on the kind of comedy you enjoy.

[goldenboy]

Posted: 8/23/17 at 6:19pm

For me .. two of the brghtest spots of this season were Bandstand and The Play That Goes Wrong

For me.. two of the most dull overrated shows were Comet and Groundhog Day.

Why don't you reconsider not  twotiming Comet or Groundhog Day and make room for two shows shat will make you smile over two shows that made me yawn.

[10086Sundays]

Posted: 8/23/17 at 7:01pm

goldenboy said: "Why don't you reconsider not  twotiming Comet or Groundhog Day and make room for two shows shat will make you smile over two shows that made me yawn."

Because this isn't about you, it's about them. Who, like many others, loved one or both of those shows and think they're worth seeing.  Your opinion of the shows they didn't ask about means nothing.

Another troll to add to block list.  Now I remember why I stopped posting here years ago.

To the OP - 

I saw both Bandstand and The Play That Goes Wrong and while I mostly enjoyed them, I have no desire to see them again. If you want something dramatic, but weak, go with Bandstand. If you want something funny, but gets a little old after while, go with The Play that Goes Wrong.  Neither of them are as good as Groundhog Day. 

[bjh2114]

Posted: 8/23/17 at 7:07pm

Skip both.  They're both atrocious.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 8/23/17 at 9:05pm

ChildofEarth said: "I'd say The Play that Goes Wrong. The original cast leaves soon and that is just magic up on the stage.

I'm likely alone in this, but I detested Bandstand. Too much useless choreography, purposely emotionally trying, and writing that is at once sour and too sweet.

 

"

Well I didn't detest it but I didn't love it either. And it boggles my mind that Bandstand won for best choreography. It was ordinary and expected at best, confirming my opinion that Andy B. is the most highly overrated choreographer on Broadway at this time.  

[Auggie27]

Posted: 8/23/17 at 9:31pm

Just saw "Bandstand" a 2nd time this afternoon. Yes, it has flaws. It has a second act that cannot pull together all the threads. It has a coda that's too calculated in its desire to leave us floating on swing music. But so what? It's a show with a genuine heart and heartbeat.  And a gorgeous score. And perfect leads.  

[bk]

Posted: 8/23/17 at 10:11pm

Is it really so hard to type out The Play That Goes Wrong?  It just took me three seconds to do so.  And if you have to be lazy then why don't you just say TPTGW vs. B?  Enough with the initials already.  And it took me longer to type the initials than the title of the play.

[Kitsune]

Posted: 8/23/17 at 10:59pm

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who offered suggestions.  I do appreciate hearing what big fans (and detractors) of both think.

For The Play That Goes Wrong, I'll definitely look up the troupe's past work.

[CoolDogeGuy]

Posted: 8/23/17 at 11:43pm

The Play That Goes Wrong is one of my favorite plays of ALL time. I love it so much, but I think you should see Bandstand. I don't think this show will come back to Broadway for a long time and if it doesn't, it's a once in a lifetime chance. Even though it's not like the other shows you're seeing, I suggest that you see it before it closes.

[haterobics]

Posted: 8/24/17 at 12:38am

OK, now that that is solved...

Smooth jazz or death metal? Thoughts?

[BobPopa]

Posted: 8/24/17 at 12:46am

I thought the TPTGW was amazing, funny, a lesson in comic timing, and my wife who is not and "audible laugther" was laughing very loudly

 

For those who complain about show abbreviations, I play a tiny violin for you crybabies.

[10086Sundays]

Posted: 8/24/17 at 12:50am

haterobics said: "OK, now that that is solved...

Smooth jazz or death metal? Thoughts?"

What about the proper pronunciation of gif?

Updated On: 8/24/17 at 12:50 AM

[Gink]

Posted: 8/24/17 at 12:50am

I have not seen Bandstand--just listened to songs on XM, but if you like farce and laughing your ass off I would see The Play that Goes Wrong. My whole family cried from laughing from start to finish. How the actors don't get hurt (yes I know it's all planned but I still feel for that poor girl during that one scene....no spoilers) well, I'm dying to see it again.

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 8/24/17 at 3:00am

Haven't seen THTGW yet. Sounds like a safe choice to see an enjoyable show.

I was impressed the two times I saw Bandstand at the way it grabbed the audience emotionally in the second act, culminating in  the enormous roar for the 11:00 o'clock number, "Welcome Home." But I guess only about half the audience was producing all that noise, since the show never developed any word-of-mouth business.

