Olivier-winning LIFE OF PI On Broadway - Reviews & News Thread- Page 3

[binau]

Posted: 3/22/23 at 4:50pm

I think it's up there in terms of most beautiful physical productions I have ever seen - I would recommend going even if you don't have a perfect view or the script is a bit blah. 

[Phillyguy]

Posted: 3/22/23 at 4:54pm

Ptero2 said: "Not sure what to do about this one. Not interested enough to pay full price, too afraid of seat locations to go TDF or lottery. Maybe I'll bite the bullet and go to TKTS one of these days."

It's about $130 with the discount for first row mezzanine seats. 

[Bette's Turban]

Posted: 3/23/23 at 2:46pm

I am confused.  Didn't this already run and flop on broadway just recently?  Or am I thinking something else?  

[Bette's Turban]

Posted: 3/23/23 at 2:47pm

Never mind.  I was thinking of Kite Runner.  So sorry.

[EthelMae]

Posted: 3/23/23 at 11:07pm

Does anyone know if Hiran Abeysekera plays Sunday matinees? I’m seeing it Sunday. The Official Site isn’t clear and here posters spoke about the alternative playing on matinee days, 2-show days, I assume. Doesn’t really matter, just curious. I wasn’t aware there was an alternate for Pi until I read this board tonight. Thanks!

[Alex M]

Posted: 3/23/23 at 11:11pm

Bette's Turban said: "Never mind. I was thinking of Kite Runner. So sorry."

jeez

[Hamilfan2]

Posted: 3/23/23 at 11:15pm

EthelMae said: "Does anyone know ifHiran Abeysekera plays Sunday matinees? I’m seeing it Sunday. The Official Site isn’t clear and here posters spoke about the alternative playing on matinee days, 2-show days, I assume. Doesn’t really matter, just curious. I wasn’t aware there was an alternate for Pi until I read this board tonight. Thanks!"

The program doesn’t list which shows the alternate does, but I saw the show tonight and the alternate was on- he was very good I thought!

[EthelMae]

Posted: 3/23/23 at 11:15pm

Now I’m more confused! Telecharge says “Hiran Abeysekera plays all performances- except Tuesdays”. People here saw the alternate on Saturday matinees. Maybe he went on because the regular was out? I’ll find out Sunday! 

[EthelMae]

Posted: 3/23/23 at 11:17pm

Thx, Hamilfan2!

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 3/23/23 at 11:22pm

I think you should be less confused since Telecharge added that information. Hiran was out this past Tuesday, so Adi must be on his normal alternate schedule now. 

[Piparoo]

Posted: 3/25/23 at 8:35am

We saw this last (Friday) night and I have largely positive but mixed feelings. Seats were in rear mezz on the left side - and were $73 each, all in. Definitely the cheap seats in the mezz are an incredible bargain for this show. Full house last night. Adi was in the role of Pi. 

The bad:

Having not read the book or seen the movie, I did not care for Adi’s interpretation at all. Adi is a handsome young man with apparent charisma and easy humor but, as its written, I believe the part would work much better with someone who can play up the quirkiness and almost guru-like energy Pi possesses. Adi nails the fun-loving young man vibe but I don’t buy his characterization as having lived this harrowing experience or having anything convincing to say about life, truth and faith. 
 

I wanted the show to get moving into the ship sequences faster. The first 30 minutes, with the exception of a powerful moment when the tiger is first introduced, were fun but largely expository in a way that isn’t really necessary and at the same time this section lacked a deep connection between family members. Bottom line, I wanted less politics and prayers, and more relationship and connection among the family members before they get on the ship.

This is Broadway and the show is grounded in a realistic approach, so why aren’t a number of the leads attempting a South Indian accent? It takes me out of the magical moments they’re building on stage when both Pi and his sister sound like they’re from Napa.

The good:

The puppets, projections and overall sound and visual design of this show are stunning! Day-um I love it when good theatre nails these things. Stars, flying fish, crashing waves, the horn of a ship, billowing sheets of red fabric, the subtle flick of the tiger’s tail - such wonderful creativity on display used so effectively in helping to tell this story.

These puppeteers are the stars of the show - legit. Last night, after the company and Adi came out to take their bows, the tiger and his puppeteers came out and bowed together with Adi, before another company bow. As an audience member I’d love to see all of the puppeteers get a bow together, bringing out some of the puppets with them so the audience knows who did what. Honestly they should get the final bow before company bows. They deserve it.

