Theater Reviews Question

As an out-of-towner, I mostly use reviews as a tiebreaker when deciding between shows. If there's something I really want to see because I either am interested in the property or because of a particular actor/actress, reviews aren't usually enough to persuade me not to go. But if it's something where I'm trying to fill out a 3 or 4 show weekend (we try and see as much as possible because we can only go to NY a couple times a year), reviews do tend to persuade me in one direction or another.

I do tend to read more than just the Times review in order to get a better sense of the strengths/weaknesses of the production (and not just because I tend to find Green/Brantley too caustic when they dislike something). That seems to be unusual, though, since the Times still predominates when people talk about reviews.

I tend to read the reviews, particularly when I know a critic's opinions often align with my own. However, I've seen shows that critics panned, but I wound up liking (Women on the Verge...), and vice versa. Sometimes it's a crap shoot for me. I've had the same experience with theater threads where people loved a show and I didn't care for it. I would say though that I more often agree with the critics, so unless I REALLY want to see a show, I rely on their reviews. I'm now semi-retired and don't have the income to see as many shows as I used to, so I'm more selective about what shows I see..