Gutenberg! the Musical!
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Scott Brown & Anthony King
Directed by Alex Timbers
James Earl Jones Theatre
September 20, 2023
Production website
💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
In the style of Laurel and Hardy, Burns and Allen, Abbott and Costello – even Beavis and Butt-Head – comedy runs better with pairs. Guttenberg is no exception. Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells proved their comic chops in Book of Mormon – in my opinion – it was the marriage of their comic strengths that launched the decade + run of The Book of Morman. Josh and Andrew would be funny if you just charged them with reading the phone book.
Saw the Musical: The Unauthorized Parody of Saw
Written by Zoe Ann Jordon
Music and Lyrics by Patrick Spencer & Anthony De Angelis
Directed by Stephanie Rosenberg
AMT Theatre
September 17, 2023
Production website
NO 💉 out of 5. ☠ TOTAL POISON
This was, without question, THE VERY WORST PLAY/MUSICAL that I have EVER seen in NYC. It was a torture unlike any torture that the Saw movie franchise could have ever devised. Here are just 10 of the reasons sitting in this musical made me want to “saw” my arm off and run to the streets of NYC shouting, “Free at last! Thank God; Free at last.”
20 Seconds – a play with music
Written and Performed by Thomas Sweater
Directed and Developed by Jeremy Scott Blaustein
The Pershing Square Signature Center
September 14, 2023
Production website
💉💉 out of 5.
This is a really tough play to review because the heart of the play is so true, so heartfelt and so important but the stage mechanics of it were so clunky. Clearly this work of love, resilience, and the undeniable
“power of music to make real change in a persons’ life” belongs on the stage, but it could have used some better dramaturgy. Tomas Sweater’s autobiographical work leads us from his trouble childhood where music provided companionship to a career as a music therapist.
The Book of Mormon (seeing it a second time)
Book Music and Lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone
Choreography by Casey Nicholaw
Directed by Casey Nicholas and Trey Parker
Eugene O’Neill Theatre
September 12, 2023
Production website
💉💉💉 out of 5.
This was my second time seeing this show – – but this time almost a decade separated my first time seeing the show and my recent visit. As I recall, the first visit, this musical was so naughty, edgy, and avant guard. My how times have changed. Now, some ten years later, it has joined the ranks of other “tourist shows” with its tables of “merch” sold in the lobby. It’s “nastiness” now is handled with no more than a small reminder on the ticketing site that it does contact some adult language. What I noticed with this recent version is how much the production has missed Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells.
The Cottage (seeing it a second time)
Written by Sandy Rustin
Directed by Jason Alexander
The Helen Hayes Theater
September 10, 2023
Production website
💉💉💉💉 out of 5.
When I first saw The Cottage, is was an incredible overflowing farce with joy in every moment. This time through the light was a bit dimmer. I am not sure if it was because it was my second time through or if it was more to do with the show. My guess is that after a few dozen performances between my two showings – – they worked out all of their funny moments and knew which ones work without effort and which ones they have to work more.
the guy who sees everything
