LINDA VISTA Previews- Page 3

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 10/2/19 at 2:17pm

Pammylicious said: "TPashacar said: "Pammylicious said: "I was that that idiot and it was not a flash photo. Know your facts. I silenced my phone but NOTIFY NYC flashes when your phone is silenced. After the show I schooled the head of security and he thanked me for telling him of the app and downloaded it."

Why have your phone out so that something like this could happen? Pretty rude if you ask me."

The phone was in my zippered pocketbook and the lights came through the zipper and side. The announcement at the beginning was silence your phones not turn them off. And it was not a vocal one an usher walked up the aisle with a placard."

"I didn't take a picture!! I just had my phone on and a visible distraction during a play! How was I supposed to know to turn it off!? No one explained to me like I was a 4 year old that I had to turn it off!!"

The entitlement and utter disregard of manners dripping from your "explanation" is astounding.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 10/2/19 at 8:20pm

The rush is front row. But the view isn’t as bad as people have said, but the guy next to me asked to switch his seat and the box office let him, and the couple next to me moved further back at intermission.

[swright1031]

Posted: 10/4/19 at 12:36pm

Has anyone sat in the extreme sides of the orchestra for this show? Looking at getting a 30 under 30 ticket for next week and am unsure if I should get one of the side orchestra seats or a seat in the back of the mezzanine

[jagman1062]

Posted: 10/4/19 at 5:37pm

swright1031 said: "Has anyone sat in the extreme sides of the orchestra for this show? Looking at getting a 30 under 30 ticket for next week and am unsure if I should get one of the side orchestra seats or a seat in the back of the mezzanine"

I sat in D2 on the aisle, and granted, there were only three seats in my row.  I had a great view of the stage.  The theater is small and most of the action takes place towards center stage, so you should be fine in any of the side orchestra seats.

[little_sally]

Posted: 10/9/19 at 11:27am

Saw this last night. Overall I enjoyed it, although it's too long and verges on sitcom territory  far too often. Ian Barford has a tough role to play and pulls it off. 

[After Eight]

Posted: 10/13/19 at 11:16am

Beyond awful.

Vile and loathsome.

 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/13/19 at 12:14pm

Well I’m SHOCKED you didn’t like it. SHOCKED, I say!

[HBBrock]

Posted: 10/13/19 at 12:37pm

After Eight said: "Beyond awful.

Vile and loathsome.

"

My favorite play of the year. After Eight - your reviews are always completely inaccurate from reality.

 

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 10/13/19 at 12:40pm

HBBrock said: "After Eight said: "Beyond awful.

Vile and loathsome.

"My favorite play of the year. After Eight - your reviews are always completely inaccurate from reality."

That’s because he likely hasn’t seen many of the shows he “reviews.” 

Updated On: 10/13/19 at 12:40 PM

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 10/13/19 at 1:22pm

After Eight said: "Beyond awful.

Vile and loathsome.

"

Well this just shot up my expectations quite a bit!

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 10/13/19 at 1:36pm

I've been lurking the board for years now, truthfully just looking to see the plethora of recommendations from users with varying tastes and opinions. And it's oftentimes been very helpful in the past! I would not have seen Mary Jane at NYTW, or even Indecent without the recommendation of some of you fine folks. So for that I'm super thankful and looking forward to chiming in from here on out. But my hatred for this play was so deep that I *had* to finally start posting to give my view.

This was bad. Not, "meh" bad, but bad. Letts rides a slippery slope from the get go, giving us a play about a truly unlikable straight middle aged white man who needs to find personal redemption before he continues down a perilous path of no return, consistently and inevitably hurting people without really acknowledging just how mutilated he leaves each victim. But aside from our 'hero', none of the characters onstage give any semblance of being actual, real people. They're like poster children for the term "2 dimensional." The dialogue is one step above sitcom level, exposition is thrown around like hot cakes, and there's almost nothing to really *care* about in the show. The stakes are oftentimes so low it's often comical, and not in a cute Annie Baker way, in a really sad Theresa Rebeck kind of way.

I have really loved Letts writing in the past, from August to Bug, and I'm even partial to Superior Donuts and Man From Nebraska. So I was really excited to finally see a production of one of his plays in New York (I'd only seen and directed regional productions of each of the prior) But holy goodness did this play need at least four more drafts. You think for the first hour, "hm maybe the overall point is that terrible people do terrible things and nothing ever works out for them and this is his way of showing us that" but soon you realize you just don't really care.You don't really care about anyone or anything happening, and you only laugh when someone says something about baby boomer culture (which, in my opinion, got old very fast) And when the show isn't dripping with jarring misogyny that perks you up with a "excuse me?" - it's just boring.

