"It's Only a Play" Preview Thread- Page 6

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 10/7/14 at 5:54pm

Is the play’s title based on the song from THE FROGS?

[JBroadway]

Posted: 10/7/14 at 11:35pm

^Ha, I doubt that's actually the source for title, but I admit I think of that song every time I hear or read the name of the play.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 10/8/14 at 9:14am

I saw it last night. It's not a perfect play...loses focus at times, has some slow moments, a little long (with it seemed the longest intermission in a long time).

But overall, I had a very fun time. Lots of very funny moments, my friend and I were laughing out loud as well. If you are familiar with Broadway shows and the NY Theater in general, there are a lot of topical "in" jokes. If you came in cold without knowledge, you will easily miss half the jokes. I think if you do the show in 10 years, you would need to update a lot of the jokes for it to be as funny at all. That said, some of the jokes were hilarious.

I enjoyed most of the performances. For someone who is generally bored with Nathan Lane doing Nathan Lane, I enjoyed him here more than I have in a long time. Matthew had a sweet appeal at times but it's been said before, he was somewhat dull (and stumbled over lines here and there). Stockard Channing became more appealing as the show moved along. Megan was a little dull also..I expected more as she is hysterical funny but I don't know, directed to be pretty one-note. Rupert and Murray were happy surprises and I did like Micah a lot - even though I agree with Dramamama, hello Jim Parsons in Big Bang Theory. It's a different part/character of course but the similarities were striking. That said, Micah really held his own in his Broadway debut with a lot of big wigs and he was extremely confident, charming and appealing.

The Shoenfeld is a perfect theater for this show..we were upstairs in the back and saw and heard perfectly. There is not a bad seat in the upper level...it's a smallish theater and works really well.

I do think this was a great show to see in previews because the show deals with waiting "for the reviews to come out" and in this case, the reviews won't come out until tomorrow...so there is that added element to the atmosphere. We kept wondering if there might have been reviewers in the audience last night as they usually show up a few days before opening.

Anyway...happy I went and enjoyed the evening, faults and all.

(On a side note, I cannot figure out why Nathan Lane took his bow before Matthew Broderick, who took the final bow. I get that Matthew's character is the "heart" of the show but really Nathan's part seemed a lot larger and his presence was certainly bigger. I don't get it.)

[LucyEth]

Posted: 10/9/14 at 10:50am

Kathy: Couldn't agree with you more. It's mystifying that Matthew gets the last bow.

[Kad]

Posted: 10/11/14 at 12:30am

I saw this tonight. It's an overlong play with a bitchy first act and a self-important second. The comic energy generated by a certainly capable cast is drained the instant Matthew Broderick enters. Truly, it's a performance that scuttles the production of an already questionable play, considering he's the "heart" of the play and delivers its heavyhanded message.