The Schoenfeld Theatre is beautiful. What a great little theatre.

 

All in all, I’m thrilled to have seen this show and really happy to have shared it with my spouse and two daughters. It came frustratingly close to being a profound theatre experience for me. There are moments that take your breath away and they are incredible, but it’s in those moments when I want the the playwright, director and performers to grab the audience by our collective metaphorical throats and crush/elevate our souls as appropriate. Those are the moments for me in the theatre that are life-changing. I’m not sure the source book is up to that task in the case of Life of Pi, but with a few different directorial/performance choices and some relatively minor book work in the first act I think this production could have gotten close enough to that ideal to be one that I carry close to my heart.

 

P.S. They should start letting folks into the theatre earlier than 30 minutes before showtime. It started nearly 10 minutes late last night due, I think, to audience members still being seated.

P.P.S. They’re out of most of their merch until late next week.

 

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 3/25/23 at 8:50pm

Saw it last night as well and overall agree with most of Piparoo said. 

I had seen this in the West End last May and it was by far my favorite show there, so I was a bit surprised to see people here talking about how clunky the book is, though I haven't read the novel or seen the movie so I had nothing to compare it against.  Having seen it a second time, I still don't see a lot of the book issues that many have mentioned here, except maybe the spoon-feeding at the end.  That being said, I do think the beginning drags a bit.  Everyone knows this is a story about Pi surviving on a lifeboat, so I felt everyone was a bit antsy to get to the boat portion, and the beginning with his family seems a bit indulgent while we're waiting to get to the "good stuff". 

I do think the religion/philosophy portions are important for Pi later in the story and especially at the end, but the politics mentions didn't seem able to find a good line between giving just enough context for why the family is leaving and actually explaining the conflict; I'd rather it either have explained the political conflict almost not at all or actually given a more thorough explanation (that would hopefully play into the rest of the story), but I found myself confused in trying to make shape of what information we were given, only to realize it was ultimately not that relevant.

I think Adi Dixit is an excellent actor, and more than adequate for the role of Pi, but something about his bearing feels too modern/American to me.  I think I saw Hiran Abeysekera in the West End (lack of free programs makes it hard to confirm), and I think he had a bit more of that "guru-like energy" that Piparoo mentioned.  Panic attacks aside, I was not that concerned about Adi's Pi fitting into society after the events of the show, whereas I could see Hiran's Pi continuing to be othered.  Though if your performance happens to be a day where Adi Dixit goes on, I don't think the show suffers too much for it, especially if you're there for the stagecraft.

I was a bit confused on the accent work too.  It seemed some characters (like Pi's mother) had a light Indian accent, while others (like his aunt) had a very American accent.  I wouldn't mind if everyone spoke in an American accent, but it would have to be standardized across the entire cast for me to credibly suspend disbelief over it.  With the mixed accents, it was just jarring.

TDF put me in orchestra center row G, which are usually great seats, but as many have mentioned, not ideal for this show.  The stage is angled enough where we could see feet and a hint of the projections, but not what the projections showed.  I was definitely glad I had seen the show before, and my friend who hadn't still enjoyed the show, but I think the places the show suffers most are the "motion" scenes, like where the ship rocks from side to side and you can see the projections demonstrate that with how the water splashes.  Without those projections, you can tell what's happening based on how the actors move, but it feels a little more fake and your brain has to do a little more work in making you accept it. 

For those looking for a deal, the last row of mezz shouldn't be too bad, as you'd be able to see everything and it isn't all that far away from the stage.  Though, the nice part of being up close was getting to see the puppeteers in action more clearly, and some of them must have an insane physical therapy regimen to get through the show every day (even when they switch off).

 

[matty159]

Posted: 3/28/23 at 11:29pm

chrishuyen said: "Saw it last night as well and overall agree with most of Piparoo said.

I had seen this in the West End last May and it was by far my favorite show there, so I was a bit surprised to see people here talking about how clunky the book is, though I haven't read the novel or seen the movie so I had nothing to compare it against. Having seen it a second time, I still don't see a lot of the book issues that many have mentioned here, except maybe the spoon-feeding at the end. That being said, I do think the beginning drags a bit. Everyone knows this is a story about Pi surviving on a lifeboat, so I felt everyone was a bit antsy to get to the boat portion, and the beginning with his family seems a bit indulgent while we're waiting to get to the "good stuff".