Fans might want to check out the Playbill Popup video, with about a half hour of discussion in between some musical numbers. The cast seems to be taking the attitude that, despite the lukewarm reception in New York, the show was validated by all the emotional encounters that they had with real vets. Also talk of a national tour.

Discussion of "Welcome Home" very interesting. It was extraordinarily difficult to perform and sing. Laura Osnes said that she dreaded the song at first and was terrified by it. She came to accept it, but can't see ever performing the song out of context. They wanted to add another modulation (I don't know what that means), but she nixed them, saying that she was already shouting as high as she could.

The actor who played the trombone on stage had never played the instrument before cast. Far from reading music, he was given numerical slide positions to memorize.

Lin-Manuel Miranda saw Bandstand and, among other praise, called it the "Best jazz score since either Jelly's Last Jam or City Of Angels, take your pick. INCREDIBLE score" But that's what you would expect him to say.

Good for Broadway that it would find a place for this quirky musical with a message and with such a young and ingratiating cast.

 

[mpkie]

Posted: 8/27/17 at 3:24pm

Now having seen both, my vote is for The Play That Goes Wrong. I'm not a big fan of farce but it won me over. While I found it relatively enjoyable from the start, I felt its jokes at the beginning were cliche but I was pretty much dying by the end of it. I'm pretty sure I left the theater with a ridiculous grin on my face that wouldn't go away.

Bandstand is your average, generic musical. While most of the performances were solid, it didn't feel like all the scenes landed. The most interesting parts were watching/listening to the band itself playing. Some of the music was very good, but most of it was a miss for me. Even Welcome Home, which easily ranks one of the best performances of the night, the song itself is only okay. It's the emotions of the actors playing it is what really nails that scene. I left the theater appreciating the musicianship but felt overall lukewarm about the show itself. Though I will say Laura Osnes is absolutely lovely in the show. Sometimes it's worth watching talented singers sing mediocre music, if you enjoy that kind of thing.

ETA: In case this helps for comparison. I enjoyed both The Great Comet and Groundhog Day. Both are something I'd see again if given the chance (but now I won't since it's leaving...). The Play That Goes Wrong would be something I'd consider seeing again, while Bandstand I would not go back.

Updated On: 8/27/17 at 03:24 PM

[broadwaygirl89]

Posted: 9/10/17 at 1:34pm

I saw it referenced a few times on this thread, but does anyone know when the original cast is actually leaving? Trying to figure out if I have a week left or a month left to try and see the show. Thanks!

[Melanie73]

Posted: 9/10/17 at 1:40pm

They leave on 17th September!  So you have exactly a week!

I strongly encourage you to try to catch this genius cast before they leave and go back to doing their awesome thing in the UK and Europe!

[Kitsune]

Posted: 9/10/17 at 1:52pm

OP here.  For anyone who is curious, we did end up going with The Play That Goes Wrong.  Yes, some of the gags got used a lot, but we had a ton of fun.  

I'm sad I didn't get to see Bandstand, but I think given how packed our weekend was, a light farce was the right choice.

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 9/11/17 at 1:46am

Bandstand is your average, generic musical. While most of the performances were solid, it didn't feel like all the scenes landed. The most interesting parts were watching/listening to the band itself playing. Some of the music was very good, but most of it was a miss for me. Even Welcome Home, which easily ranks one of the best performances of the night, the song itself is only okay. It's the emotions of the actors playing it is what really nails that scene. I left the theater appreciating the musicianshipbut felt overall lukewarm about the show itself. Though I will say Laura Osnes is absolutely lovely in the show. Sometimes it's worth watching talented singers sing mediocre music, if you enjoy that kind of thing.

Bandstand is a generic musical?

Name some other musicals of the genre.

A reason for some to catch Bandstand is that the two young principals, Corey and Laura, look like future stars on the rise. Isherwood, who had been cool towards Osnes in past reviews, sent her a real love letter in his Bandstand review.

 

 

[jtishere]

Posted: 9/11/17 at 11:59am

I really liked Bandstand. It has some flaws and doesn't feel like it's quite there yet as a show, for which I blame the book, but the performances are outstanding and passionate, the choreography is really sensational (its deserved Tony win would have still been deserved even in a more competitive season for that category) and Corey Cott's performance in the Act I finale "Right This Way" is one of the greatest performances I've seen on Broadway.