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August: Osage County Reviews
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| 16 |
Disfunction at the Junction, Great play. Review by: Brian E., Mar 26, 2008 |
A very good play. Great Cast, lots of faces you will recognize from T.V.. The play is long and the first act did drag a little. But the second act aprox 1hr 5 minutes seemed like 10 minutes and kept us laughing.
A very well written play, great production. I predict this will be a movie, that I will want to see. |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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I saw this show with:
Family
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, Adults
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| 17 |
Disappointing Review by: avid theatergoer, Mar 15, 2008 |
| I went to see this play based on the reviews - 3 hours and 20 minutes - way too long - could have ended anywhere after the first act. How dysfunctional could one family possibly be before the play itself becomes ridiculous. The set is well done with a hard working cast, but this is one of those times I feel that when one doesn't fully understand or know what to say they tend to rave about it. For great theater and great ... read more writing- get tickets to The Homecoming. |
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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| 18 |
funny and amazingly acted Review by: katiebugstars, Feb 29, 2008 |
| This play was amazing, I enjoyed it more than any play I've seen in years. This play is brillantly acted, hilarious, and biting to the core. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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| 19 |
Dark, Funny, Fantastic! Review by: playman, Feb 28, 2008 |
| I can't believe that was 3 hours and 20 minutes. It was broken up into 3 well structured acts that kept getting better as it went along. I could have sat through 3 more. The performances were first rate, special mention to the actresses playing Violet and Barbara, I predict nominations for both, without a doubt. Everyone should go see this play and enjoy what the theatre has been needing as of late. Enjoy! |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Family
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Recommended for:
Adults, Anyone
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| 20 |
Dysfunctional Family at it's best Review by: Rick, Jan 22, 2008 |
| I came from Chicago (where the show originated) and saw the show based on a recommendation from family that had seen it here. I was not disappointed. It was a dramatic comedy. The mother, dishing out both insults and comedy, was phenominal. The whole cast was incredible. There were points in the show that you almost wanted to say something from your seat. If this show doesn't win a Tony award for best play, I will be suprised. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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| 21 |
Bravo August !!!! Review by: theatrefan, Jan 15, 2008 |
This play is without a doubt the best play on Broadway this season or any other season.
It is smart, funny & sassy.
It has the best acting ensemble in years.
Do not miss this play.
It is a very important piece of theater and is a must see.
The writing and direction are spot on.
Bravo Steppenwolf...you did not let us down. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
The Entire Family
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great show Review by: kevin, Jan 4, 2008 |
| This is one of the best plays i'v seen in years. If you like great theatre go see this play. It's as good as a classic as we'll see this decade. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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| 23 |
August: Osage County Review by: Tom Bestor, Jan 2, 2008 |
I'd need to see "August: Osage County" at least twice more to even begin to plumb the depths of familial relationships Tracy Letts has created in this landmark new play that many critics are predicting may become an American classic, standing proudly beside the best work of Eugene O'Neill, Tennessee Williams or Arthur Miller.
So let me just say this: go. Even if you can't make it to Broadway before this closes (which, unfortunately, ... read more will be sometime before September, when "Billy Elliot: The Musical" takes over the stage of the Imperial Theatre), see it when it comes to wherever you are.
It's not an uplifting evening: the family in question has myriad problems. Dad is a once-honored, now-failed poet who drinks. A lot. Mom pops pretty much anything that comes in pill form. Their three daughters are mostly estranged from each other (and their husbands and children) -- but they all come together when dad goes missing after the first scene.
Unlike Beckett or Pinter, where much of the real action happens in subtext, little is hidden here. All the vitriol is on full public display. All the nasty things one might think about a family member who has let you down or disappointed you or failed (in your mind) to take adequate account of your needs are spoken out loud here. Nothing is held back. At one point, four (I think -- might have been five) groups of family are in four different spaces of the big old house (in Todd Rosenthal's multi-tiered set), conducting four different simultaneous arguments. It's a fugue of dysfunction.