I do think the religion/philosophy portions are important for Pi later in the story and especially at the end, but the politics mentions didn't seem able to find a good line between giving just enough context for why the family is leaving and actually explaining the conflict; I'd rather it either have explained the political conflict almost not at all or actually given a more thorough explanation (that would hopefully play into the rest of the story), but I found myself confused in trying to make shape of what information we were given, only to realize it was ultimately not that relevant.

I think Adi Dixit is an excellent actor, and more than adequate for the role of Pi, but something about his bearing feels too modern/American to me. I think I sawHiran Abeysekera in the West End (lack of free programs makes it hard to confirm), and I think he had a bit more of that "guru-like energy" that Piparoo mentioned. Panic attacks aside, I was not that concerned about Adi's Pi fitting into society after the events of the show, whereas I could see Hiran's Pi continuing to be othered. Though if your performance happens to be a day where Adi Dixit goes on, I don't think the show suffers too much for it, especially if you're there for the stagecraft.

I was a bit confused on the accent work too. It seemed some characters (like Pi's mother) had a light Indian accent, while others (like his aunt) had a very American accent. I wouldn't mind if everyone spoke in an American accent, but it would have to be standardized across the entire cast for me to credibly suspend disbelief over it. With the mixed accents, it was just jarring.

TDF put me in orchestra center row G, which are usually great seats, but as many have mentioned, not ideal for this show. The stage is angled enough where we could see feet and a hint of the projections, but not what the projections showed. I was definitely glad I had seen the show before, and my friend who hadn't still enjoyed the show, but I think the places the show suffers most are the "motion" scenes, like where the ship rocks from side to side and you can see the projections demonstrate that with how the water splashes. Without those projections, you can tell what's happening based on how the actors move, but it feels a little more fake and your brain has to do a little more work in making you accept it.

For those looking for a deal, the last row of mezz shouldn't be too bad, as you'd be able to see everything and it isn't all that far away from the stage. Though, the nice part of being up close was getting to see the puppeteers in action more clearly, and some of them must have an insane physical therapy regimen to get through the show every day (even when they switch off).

"

This is one show where I would only recommend mid to rear Orch or Mezz.  Why is the deck so high?!  Absurd.  Our seating probably had to do with my response to the show, but wow…that was not good.  Props to the alternate who was better than everyone else not a puppeteer.  I absolutely loathe Lion King (mainly remembered by that by being at the Minskoff last night for Ragtime), but it really that look brilliant and nothing new.  Kinda sad.  And the canned music was too loud.  Again, maybe my seating, but BLAH!

[Piparoo]

Posted: 3/29/23 at 6:44am

"This is one show where I would only recommend mid to rear Orch or Mezz. Why is the deck so high?! Absurd. Our seating probably had to do with my response to the show, but wow…that was not good. Props to the alternate who was better than everyone else not a puppeteer. I absolutely loathe Lion King (mainly remembered by that by being at the Minskoff last night for Ragtime), but it really that look brilliant and nothing new. Kinda sad. And the canned music was too loud. Again, maybe my seating, but BLAH!"

Wow, I had a completely different (largely positive) response to this show sitting in the rear mezz last week. Sadly, you’re missing at least 50 percent of what makes this production so special if you’re seated somewhere where you can’t see the floor of the stage. I wonder if there’s ever been another show on Broadway where the first ten or so rows of the orchestra are legitimately obstructed view seating. 

[TarHeelAlan]

Posted: 3/29/23 at 10:47am

Agree with everyone recommending seats in the Mezz for this. We saw a very early Friday preview, sat in Row D seats 2&4, and they were perfect to take in everything happening onstage. For $99 I thought they were a terrific value. Looks like same seats are now $114, and row C just one row in front are $195. I would save the money and go for Row D side again. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 3/29/23 at 3:12pm

Here at the matinee and I’m up in the right box.

It’s a visually stunning production and I’m finding the story easy to follow so far (not being familiar with the source material).