The performances are fine. Barford really does turn in some phenomenal work as a truly unlikable character, and when he receives the shows sole Tony nomination it will be deserved. Even design element is serviceable and altogether suited for the nature of the show, though nothing of a spectacular kind.

This all being said, the audience loved this thing. They ate this play up the Friday night I was there. There was a couple next to me that left during intermission, but they kept proclaiming the sound design was too loud (which I would have agreed with but it almost guaranteed no one would fall asleep and start snoring, so it was truly a blessing in disguise) Was I the youngest person there? Hell yeah. Did I hate this show? Absolutely. Was it the worst Broadway play I've seen? No, we have Time And The Conways to thank for that.
While I thought this was really awful, I feel like acknowledging the audiences response is important- it's very clear to me my opinion was not shared by most of the audience.


Did the audience enjoy it? Seems so. To each their own on this one, but holy hell do I wish I got those 2 hours and 40 minutes back. At least the Hayes is a lovely space.

Updated On: 10/13/19 at 01:36 PM

[cknick]

Posted: 10/13/19 at 3:38pm

Falsettolands, you really think that all those brilliant Steppenwolf actors were just "fine" ??  If you were the youngest person there, then perhaps are you just a bit too young to understand what you saw.

 

[After Eight]

Posted: 10/13/19 at 3:44pm

“But my hatred for this play was so deep that I *had* to finally start posting to give my view.”

 

I understand your feelings and share them.

My loathing for this repugnant opus was visceral.

Poor Helen Hayes. She had a beautiful theatre named after her in which she starred in Eugene O'Neill's A Touch of the Poet. A play worthy of a theatre named after a great actress.

Then that theatre was unfortunately torn down. Another theatre now bears her name. The design is unattractive. The seating is cramped and uncomfortable. And the things that have played there! Straight White Men; that screed; and now this noisome thing.

Poor Helen Hayes.

Poor us!

 

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 10/13/19 at 3:54pm

cknick said: "Falsettolands, you really think that all those brilliant Steppenwolf actors were just "fine" ?? If you were the youngest person there, then perhaps are you just a bit too young to understand what you saw.

"

Yeah, I really just thought they were fine. They were all completely fine. This was not a brilliant Steppenwolf production; I've seen plenty of those.

My comment about demographic had less to do with understanding and more to do with appreciation. This play is practically tailored to an older generation that hasn't necessarily jumped on the "political correctness" train and probably misses Curb Your Enthusiasm. And truthfully, that's completely fine. What I actually cannot understand is why anyone possibly cared about anything happening onstage. And within this context I think it's less about maturity and more generational. If we were talking something along the lines of "Dinner With Friends," something about the palpable energy in a marriage collapsing after years of resentment, that would be something I could appreciate from afar but lack the experience to really "understand." But no level of experience is necessary to be able to understand that this play is Bad.

[Just_John]

Posted: 10/13/19 at 3:56pm

It’s so so so bad! I left at intermission. I can not believe this was written by the same person who wrote the best play of this century. The actors are embarrassingly abysmal to top it off.

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 10/13/19 at 3:58pm

Just_John said: "It’s so so so bad! I left at intermission. I can not believe this was written by the same person who wrote the best play of this century. The actors are embarrassingly abysmal to top it off."

You missed the better half, I must say. Barford really does have some excellent moments when Wheeler's vulnerability creeps up on him. But I found myself marveling more at his work and less at the actual arc of the  character.

[cknick]

Posted: 10/13/19 at 4:12pm

Falsettolands, I wouldn't say it's a brilliant production, but I do think the acting was all brilliant.  Especially the women.  So I guess my enjoyment came from watching them and less about the play itself.  I particularly found Sally Murphy to be riveting. 

And yes, the sound made me jump!  And I was paying close attention - I can't imagine if one was asleep! 

Updated On: 10/13/19 at 04:12 PM

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 10/13/19 at 4:21pm

cknick said: "Falsettolands, I wouldn't say it's a brilliant production, but I do think the acting wasall brilliant. Especially the women. So I guess my enjoyment came from watching them and less about the play itself. I particularly found Sally Murphy to be riveting.

And yes, the sound made mejump! And I was paying close attention - I can't imagine if one was asleep!"

