Tiny Beautiful Things at The Public

[Relevance81491]

Posted: 11/14/16 at 7:07am

This is the show I am most looking forward to this fall   Tickets have started showing up spuradically on The Publics website, so keep your eyes pealed for those updates. I have a question about this phrasing from The Publics website:

"Miriam Silverman will perform the role of “Sugar” on November 20 and November 27 at 6:30 p.m."

dose this mean Nia Vardalos  will only be missing the evening performance on the November 20?  I hope so because my first set of tickets is for the matinee 

 

anyway, please post any early reports here!

[macnyc]

Posted: 11/14/16 at 7:41am

To me that means Vardalos will be missing the whole day Nov. 20 and the 6:30 performance on Nov. 27. 

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 11/14/16 at 11:56am

I know the Public staggers their curtain times, is that why it begins at 6:30? That seems super early. Just wondering what to expect as far as run time.

[Relevance81491]

Posted: 11/14/16 at 12:08pm

Just got off the phone with The Public. It took them a while to figure out what I was talking about but they confirmed she was scheduled for BOTH matinees (11/20 and 11/27 at 1:00) 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 11/14/16 at 1:09pm

A friend is working on the show. And the reason they start so early is because The Party Squad is so loud that if they started at the same time they'd drown out parts of their show. 

[Esther]

Posted: 11/14/16 at 3:17pm

RippedMan said: "A friend is working on the show. And the reason they start so early is because The Party Squad is so loud that if they started at the same time they'd drown out parts of their show. 

 

"

While I agree that Party People is pretty loud, the shows are on 2 different floors, aren't they? 

 

 

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 11/14/16 at 3:30pm

Esther said: "RippedMan said: "A friend is working on the show. And the reason they start so early is because The Party Squad is so loud that if they started at the same time they'd drown out parts of their show. 
"
While I agree that Party People is pretty loud, the shows are on 2 different floors, aren't they? "

 

Yes. I think Party People is two floors up actually. I think it has more to do with staggered curtain times being the the norm for the Public than noise.

 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 11/14/16 at 5:39pm

Just going off what my friend told me. He said their opening number is loud and therefore they have an earlier curtain call their entire run! 

[jbm2]

Posted: 11/15/16 at 12:31am

Excited to see this. Curious to hear early reports 

[Relevance81491]

Posted: 11/15/16 at 12:17pm

I lost the lottery

[AC126748]

Posted: 11/15/16 at 12:19pm

A friend of mine went to the invited dress on Sunday and said that despite some character and pacing issues that need to be worked out, it's very good and quite moving.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 11/17/16 at 2:09pm

Any word on the run time? Thanks.

[nybound66]

Posted: 11/17/16 at 4:18pm

I'm curious to see if this goes to Broadway.

It's rare to see a play like this sell out at the Public before it even goes onsale to non-subscribers. Considering the demand and low overhead, I'd imagine a longer life of it somewhere is likely.

Has anyone heard anything?

Updated On: 11/17/16 at 04:18 PM

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 11/17/16 at 4:26pm

Most everything sells out at the Public these days. They have too many members.

It's also in the Shiva, which I think is their smallest space in the whole building. Updated On: 11/17/16 at 04:26 PM

[nybound66]

Posted: 11/17/16 at 5:30pm

neonlightsxo said: "Most everything sells out at the Public these days. They have too many members.
It's also in the Shiva, which I think is their smallest space in the whole building. "

 

I don't think there has been demand for a show like this since Hamilton, though. Tickets on Stubhub are selling for $600.

[suzycat]

Posted: 11/17/16 at 6:01pm

I saw it last night. Run time is about 85 minutes. Overall I liked it, though as I am familiar with the book I am not entirely convinced that it needs to be a play. The play is set in Strayed's house, and she is introduced to us as a writer who has agreed to take over writing an anonymous advice column, Dear Sugar, for The Rumpus. The three other actors play multiple characters who represent the many inquiries she receives as Sugar. Most of the show is monologue adapted directly from the book, which is fine but drags a bit at times.

The performers are excellent and there are some truly moving moments, though I can't say that it was more moving than just reading the book (which is incredible - if you can't get tickets just go read it!). I think this show will do well in community theatres as it's fairly easy to mount, with a small cast. 

Both Cheryl Strayed & Phillipa Soo were in the audience, which was lovely to see. 

[macnyc]

Posted: 11/18/16 at 11:11am

The Public has released a couple of tickets for the Saturday and Sunday evening performances this weekend, if anyone is interested.

[jbm2]

Posted: 11/26/16 at 2:11pm

I absolutely hated that show. I went in not knowing a lot about it, but expected much more. The performances were fine. The play in general was pointless. Had it not been totally obvious, I would've walked out. Am I alone in this?

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 11/26/16 at 8:29pm

I get where you're coming from but I wouldn't call it pointless. It doesn't have a plot, but I found it moving. A very enjoyable 85 minutes, IMO. Nia and the supporting cast were all wonderful. 

[Just_John]

Posted: 11/27/16 at 2:50pm

It's awful. It's not a play. It's an advice column that's read on stage. I can understand how one would enjoy listening to the stories, especially if you're already a fan of the book, but you can not even argue that this is a decent piece of theatre. It's totally pointless. 

[jbm2]

Posted: 11/27/16 at 4:16pm

Just_John said: "It's awful. It's not a play. It's an advice column that's read on stage. I can understand how one would enjoy listening to the stories, especially if you're already a fan of the book, but you can not even argue that this is a decent piece of theatre. It's totally pointless. 

 

"

AGREED 100 %

[After Eight]

Posted: 11/27/16 at 4:36pm

A dramatically-inert 90 minute slog of purple prose and platitudes.  The lead character is very long-winded. Dear Abby did it a lot better --- and a hell of a lot more concisely!

[Andy51]

Posted: 11/27/16 at 10:28pm

Saw it on Saturday.  Though the lack of any real narrative arc rendered it unsatisfying theater for me, I consider it a bit severe to describe it as "pointless", "platitudinous", or "awful".  There is often depth to the issues and to the advice given by the main character.  I think it had a good number of poignant moments, and I take it that the issues that were included in the production were chosen because of what the director and writers thought would resonate with audiences (and in the case of what was probably the most compelling exchange in the show, it's clear how it would have been especially meaningful to Oskar Eustis, the Artistic Director of the Public, who faced a related crisis in his life).  

Updated On: 11/27/16 at 10:28 PM

[Andy51]

Posted: 12/8/16 at 12:49am

Well, Brantley gave it a positive review:  http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/07/theater/tiny-beautiful-things-review.htmlrref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Farts&action=click&contentCollection=arts®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=8&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0

Not that I think the play is bad, but I'm scratching my head over his making this a critic's pick while having just denied the same to The Winter's Tale at BAM, which was far more impressive (and not just because it's Shakespeare).  

Updated On: 12/8/16 at 12:49 AM

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 12/8/16 at 5:35am

jbm2 said: "I absolutely hated that show. I went in not knowing a lot about it, but expected much more. The performances were fine. The play in general was pointless. Had it not been totally obvious, I would've walked out. Am I alone in this?

 

"

If you paid attention, you would see a very fleshed-out Cheryl Strayed by the end of the play. It's doesn't tell the story in a traditional sense but has pieces of it that you need ti put together yourself. What I saw at the Public was beautiful and affecting and exactly what theater should do to an audeince. It might help you underdstand it better to seperate drama from theater, which are essentially two different terms.