Fortunately, there's also quite a lot of humor happening here. (Plus the comforting fact that almost anyone can experience "August: Osage County" and say, "at least my family's not THAT bad.") It's a good sign, I think, that the producers have chosen to sell t-shirts featuring some of the show's best lines: "You have to be smart to be complicated." "All women look better with makeup." It gives you a sense that the show has plenty of good ones. And it does. Here are just a few of the many great lines that didn't make the t-shirt cut:
- "Do me the favor of knowing when I'm demeaning you."
- "Thank god we can't see the future -- we'd never get out of bed."
- "You never know when someone might need a kidney."
Over the course of three acts (and three hours), the story builds and gets more complex and more tragic, revealing surprises to almost the very last scene.
If you can go, "August: Osage County" is not to be missed. |
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Long Day's Journey Into Oklahoma Review by: west coaster, Dec 30, 2007 |
| Terrific ensemble acting and great story. Long Day's Journey Into Oklahoma -- and an American classic in the making. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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Why I Love the Theater...when it's good, it is transporting. Review by: DJTravelBoy, Dec 22, 2007 |
| I think we have the play of the decade. I have to support some of my fellow reviewers who discuss the cliche of dysfunction they might see in this play. I see it as a portrait of our times and our country. It is sardonic, hyperbolic and very self-absorbed. But, that's the point. Sheer theatrical brilliance, with performances that are astonishing. I do not know how this cast manages 8 shows a week with this intensity, timing and drama. ... read more Run, don't walk. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, Business Assoc., Tourists
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Review by: mannymouse, Dec 21, 2007 |
If you're a fan of Jerry Springer, you'll love this show. This is a play with no character development....just characters,and highly unsympathetic ones at that. We have all seen plays about dysfunctional families that are far more elegant in their writing and rich in their depth (Cat on the Hot Tin Roof is the first that comes to mind).
Save your money and don't bother with the latest version of The Emperor's New Play. |
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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TV Writing and The Dumbing-Down of American Playwrighting. Ugh. Review by: GothProf, Dec 20, 2007 |
| The Isherwood review is insane. This is simply a TV movie of the week on stage. Really! Trite and ridiculous hyper drama. Although this play is slightly entertaining, it is in NO WAY a great piece of writing. The cast is amazing, the set design is wonderful- but the play is simply Payton Place meets Valley Of The Dolls. I have never seen so many cliches about family dysfunction in my life. There is MUCH better writing out there. This ... read more is a drama for people who are afraid of dramas. Loud, Brash, in your face dysfunction with very little craft or subtlety. Want to think? Stay away. Want an easy drama w/ some laughs? This might be the ticket! I was never bored, never shocked, never surprised, ...but also- never alseep! The cast is EXCELLENT- but the play is not what the critics are hailing as the second coming of American Drama. It is merely a re-hashing of 1970's TV movies of the week. |
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
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Eugene O'Neill on steroids Review by: KidK, Dec 19, 2007 |
| It's the fastest 3 1/2 hours of theatre I've ever experienced. Staging, lighting matched the scathing yet humorous dialogue. A great night of theatre. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
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THE BEST PLAY TO COME TO BROADWAY IN YEARS Review by: theaterfanatic, Dec 10, 2007 |
| Lead and supporting actors and actresses are superb. Run, don't walk, to get your tickets for X-Mas week and New Year's, before the limited engagement ends! 5 ***** |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, The Entire Family, Tourists
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| 30 |
Hard work... Review by: Mac, Dec 10, 2007 |
| Fantastic performances, excellent staging but.........I don't need a three hour rant to make me even more cynical about our country and culture. It is dense and definitely worthwhile; just don't go expecting any real attempt to relay hope. |
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My recommendation:
Go see if you get a chance
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Adults
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| * Review is an opinion of a BroadwayBox user and not that of BroadwayBox.com and BroadwayBox, Inc. |
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