Anyone else think War Horse was over hyped?

[thismyshow]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 2:49am

Saw the Matinee yesterday, while it was really good and visually great I felt the story really lacked, does anyone else agree that its been very over hyped? I ask because its apparently the Best Play front runner but I honestly though Jerusalem and even Good People were much better shows.

[mallardo]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 3:30am

Much better plays or much better shows? Nothing is a "much better show" than War Horse.

[mallardo]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 3:30am

double post

Updated On: 6/9/11 at 03:30 AM

[Patash]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 10:15am

I've seen it twice. I'd never say it is a "great play" but I'll maintain that it's one of the "finest theatrical experiences" I've ever had. There is a difference. And if one isn't able to let himself go into the theatrics of the piece then certainly it would not be a major event. I have one friend, for example, who just couldn't get beyond seeing the "puppeteers". Of course, he didn't think the whole thing was great.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 10:22am

I don't think the show was over-hyped at all. The staging and design are theatre magic. And while the story may seem somewhat simplistic (which can easily be argued), the way the story is told is what makes the show a work of art. It's sort of why I wish there were separate Tonys for the playwright and the producer, just as the books and scores of musicals are awarded independently from the Best Musical Tony. While there may have been some superior writing in other plays this season, I highly doubt there was a superior production of a play this season.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 10:25am

This is the one thing playing I haven't yet seen but a common thing I'm hearing from people is that while it really is visually stunning, the script itself is incredibly weak. I'm very much looking forward to seeing it myself next month, though!

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 11:14am

I've said it before and I'll say it again. War Horse is brilliantly staged and an absolutely fantastic theatrical experience. BUT, it is NOT a great play -- the actual writing is far surpassed by Good People, Mother F*CKer, Jerusalem, Brief Encounter (another brilliant staging, but the play was also the thing), Bengal Tiger, and, if you want to include Off-Broadway, Other Desert Storms.

[Sauja]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 11:23am

I might be the only person who actively disliked War Horse. It was one of my least favorite things on stage this season. I don't care how awesome the puppets are (and they are), I found it silly and boring. In a season with GREAT plays (Jerusalem and Good People are my favorites), I'm disappointed that this is the show snagging all the attention. But again, I know almost everyone else loves it!

[JillianSch]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 11:23am

Absolutely! I saw it in London last spring and was totally underwhelmed with the play. The horse and bird puppets were superb but as far as the material, yikes. I just wanted to slap Albert the whole time..

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 11:31am

It sounds like the play version of THE LION KING. Awesome puppet work but a long and boring evening otherwise.

[mallardo]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 11:42am

Reserve judgment. It is SO superior to Lion King. There's no similarity.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 12:08pm

WAR HORSE is pretty much over-everything. Over-hyped, over-staged, over-wrought, over-acted, over-praised, over-gimmicky -- all in the thinnest story in recent memory. It makes MEMPHIS look deep.

As if sensing the thinness of the story, the show’s creators have gone to great lengths to keep the action lively at all times, and they just plain go too far. WAR HORSE is, ultimately, just a big honking barrage of THEATAH!!!! Sets! Lights! Music! Puppets! Sound Effects!! Projections! Annoying Folk Songs From Some Broad With A Violin! Guys with Bird Puppets on Sticks To Wave Over The Audience! Big Serious Message!

It’s like some insane collection of all the Biggest Moments from 80s British exports like LES MIZ and NICHOLAS NICKLEBY and CATS. For example, Joey has a battlefield encounter with a tank that will bring back fond memories of MISS SAIGON. And so on. For all the energy and flash, the show is best when it settles down for a bit and lets us just watch those wonderful puppet horses. There’s a marvelous couple of minutes where Joey and another horse named Topthorn run around the stage together and engage in some Equine Bonding. But it is back to sound-and-fury business before long.

But what really makes the show unforgivable, for me at least, is the High Solemnity that the show cloaks itself in. Everybody’s working very very hard indeed, and the expectation seems to be that you will be a better person when it is over. This is Serious Theatre, even Medicinal Theatre -- Art That Is Good For You. It can’t be a surprise that Steven Spielberg has already bought the screen rights. His film will doubtless be a masterpiece of taste and restraint compared to this bloated self-important all-out assault of gimmicks that have all been done better elsewhere.

