METEOR SHOWER Reviews

[LimelightMike]

Post 'em here, gang!

[VeroniqueJaffee]

Very excited to see how this is received. I have tickets to the final Saturday night performance. I've been steering clear of the previews thread for fear of spoilers. For those who have seen it, how do you think it will fare with critics?

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Deadline is a rave...
http://deadline.com/2017/11/broadway-review-amy-schumer-meteor-shower-1202216558/

The Wrap is underwhelming...
https://www.thewrap.com/meteor-shower-broadway-review-amy-schumer-sizzles-steve-martin-fizzles/

The Washington Post is mixed...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/whats-steve-martin-up-to-with-meteor-shower-your-guess-is-as-good-as-mine/2017/11/29/905276aa-d4c5-11e7-9461-ba77d604373d_story.html?utm_term=.299849865037

The Hollywood Reporter is negative...
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/meteor-shower-theater-1062117

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Variety is mixed...
http://variety.com/2017/legit/reviews/meteor-shower-review-amy-schumer-steve-martin-1202626028/

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Matt Windman is pretty much negative...
https://www.amny.com/entertainment/meteor-shower-amy-schumer-1.15249780

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

The Chicago Tribune is negative...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/broadway/ct-ent-meteor-shower-broadway-review-1130-story.html

The Los Angeles Times is mixed-to-negative...
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-meteor-shower-review-20171129-story.html

[LesWickedly]

Wow. The general impression I got from the previews board was mixed to positive. Curious to read Brantley or Green’s review

[bwayphreak234]

I thoroughly enjoyed this play from beginning to end.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Entertainment Weekly gives it a B+...
http://ew.com/theater/2017/11/29/meteor-shower-broadway-review/

[Danielle49]

I only read a few of the reviews, but I'm not seeing as much praise for Laura Benanti and Keegan-Michael Key as I expected. I assumed they'd go wild over them, but they're focusing more on Schumer. Perhaps she's really grown into that first half of the show since I saw it (the fourth preview). Either way, I expected this to be pretty mixed. It was fun, but unfocused on Steve Martin's part.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Newsday is positive...
https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/theater/amy-schumer-meteor-shower-review-1.15247538

The Daily News is mixed...
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/theater-arts/amy-schumer-brightens-steve-martin-meteor-shower-review-article-1.3665426

The Daily Beast is mixed...
https://www.thedailybeast.com/inside-amy-schumers-broadway-debut-review-of-steve-martins-meteor-shower

The Stage is mixed-to-positive...
https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/2017/meteor-shower-review-booth-theatre-new-york/

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

The New York Times is indifferent...
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/29/theater/meteor-shower-amy-schumer-steve-martin-review.html?smid=tw-nyttheater&smtyp=cur

[leighmiserables]

Danielle49 said: "I only read a few of the reviews, but I'm not seeing as much praise for Laura Benanti and Keegan-Michael Key as I expected. I assumed they'd go wild over them, but they're focusing more on Schumer."

Honestly, while I'm a big, big fan of both Keegan and Laura (and thought they were both wonderful), I didn't think there was anything insanely amazing about either of their performances. Even so, they were both leagues better than Amy, imo, when I saw it (Nov. 11). 

[RippedMan]

Sounds like Schumer is playing against type, which is interesting but maybe not what you want to see for $250.

[Andy51]

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "The New York Times is favorable...
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/29/theater/meteor-shower-amy-schumer-steve-martin-review.html?smid=tw-nyttheater&smtyp=cur"

"Favorable"?  No, this is a quite negative review on the whole.  The one positive thing Green says is that Martin is gifted in crafting "tiny wit bombs."  But even there, he adds that, "unless you’re Oscar Wilde, tiny wit bombs do not make a satisfying play."

[Auggie27]

The Times review, by anyone's definition, is not "favorable."  As you read, the critique sharpens. If this show were not a done-deal, and a given financial success, this review would be a worrisome weigh-in by a paper needed to validate the production.  That's not remotely true, so it's a mere annotation, not a verdict.  But it's not favorable overall. 

[raddersons]

Considering how cutthroat (And sometimes irresponsible) Jesse Green can be with his reviews, I think it’s favorable. To an outsider who doesn’t know his writing style, it definitely seems... not negative, but it’s also not outright praise. He’s not saying it’s a bad night out, he’s just saying the production has problems that hold it back from being great. I usually hate Jesse Green but I think he nailed this one.

[RippedMan]

I think all the reviews basically agree that it's not it's not a terrible night out, just doesn't add up to a lot. 

[BroadwayConcierge]

RippedMan said: "I think all the reviews basically agree that it's not it's not a terrible night out, just doesn't add up to a lot."

I mean, that's exactly what the show was. I was completely engrossed the entire time, but didn't leave thinking about it for days on end (which was totally fine by me!). I don't need everything I see to be on my mind for a while afterwards. Every once in a while, it's okay for a piece of theatre to serve you while you're there, and that's it.

I've been recommending the show to friends, and sales are obviously fantastic, so this isn't a show that reviews will mean anything for anyway. I just hope Benanti comes out with a Tony nomination on the other side of this all—if just for her opening line alone. So F'ing funny.

[RippedMan]

I'm on the opposite, ha. I want sales to lag enough so I can snag a ticket! haha I'll just keep trying for SRO. 

[LxGstv]

RippedMan said: "I'm on the opposite, ha. I want sales to lag enough so I can snag a ticket! haha I'll just keep trying for SRO."

Not sure if it will be the same after opening, but during previews you could easily get stubhub tickets for sometimes as low as $20 half an hour before curtain. Even with their fees it’s still cheaper than SRO.

One Monday they even had most of the front row of the orchestra for just under $20, haven’t seen seats that good for that low in a while though.

[A Director]

The majority of the critics say see the cast; not the show!

[TheQuibbler]

I think the Times review is pretty fair. I may have enjoyed the play slightly more but I agree with this assessment:

"So it’s a pleasure to have Steve Martin’s Meteor Shower at the Booth Theater... It’s definitely funny.

But I wouldn’t go so far as to say... that it’s a laugh riot... Meteor Shower is more of a laugh demonstration.

It would be more satisfying if Mr. Martin... had found a way to maintain character integrity while developing his bigger ideas and also remaining funny."

What I'm more surprised about is that Green gives away the structure and the ultimate reveal of the final moments, that

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

"Laura and Gerald are mere projections of Norm and Corky’s self-sabotaging instincts."

The play is fairly low stakes but it seems unfair to reveal that moment.

[slumdogdelaware]

Absolutely brutal review from Rex Reed at the Observer. 

http://observer.com/2017/12/broadway-review-steve-martins-meteor-shower-shows-off-amy-schumers-incompetent-acting/

[jbird5]

slumdogdelaware said: "Absolutely brutal review from Rex Reed at the Observer.

http://observer.com/2017/12/broadway-review-steve-martins-meteor-shower-shows-off-amy-schumers-incompetent-acting/"

I’m sure the others at the old folks’ home wouldn’t enjoy it either.