For what it's worth, I didn't have any problems with her performance. And I thought it was so cool to see her in something. I've been listening to The Wild Party cast recording for years so to hear her very distinct voice live was awesome (and hearing her sing some purposefully bad karaoke did make me laugh)

[UncleCharlie]

Posted: 10/13/19 at 5:22pm

Falsettolands said: "This play is practicallytailored to an older generation that hasn't necessarily jumped on the "political correctness" train and probablymisses Curb Your Enthusiasm. And truthfully, that's completely fine."

Do you actually believe Letts wrote this play for an older generation to positively identify with Wheeler and think "I love this guy and his perspective on life. That's how we should live if people weren't so damn hung up on political correctness"? Cause if that's what you believe, I don't think you really understand the play, at all. But glad you at least enjoyed Sally Murphy's karaoke.

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 10/13/19 at 6:05pm

UncleCharlie said: "Falsettolands said: "This play is practicallytailored to an older generation that hasn't necessarily jumped on the "political correctness" train and probablymisses Curb Your Enthusiasm. And truthfully, that's completely fine."

Do you actually believe Letts wrote this play for an older generation to positively identify with Wheeler and think "I love this guy and his perspective on life. That's how we should live if people weren't so damn hung up on political correctness"? Cause if that's what you believe, I don't think you really understand the play, at all. But glad you at least enjoyed Sally Murphy's karaoke."

I don't particularly believe a majority of the people who watch Curb Your Enthusiasm necessarily believe that Larry's character is particularly sympathetic, nor do I believe that audience members watching this show are going to find some affirmation in their views about political correctness through Wheeler's actions. It seems to be pretty cemented in most analytical opinion of the show, even in the more positive response, that Wheeler is definitely supposed to be perceived as a bad person making bad choices.

What I'm really getting at is, I believe the play is so poorly written that psychologizing Wheelers actions is a waste of time. It doesn't deserve that, because aside from Wheeler, not a single character onstage is shaded with any sort of complexity that one generally looks for in a good play with actual stakes and plot.

And I loved Sally Murphy's karaoke! Wish the rest of the play was as enjoyable. Understand?

[UncleCharlie]

Posted: 10/13/19 at 6:13pm

Falsettolands said: "What I'm really getting at is,I believe the play is so poorly written that psychologizing Wheelers actions is a waste of time. It doesn't deserve that, because aside from Wheeler, not a single character onstage is shaded with any sort of complexity that one generally looks for in a good play with actual stakes and plot."

If you think both of the women with whom Wheeler is involved and especially Jules, are stock, one note characters without any complexity, I really can't help you and we'll have to agree to disagree.

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 10/13/19 at 6:17pm

UncleCharlie said: "Falsettolands said: "What I'm really getting at is,I believe the play is so poorly written that psychologizing Wheelers actions is a waste of time. It doesn't deserve that, because aside from Wheeler, not a single character onstage is shaded with any sort of complexity that one generally looks for in a good play with actual stakes and plot."

If you think bothof thewomen with whom Wheeler is involved and especially Jules, arestock, one note characters without any complexity, I really can't help you and we'll have to agree to disagree."

I believe they are one note. But that's totally okay; I'm glad you enjoyed the production. A lot of people have seemed to really enjoy this show and I'm all for people having a good time; I just thought I would share my opposing opinion.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 10/13/19 at 7:34pm

I was really taken by this and I’m def in the younger demographic. I just felt like “wow, life isn’t what you expect.” And I could totally relate to that. Your life falls apart and you try and find your happiness again. It’s not a perfect play or likely to win any awards but I really enjoyed it

[Pashacar]

Posted: 10/13/19 at 9:16pm

Falsettolands said: "What I'm really getting at is,I believe the play is so poorly written that psychologizing Wheelers actions is a waste of time. It doesn't deserve that, because aside from Wheeler, not a single character onstage is shaded with any sort of complexity that one generally looks for in a good play with actual stakes and plot."

Good on you for standing your ground. Sorry folks are piling on because they happen to disagree with you.

I agree with nearly everything you’ve (quite thoughtfully) said, especially about the thinness of the characters and weakness of the acting (especially Chantal Thuy; some of her scenes were truly cringeworthy). I find it surprising both that this came out of Letts, and that it’s getting as good of a reception as it is – though naturally one has to do with the other.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 10/13/19 at 11:02pm

Funny that someone mentioned that the sound design was too loud- when I saw it (from the rear mezzanine) last week, it sounded completely unamplified, and I often had difficulty hearing the actors.