OoTI [2017) Reviews

[LimelightMike]

Post 'em here!

[Feste]

I really hope they're raves straight through and that this gets a good long run.  

[JBroadway]

Based on the reactions on this board, I would expect the reviews to be mostly positive, with some notable dissenters.

I hope they’re positive though, as I loved the show and it wish it well!

[VotePeron]

I’m expecting this to play out exactly like Gentleman’s Guide a few years ago. Wonderful word of mouth, strong reviews, but ultimately weak box office. The producers of GGLAM were strong willed and hung on till Tonys and the payoff was huge, but with Carousel on the horizon, I personally can’t see OOTI following a same trajectory. It is a wonderful production however, and I wish the cast and creatives the best!

[dramamama611]

I would think the audience for OOTI v Carousel to be very different patrons.    I could not get my HS students to even consider Carousel (or MFL, for that matter) for our NY trip -- they just feel "old" to them.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

I could see this following a similar trajectory to the most recent revival of On the Town, where despite all the acclaim that production received, it really struggled on Broadway. While it did lose a lot of money in the end, the producers were at least willing to keep it open for as long as they could, even making it into awards season.

Though the difference here is that On the Town played in one of the largest venues on Broadway (Lyric Theatre) while Once on This Island is playing in one of the smallest venues (Circle in the Square).

[theatregoer3]

The night I went, there was a huge line to pick up TodayTix. I thought that was pretty interesting - maybe not great for the show’s bottom line? There were at least thirty people in the TodayTix line when I showed up and it was moving very quickly. But the house was SRO and plenty of folks were standing. I was wondering if TodayTix was becoming more popular with the younger generations and this shows that appeal to younger audiences would see more sales coming from that app or if it’s entirely unrelated.

[Feste]

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "I could see this following a similar trajectory to the most recent revival ofOn the Town, where despite all the acclaim that production received, it really struggled on Broadway. While it did lose a lot of money in the end, the producers were at least willing to keep it open for as long as they could, even making it into awards season.

Though the difference here is that On the Town played in one of the largest venues on Broadway (Lyric Theatre) while Once on This Island is playing in one of the smallest venues (Circle in the Square)."

I think that the difference in venues could be key here.  I loved On the Town, but it was hard to fill that theater, and it frankly got swallowed up in that space.   It's also a more dated show and had a large cast.  OOTI is more accessible to younger audiences, already has a built in fan base with its HS drama club popularity, and that house will fill. Not to mention, it's one of the few shows to really feature diversity, which is thankfully becoming more important to people these days. 

And it's a short show, so tourists can take it in and still had time to do other things. 

[dramamama611]

Is it a 7pm curtain tonight?

[Daddy Warbucks]

IF this can survive to the Tony’s with good reviews and good word of mouth, I like its chances better than the old school revivals that have already been revived a bunch of times before.

[Feste]

Daddy Warbucks said: "IF this can survive to the Tony’s with good reviews and good word of mouth, I like its chances better than the old school revivals that have already been revived a bunch of times before."

 

Agreed.  

 

 

[phan24]

7:30pm curtain

[WeTheNorth]

Deadline is a rave.

http://deadline.com/2017/12/broadway-review-once-on-this-island-revival-1202218859/

[Cfried]

amNY is a rave. 

https://www.amny.com/entertainment/once-on-this-island-review-1.15298286

The Wrap is negative. 

https://www.thewrap.com/island-broadway-review-middling-musical-revival-long-suffering-woman/

[WeTheNorth]

amNY is a rave.

https://www.amny.com/entertainment/once-on-this-island-review-1.15298286

[GeorgeandDot]

That Wrap review is such BS. The reviewer was incredibly biased. They basically say that they just hate the musical itself and no production could ever save it and then proceeds to bash Ahrens and Flaherty. They just come off as a self righteous "SJW."

I suspect that this will get raves, but I don't think that it will help it financially all that much.

[WeTheNorth]

Hollywood is a rave.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/once-island-theater-review-1063783

[WeTheNorth]

Time Out is positive.

https://www.timeout.com/newyork/theater/once-on-this-island

[BroadwayConcierge]

Kilgore is totally locking up her Tony nomination with these reviews.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

YESSSSSSSS GET THOSE RAVES

[JBroadway]

GeorgeandDot said: "That Wrap review is such BS. The reviewer was incredibly biased. They basically say that they just hate the musical itself and no production could ever save it and then proceeds to bash Ahrens and Flaherty. They just come off as a self righteous "SJW."
 

Ok let me first say two things:

1. I loved OOTI and I disagree with Hofler's criticism

2. I agree with you that their criticism of Ahrens and Flahery's other musicals seemed unnecessary. 

 

But I think expressing dislike of the material when reviewing a revival is fair game. It's the story that these artists and producers chose to present in 2017, regardless of when it was written. And it's what the audience will ultimately be sitting through every night, and most of them will likely be experiencing the story for the first time. 

The NYTimes' response to Jack Viertel around the whole Big River incident comes to mind:

"theater lives and breathes in the moment of its watching. Many of our critics—of theater and other genres—have found themselves seeing old works through new eyes in this cultural and political moment...it’s incumbent upon our critics to think out loud about how a stage work might register with a 21st century audience. To do otherwise is to make theater nothing more than a scholastic enterprise."

http://www.playbill.com/article/ny-times-responds-to-producers-complaint-about-big-river-review

[poisonivy2]

BroadwayConcierge said: "Kilgore is totally lockingup her Tony nomination with these reviews."

As she should. She's absolutely radiant and lovely and her wide-eyed innocence gives the story so much emotional impact.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

I mean THE WRAP compared Anastasia to Trump, so.....

 

[WeTheNorth]

Chicago Tribune is a rave.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/broadway/ct-ent-on-this-island-broadway-review-1204-story.html

[GeorgeandDot]

I should clarify that I think it's perfectly fine to judge the actual musical (score and book) when reviewing the revival, but The Wrap's review didn't seem to even give the production a chance. It felt like they went in hating it before the show began and refused to see anything very positive in it at all. It's just a very unfair review.