CHOIR BOY PREVIEWS- Page 2

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 12/13/18 at 9:16am

Ah, well I set up a 30 under 35 account then just show them that when I buy the tickets at the box office. (I turn 36 in a few months, so this may be the last show I get for $30 at MTC :/)

[haterobics]

Posted: 12/13/18 at 10:37am

WhizzerMarvin said: "(They also have have changed the program to be 30 under 35!)"

I prefer parallel structure, raise the price to $35!!!

[LarryD2]

Posted: 12/13/18 at 12:51pm

I remember seeing this Off-Broadway 5 years ago and being simply blown away by Jeremy Pope's performance. I've been seeing professional theater for nearly 40 years, have seen more than 3,000 professional productions, and have seen many of the performances that are ranked among the best of all time. Pope's performance in this is in my personal top 10. I look forward to seeing it again.

[kmissa]

Posted: 12/13/18 at 6:14pm

His voice is amazing. I’m an instant fan. Someone told me after Choir Boy he will be in Ain’t Too Proud which I’ve been excited about for a while.

[all_that_jazz]

Posted: 12/15/18 at 1:06am

Saw the show tonight. And for a show that just opened in in previews its a well oiled machine. Went in.knowing nothing of the story and enjoyed every minute.

Every actor on that stage is giving a fleshed out and captivating performance. And damn those boys can sing.

I have to say Jeremy Pope is a star. Hilarious and touching. His voice is one of those that is so pure tears form in your eyes as he sings and you have no idea if your happy or sad. It elevates you to another level. Side note as someone having no intention of seeing aint to proud before, learning he will be in the show makes getting a ticket essential.

In a very crowded season for Lead Actor In A Play, Jeremy is a leading contender.

I was able to get rush tickets on today tix. Row B Mezzanine House Right.  Sightlines are perfect.

Updated On: 12/15/18 at 01:06 AM

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 12/15/18 at 6:56pm

Like most people on this board, I knew next to nothing about this show before going in- got 30 under 30 tix on a whim.

I absolutely loved it. McCraney's writing is funny and poignant- Pharus' story arc was very touching.

Every one of the choir boys is a great actor and singer, but I too must single out Jeremy Pope. He runs the gamut of emotions from wisecracks to tears and makes the audience really care about his struggle.

Chuck Cooper is great as the headmaster- he has a pitch-perfect one liner about Kanye which is especially funny in light of his latest beef. And Austin Pendleton starts out as comic relief (his first line is perfect) but gets a really interesting arc as the play goes on.

Here's hoping this play and ensemble are remembered at Tony time along with the higher profile fare.

[thesecretyouknow]

Posted: 12/16/18 at 12:34am

Caught the evening performance tonight, and loved it. Everything said about the actors in the show so far are dead on, Pope especially was brilliant, and the show hit me a lot harder than I thought it would.

A friend of mine working on the production said a lot of changes are going to be put in place before the show is frozen, but they'll mainly be small changes to dialogue to help the show flow, and some tech things that need tweaking.

It's up there as one of the best things MTC has put on though, and also the first performance I've seen in a couple years where the immediate standing ovation felt truly earned.

[HBBrock]

Posted: 12/16/18 at 1:24am

I was there tonight, and the play is a must see this season. Jeremy Pope is fantastic, as is the entire cast.

Get tickets.

[Evans2]

Posted: 12/16/18 at 7:38am

Can someone help with the runtime?

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 12/16/18 at 10:44am

Evans2 said: "Can someone help with the runtime?"

1:40 with no intermission- it flies by

[l0l]

Posted: 12/16/18 at 12:08pm

A breath of fresh air! The intersections of black gayness in a masculine environment, much like “Moonlight”. The eagerness of the audience to share during the post-show talk-back only illustrates how important a play like this is.

This is a good gay play, unlike that awful mess that is “Daniel’s Husband”

[Evans2]

Posted: 12/16/18 at 12:31pm

Fordham2015 said: "Evans2 said: "Can someone help with the runtime?"

1:40 with no intermission- it flies by"

Thank you so much!

[wolfwriter]

Posted: 12/16/18 at 11:39pm

Wow!

Just back from this tonight and my faith is restored that a playwright still understands their craft and knows how to show us a story, rather than tell us one. And, that story is filled with humor, heart, drama and a universality that makes it a play most everyone can, on some level, relate to.

Mr. McCraney has woven a story filled with sincerity and true emotion. There is not a manipulative scene in the play. I feared when Austin Pendleton entered that it might all derail in a didactic exercise, but the playwright knows his craft. I will happily seek out any and all of his future work.

I don't want to provide spoilers, which I guess is why the play's description is rather vague and non-descript. It's understandbale but, I fear it won't sell many tickets.

The cast is exceptional, one more talented than the next. Jeremy Pope is exceptional, inhabiting a character who experiences a roller-coaster of emotion, without once making it look forced or fake.

The singing and movement is joyous. The lighting and sets are perfect. I'm working hard to find fault with something and happily, I can't.

Oh, heck. It's easier to say that I loved everything about this play and can't wait to go back and bring others. 

My favorite play this year.

Updated On: 12/16/18 at 11:39 PM

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 12/17/18 at 9:50pm

Woah these are some great reviews. I guess this just moved up my list. Do we think this could take a nomination for Best Play?