There is definitely some technical goofs happening with the hospital bed on the lifeboat for the remainder of Act I despite multiple stage hands at different points attempting to come out and do something with it (dislodging it?) while the show was in progress. Not exactly sure what happened

[quizking101]

Posted: 3/29/23 at 5:18pm

Update: HOLY WOW WHAT A SHOW

This is one of those rare productions that the fantastic technical aspects of the show work in perfect tandem with the story and there is no true imbalance. I can easily see this sweeping every design award and Hiran Abeysekara is now my front runner for the Tony for Actor/Play since his sheer physicality and emotional outpouring far supersedes any other potential nominee I’ve seen this year.

Heartbreakingly shocking ending aside, I was also surprised at how much humor this show has and found myself chuckling quite a bit. I think the way Pi handles some of his (undoubtedly severe) trauma through humor is actually very well done.

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 3/29/23 at 6:30pm

Piparoo said: "We saw this last (Friday) night and I have largely positive but mixed feelings. Seats were in rear mezz on the left side - and were $73 each, all in. Definitely the cheap seats in the mezz are an incredible bargain for this show. Full house last night. Adi was in the role of Pi.
"

I was at the same performance also sitting in Rear Mezz on the left! (I was stuck in the middle of that giant loud school group from Montreal who wouldn't shut up so moved down to front mezz during intermission.)

This was my second time seeing the show. I was at the first preview in center orchestra row G and I am amazed at just how much I missed the first time! There was so much of the action that from my vantage point in row G just seemed mimed. Like, "oh no we're in a storm, let's stumble from side to side and pretend to be in a moving boat" whereas from the mezz I saw that there were waves and rain projections onto the stage floor that actually made it look like a boat at sea in a storm!

I saw Hiran the first time and much preferred his performance. Adi just came across as too American. I think Hiran at least had a bit of an accent.

It was really cool seeing the puppetry up close and personal from front orchestra, but I am very glad I decided to go again and see the full show from the mezz.

[Piparoo]

Posted: 3/29/23 at 7:43pm

So happy to hear that you loved it Quizking!

Indeed, we were in the thick of the school group from Montreal. The boys around us were talking for the first ten minutes of the first act nonstop. Thankfully I think the show’s magic won those teenagers over and they quieted down for the rest of the show. Heck, if a show can silence a group of teenage boys, it must be special

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 3/29/23 at 8:31pm

matty159 said: "chrishuyen said: "
"

This is one show where I would only recommend mid to rear Orch or Mezz. Why is the deck so high?! Absurd. Our seating probably had to do with my response to the show, but wow…that was not good. Props to the alternate who was better than everyone else not a puppeteer. I absolutely loathe Lion King (mainly remembered by that by being at the Minskoff last night for Ragtime), but it really that look brilliant and nothing new. Kinda sad. And the canned music was too loud. Again, maybe my seating, but BLAH!"

I think you are being way too generous to the theater/production here.  I was in front mezz, and the visuals are wild, but it was plain to see that if you are ANYWHERE in the first 2/3 of the orchestra, there is no way you could see these things. There were moments of gasps/applause around me and I saw the orchestra crowd under me looking around in confusion. It'd be so bold and honest of them to price seating accordingly, but without a doubt: spend less to sit in the mezz, and avoid orchestra here.

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 3/30/23 at 12:07am

There are a lot of seats available for opening night, most in the very front orchestra including front row aisle seats which I guess confirms that those seats suck, although they are charging $155 for them…..various side mezz and orchestra seats for surprisingly low prices. 

[Voter]

Posted: 3/30/23 at 1:09am

I am seeing this about 2 weeks. I have never seen the movie or read the book. 

Should I see the movie beforehand? Or after 

[quizking101]

Posted: 3/30/23 at 1:12am

Voter said: "I am seeing this about 2 weeks. I have never seen the movie or read the book.

Should I see the movie beforehand? Or after"

I went in completely blind other than knowing that the boy and the Tiger ended up stranded on a life raft together at some point. 

GO IN BLIND! The emotional punch in Act II will land that much harder

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 3/30/23 at 1:13am

Voter said: "I am seeing this about 2 weeks. I have never seen the movie or read the book.

Should I see the movie beforehand? Or after"

I loved the show without knowing either book or movie. I had a friend who liked the book but not the movie and enjoyed the play. I suppose there's a part in the ending that could be spoiled by the play first but not sure how they handle it/if it's done the same way 

[quizking101]

Posted: 3/30/23 at 9:32am

Having not read the whole thread, does it not bother anyone else that Trensch is a year OLDER than Burnap and is somehow playing his teenaged son?