When January Feels Like Summer

[CurtainsUpat8]

Posted: 10/12/14 at 10:08am

Has anyone else seen this? I loved it. There is no much great theatre in NYC and this board is obsessed with The Last Ship and Idina Menzel giggling on stage during an awful show she doesn't give a damn about. Yes, it's a "Broadway" message board... I understand, but isn't GOOD theatre what we are all looking for? I happened to live in NYC which is the greatest theatre city in the world. Broadway is great... sometimes... but there is SO MUCH great theatre going on if you look for it. I started a post for Stalking the Boogeyman.. which I also thought was great, and it went NO WHERE. I think for these scripts will be finalists for the Pulitzer. When they are you can look back at this post.

[stevenycguy]

Posted: 10/12/14 at 11:35am

What is the running time?

I'm a bit apprehensive after the NY Post review states "each scene ... ends up going on way too long after its point’s been made" and the Time Out NY review stated "too often veer into stereotypes" and "The weather’s not so sunny in this romantic drama".

Updated On: 10/12/14 at 11:35 AM

[CurtainsUpat8]

Posted: 10/12/14 at 11:58am

It runs about 2 hours and 15 mins. While, I don't think it's a perfect play (how many are?)... it's a very solid piece of writing. I did feel like they could have cut ten minutes off especially from the scenes with the two black teens. I couldn't tell if it was the direction or the actors or the writing but these scenes rang untrue to me. They were a bit stereotypical.

But there is a lot of really interesting content to make up for the flaws. There are some wonderful performances by all. All of the actors have moments/scenes that are moving/touching and well acted.

I think my favorite was Mahira Kakkar, who is quite steady and wonderful throughout. Debargo Sanyal has moments of just great acting, but he has a very odd cadence to his voice at times.

I only read the Times review, which picked it as a Critics Choice. I will go back and read more reviews. But all in all, it's a very thoughtful night in the theatre with some wonderful moments and generally very competent moving acting by everyone.

[fyeahmaria]

Posted: 10/12/14 at 12:14pm

I saw it and really enjoyed it. Good to see parts of life and society portrayed that is not often shown in theatre.

[jemjeb2]

Posted: 10/12/14 at 1:22pm

"Idina Menzel giggling during an awful show she doesn't give a damn about." You are not only a critic of the board's lack of interest in what you have deemed "good theatre", but are also apparently able to read the minds of Broadway performers.

[CurtainsUpat8]

Posted: 10/12/14 at 2:12pm

This board is about everyone being able to talk about different opinions, which means we are all "critics". The fact that Idina can break character and giggle for ten or fifteen minutes, as someone described on the board, makes me believe that she doesn't really give a damn about the show she is in. That is my opinion, you are welcome to feel different. And yes, I think that a lot of great theatre happening in NYC is overlooked on this board. I will be happy to bring it to everyone's attention. And yes, I think there is a lot of crappy theatre that gets too much attention here. That is also my opinion. So you are correct on all accounts.

[theatregeek6]

Posted: 10/12/14 at 2:39pm

Thank you for trying to raise us uneducated slobs into your realm of good theatre. Often we don't realize just how pedestrian we are and need someone of far greater taste to show us the way

[Pootie2]

Posted: 10/12/14 at 3:54pm

Cool, let's make this a thread about Idina Menzel too, because apparently that's such a critical area in OP's feelings about Theater (with a "T") as a whole that he has to frame a thread about some other show around his hatred of Idina Menzel. Win!

To think I actually clicked because I might have been interested in the show's title, but OP is like an inverse Buffalo Bill or something.

[jemjeb2]

Posted: 10/12/14 at 6:20pm

Curtains - true, you're entitled to your opinion. Mine is that it is a breathtaking leap to assume that if an actor has a "moment" such as the one alleged to have happened with Menzel, to presume that said actor "doesn't give a damn about the show".

[CurtainsUpat8]

Posted: 10/12/14 at 6:30pm

I often wonder why I bother with this board at all. Every post turns into a immature fight. It's just silly waste of time.

[theatregeek6]

Posted: 10/12/14 at 6:33pm

Maybe you should write in such a derisive manner and things wouldn't turn into a fight. Look inward

[jemjeb2]

Posted: 10/12/14 at 6:43pm

Curtains - "an immature fight" Apparently you can dish it out, but can't take it. Not very mature.
And maybe the responses "every time" you post are precipitated by the arrogance of manner in which you've couched your (otherwise perfectly acceptable) views.

[CurtainsUpat8]

Posted: 10/12/14 at 7:17pm

When I was talking about "every post" I wasn't talking about just mine. It's almost every post on this board by anyone. I am not participating in this thread any longer.