[wolfwriter]

Posted: 12/17/18 at 11:04pm

GeorgeandDot said: "Woah these are some great reviews. I guess this just moved up my list. Do we think this could take a nomination for Best Play?"

Absolutely, a nomination and so far, for me, a win. Since it was done off-Bway, would it be considered "new" or a revival? I can never follow how those decisions work.

I hate to over-hype, but I was so excited by this play, I can't stop thinking about it. And, as Whizzer said, this is exactly why I go to the theater.

[JudyDenmark]

Posted: 12/17/18 at 11:44pm

wolfwriter said: "GeorgeandDot said: "Woah these are some great reviews. I guess this just moved up my list. Do we think this could take a nomination for Best Play?"

Absolutely, a nomination and so far, for me, a win. Since it was done off-Bway, would it be considered "new" or a revival? I can never follow how those decisions work.

I hate to over-hype, but I was so excited by this play, I can't stop thinking about it. And, as Whizzer said, this is exactly why I go to the theater."

It’ll be considered new. And I am so excited reading these reviews!! I’ve been singing in choirs for years so the vague description did actually sell me, haha... I have tickets for one of the last previews. But now I’m looking forward to it even more. 

I do not envy the Tony nominating committee and voters this season. Man. 

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/18/18 at 1:07am

So upset I didn't grab a ticket on tdf. Gonna just do the discount code for 17 bucks more. I have to see this.

[CityLights3]

Posted: 12/18/18 at 8:53pm

Adding my voice to the Choir; CHOIR BOY is an impeccable, current, breath of fresh air told as probably the most solid new-ish American work I’ve seen on stage this year. Sure, NETWORK and TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD are well done pieces of theatre, but CHOIR BOY takes the form of a play with a fresh voice exploring themes that are current and satisfying and why I go to see theatre. The playwright here has given the audience an hour and forty five minutes of thoughtful and insightful storytelling and MTC have given it a production the crackles.

Jeremy Pope. Jeremy Pope. Jeremy Pope.
I see him cleaning the floor from big guns like Bryan Cranston, Jeff Daniels, and Nathan Lane (whose work in Gary ive obviously not seen yet.). His performance is Dynamo and he has been handed the kind of role most actors will never see and he does not disappoint for one second he’s on stage.

The entire cast is one cohesive masterpiece and in my thirty years seeing theatre, this is a production that will rank among my very favorites

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/18/18 at 9:52pm

I am glad to hear such positive things about Jeremy Pope.

I saw him in THE VIEW UPSTAIRS and was very underwhelmed after hearing good things. He wasn't hitting notes and was just totally off but I knew there was a powerhouse under there. Maybe a bad night. Nathan Lee Graham walked off with the show when I saw it.

So looking forward to this and Pope.

[ShowBro]

Posted: 12/20/18 at 6:38am

Saw the evening performance last night and still digesting and marinating in what I experienced.

I will echo all of the wonderful things people have been saying about this gem of a show, and add that Jeremy Pope’s performance actually rivals and IMO is *better* (more genuine, raw and real) than Ben Platts’ in Dear Evan Hansen.

This, unlike The Band’s Visit, is an actual *play with music.* And the music is sung so beautifully and powerfully it knocks you out of your seat. I say for sure Jeremy Pope has to be THE top contender for Actor Category at the Tonys this year. I do not want to give too much away, as MTC’s synopsis for this show is a bit vague, but please run do not walk to experience this unique fresh and contemporary piece of theatre we have been blessed with. For sure Pope’s performance is one of the best I have seen on a New York stage EVER. 

Updated On: 12/20/18 at 06:38 AM

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 12/20/18 at 9:20am

Looks like I'm going to be the first person to recommend tempered expectations. From the rapturous reviews on here, I was expecting the Second Coming, and I just didn't get that. The play is very good, but it certainly isn't perfect. I thought that the music and movement, along with the performances, elevated the material, which, in my opinion, didn't break much new ground. That being said, I think Jeremy Pope definitely has a chance to win the Tony. It's a brilliant performance.

Updated On: 12/20/18 at 09:20 AM

[jawjuhh]

Posted: 12/20/18 at 12:38pm

This really took me by surprise and ended up being one of my favorite shows of 2018. The music and choreography were so perfectly incorporated and so incredibly moving. I loved the cast of characters and the friendship between Anthony and Pharus, in particular, bowled me over. It was also such a pleasure to see so many black people in the audience, since I'm so used to being one of the few POC in the room, and I'm pretty sure I actually spotted Tarrell McCraney himself in the audience last night. This show reminded me a lot of School Girls, in how expertly it mixed heartbreak and hilarity (and the obvious parallel of all black high school dynamic)

Also, not to be that person...but WOW is that cast beautiful. Really appreciated those locker room scenes lol. 

[giveasmile]

Posted: 12/20/18 at 12:55pm

Saw on the 12th. So much talent, touching story and a perfect ending. Very much enjoyed.

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 12/20/18 at 4:13pm

Production photos are out 

http://www.playbill.com/article/a-first-look-at-tarell-alvin-mccraneys-choir-boy-on-broadway

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/20/18 at 11:40pm

A ton of dates popped up this evening on TDF and got a ticket about 20 minutes ago for the original date I wanted to go.