[walkedthroughmany]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 12:28pm

I would never call that script "incredibly weak." Or even "weak." It's simple. But it's not weak. Many reviews called it "emotionally manipulative" -- this is a fair thing to say. But I don't recall many reviews deeming it "poorly written."

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 12:33pm

If you loved it, you'll understand the hype. If you hated it, you won't understand the hype. I didn't hate it, but I didn't -- and still don't -- understand the hype or the (what I perceive to be) critical whitewashing of the writing. The comments range from "Well, it's not the greatest script" to "The writing is the weak." The writing is flat-out bad.

When I say "bad," I don't mean "abomination." It's not "My aunt's friend wrote a musical!" bad. But in the annals of (handsomely) produced professional theater, it's pretty bad. There was no pleasure for me whatsoever in the thin melodrama of the characters, the insulting, emotionally reductive glibness of the dialogue, or the overall shrillness of the acting. The themes are tried-and-true and the piece's structure is Kaufmann-solid, but without detail or honesty in the writing, those aren't going to do much, dramatically. (The lighting, music, and non-puppet design elements are sporadically charming, particularly the versatile lightning-bolt projection screen.)

But when those horses weren't onstage, my brain and eyes were all over the audience, trying to find anyone else as disengaged as me. (My mom -- who's a pretty easy mark in the "sappy" department -- looked bored throughout.) When the horses were onstage, I marveled at them. But without investment in the story or characters surrounding them, it never went beyond visual stimulation or purely objective awe at the technical wizardry. It's the theatrical equivalent of the movie "Independence Day"... with worse writing.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 12:38pm

WAR HORSE completely thrilled me. Yes, it's basically the story of a boy and his horse, but it's done with such imagination and flair that it mesmerized me almost from the beginning. It was one of the most wholly satisfying experiences I've had in the theater this season--along with DRIVING MISS DAISY and THE NORMAL HEART.

Updated On: 6/9/11 at 12:38 PM

[Steel Pier Fan]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 12:46pm

Mister Matt - A play can win Best Original Score. Last year 2 plays were nominated. But I don't think one will ever win. I do think there should be Best Book of a Play but the Tony's don't think plays are profitable. Thats false just look at War Horse.

Back to the subject. I do think War Horse is brilliantly staged. I think its script is weaker than the design. But I wouldn't cal the script weak it's just traditional.

[Luv2goToShows]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 1:08pm

I was debating on seeing it, but talking to several people who saw it and loved it changed my mind. I am so glad I did, I loved it. The story, simple yes, but the way it was told and presented, for me, made it very moving.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 1:46pm

And that ^ right there is why I won't discourage anyone from seeing it. Would I recommend it? No. But having such a hard time wrapping my head around who might or might not enjoy the play makes it difficult not be constantly reminded how squarely in the minority I am. Would I discourage someone from seeing HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES? Yes, and with verve. WAR HORSE? No.

[AvenueQResident]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 2:27pm

As a play, yes. As a theatrical experience, never.

[docchatter]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 2:27pm

felt it was overrated. the season as a whole on broadway was lackluster and in many ways boring

[gymdudeva]

Posted: 6/10/11 at 10:07am

"Overhyped" by whom?? The marketing people? Did they exaggerate in ways that other shows don't? The people who liked it? Were they TOO enthusiastic, and raved about it more than they REALLY liked it? Did TOO many people enjoy it?

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 6/10/11 at 11:04am

I think the question was overhyped by reviewers.

I don't see many plays, I've only seen two of the new ones this season on Broadway. That being said, I think War Horse is the BEST production I've ever seen on stage. It's not the best script, obviously, but no one is going in there and thinking it's Shakespeare (at least I hope not). But, the show is more than the sum of its parts and I left loving it. It may actually change the way plays are seen on Broadway. Usually, they're the forgotten child, but look at War Horses grosses. It's been doing incredibly well and obviously must be popular with tourists.

[WestVillage]

Posted: 6/10/11 at 11:13am

I don't think it was over-hyped. It delivered exactly what I expected. A simple story told with great theatricality. Book of Mormon, however, was the most over-hyped show I have ever seen, and because of the hype, I was disappointed that it didn't live up to my expectations. Cute and funny ... yes. Outrageous, offensive, shocking ... absolutely not. War Horse on the other hand, did not leave me disappointed. I guess, for me, the hype for War Horse was much more on target than the hype for BOM.

[PortalGamer]

Posted: 6/10/11 at 3:52pm

True but Jersuleam would be more valid to win the tony .