Love in Hate Nation at Two River

[Lifesmellsweird]

Posted: 11/16/19 at 7:30pm

Did anyone see this yet? It just opened at Two River Theater, last night. Curious to hear peoples thoughts. I was surprised to not see any professional reviews. I am going in a couple of weeks because I tend to like Joe Iconis musicals, but I wonder if anyone has had a chance to see it. Would love to hear your thoughts.

[HelloDolly5]

Posted: 11/16/19 at 8:25pm

This was my first Joe Iconis musical. I saw it last week during previews. I really enjoyed it a lot. The first act is a bit too long and starts to get tedious toward the end, but still very good. The 2nd act was excellent. The music was outstanding. Has a 1950s, 60s girl group vibe. My favorite was Revolution In The Institution. I believe that Two River Theater has it on their website. The performers were all very talented. I can’t wait to see where this goes. BTW, one of the producers from Come From Away was sitting next to me.

[LarryD2]

Posted: 11/18/19 at 9:45am

I saw this yesterday afternoon. There was a public memorial for the theater's founder, Robert Rechnitz, directly before the matinee, so the performance itself started about 15 minutes late. They didn't start seating the audience until after 3 o'clock, and I was impressed by how quickly and easily the staff got the audience situated, given the circumstances.

The show itself isn't perfect, but it's really strong, and I find myself still humming many of the songs hours later. (How often does that happen anymore?) The cast is excellent, and Amina Faye and Kelly McIntyre, as the two central girls, are phenomenal. Faye seems exceptionally polished for someone who is still in college. Lauren Marcus is having a lot of fun with her villainess role.

Two River Theater has clearly thrown a lot of resources at this show, and it's very well designed. The audience was a lot younger and more blended than the average regional-theater matinee crowd, and there was a sense of genuine energy that was nice. Clearly, there are designs for the show to have a life beyond the current production.

[Ledaero]

Posted: 11/19/19 at 12:03pm

Ouch.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/19/theater/love-in-hate-nation-review.html

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 11/19/19 at 1:06pm

That's the worst type of Times pan for a show hoping to come to NYC –– a second-string critic who probably wouldn't review it on/off-Broadway.

I still find it amazing that someone whose influences are "Caged Heat" and 60s/70s Movies That Do Not Exist has developed such a young following.

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 11/19/19 at 1:14pm

I've tried not to give in to the people that say that the NYT has a vendetta against new writers and musicals aimed at teens, but what is their deal with Joe Iconis? They've panned all of his shows, despite audiences liking them fine.

[Rosette3]

Posted: 11/19/19 at 1:19pm

Ledaero said: "Ouch.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/19/theater/love-in-hate-nation-review.html"

Damn and she takes stabs at BMC and The Prom all in the same review. 

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 11/19/19 at 1:20pm

Ah yes, The Prom. The pandering, manipulative piece of garbage that was a NYT Critic's Pick

[Rosette3]

Posted: 11/19/19 at 1:33pm

On the topic of Joe Iconis has there been any news regarding The Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson musical with La Jolla Playhouse? I stumbled across the video George Salazar performing the Brown Buffalo song as I was going through Feinstein's/54 YT videos and I am intrigued.

[Kad]

Posted: 11/19/19 at 3:27pm

Alex Kulak2 said: "I've tried not to givein to the people that say that the NYT has a vendetta against new writers and musicals aimed at teens, but what is their deal with Joe Iconis? They've panned all of his shows, despite audiences liking them fine."

If audiences liked them fine, they'd still be running. 

Iconis is a fine talent who it seems is rarely challenged or pushed back on by his collaborator-friends. He relies too much on genre pastiche and pop culture reference and is not particularly musically daring in his MT pop-rock style. His lyrics are serviceable, his themes generic, his aim is kind of low.

I don't think the Times has ever been unduly cruel in their reviews of his shows- they're calling it as they see it. 

Updated On: 11/19/19 at 03:27 PM

[Pashacar]

Posted: 11/19/19 at 6:15pm

Alex Kulak2 said: "Ah yes,The Prom. The pandering, manipulative piece of garbage that was a NYT Critic's Pick"

Thanks for staying on topic!

Sad to see this get panned. Agree with everyone about the inexplicable NYT vendetta. It's bizarre how gloves-off mean they are in reviews of his shows, while pulling punches for so many others.

[Sauja]

Posted: 11/19/19 at 8:21pm

My utterly biased perspective: Joe Iconis is the 21st century’s Frank Wildhorn. Utterly without talent but inexplicably beloved by some and continuing to get produced in spite of his failures.

[Lifesmellsweird]

Posted: 11/19/19 at 9:32pm

Pashacar said: "Alex Kulak2 said: "Ah yes,The Prom. The pandering, manipulative piece of garbage that was a NYT Critic's Pick"

Thanks for staying on topic!

Sad to see this get panned. Agree with everyone about the inexplicable NYT vendetta. It's bizarre how gloves-off mean they are in reviews of his shows, while pulling punches for so many others."

The reviews for BMC and Broadway Bounty Hunter struck me as Mean-spirited. I didn’t think this review was particularly nasty. It states that the show could be better. It has good songs and a strong cast, but the writing is lacking. I found the prior two reviews of his shows thoroughly obnoxious. I didn’t think this one was as biting. Not that it matters. Mediocre isn’t good either... 

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 11/19/19 at 9:42pm

I think he just doesn’t pick interesting subject matter

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 11/19/19 at 11:19pm

Sauja said: "My utterly biased perspective: Joe Iconis is the 21st century’s Frank Wildhorn. Utterly without talent but inexplicably beloved by some and continuing to get produced in spite of his failures."


I'm no fan, but you really can't compare them:

Wildhorn worked successfully in the pop music world prior to Broadway. Jekyll & Hyde ran as long as Waitress and recouped; Scarlet Pimpernel lost money but still ran 770 perfs over 2+ years. His biggest issue is probably poor choice of lyricists & librettists.

Iconis has had one flop on Broadway and a handful of shows at LORT theatres (for which the bar of success is much lower) and off-Broadway.

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 11/19/19 at 11:19pm

be more chill is not a good show...

[Lot666]

Posted: 11/20/19 at 9:00am

LightsOut90 said: "be more chill is not a good show..."

be more chill is a good show...

[clever2]

Posted: 11/20/19 at 9:03am

Be More Chill is a cute show with one great moment.

[Lot666]

Posted: 11/20/19 at 9:15am

clever2 said: "Be More Chill is a cute show with one great moment."

Be More Chill is a cute show with lots of great moments.