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My Sinatra, A Musical About Obsession Reviews |
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Beware of this 'show' Review by: Remco, May 11, 2012 |
To be clear: Mr Hoffman definitively has an incredible talent for singing and sounding (almost) exactly like Sinatra. Wow what a voice!
The problem with this show is that, in order for Mr. Hoffman’s talent to shine, he would need to actually sing… but he hardly does! He may touch upon maybe 10 to 15 Sinatra songs during the show (not even close to the 30 mentioned somewhere), but does so in very brief bouts of singing which ... read more last for maybe 10-60 seconds (if that). I am not making this up. He did not sing a single song in its entirety, and most songs were literally touched upon for just a few lines. Some of the most famous Sinatra songs are not performed at all! 'My Way' is not in the repertoire.. 'New York, New York', he sang the first 2 lines only!
So, if he doesn’t sing, what is the show about? Well, Mr. Hoffman takes us through a lengthy story starting with his childhood spent listening to Sinatra albums in his bedroom, through to his early experiences in show business and probably some other details which must have escaped me… because the monologue quickly degrades into an incoherent rambling which is honestly not very interesting at all. A part of the monologue is laced with sexual ‘jokes’ or insinuations, which I guess are intended to be funny but really only are embarrassing.
In general, it is never very clear whether Mr. Hoffman’s intention is to perform as stand-up comedian or a more serious story teller, but he fails either way. Mr. Hoffman, despite his long career in show business, severely lacks the capability to connect with his audience. Given the intimate setting, where he is literally 2 feet away from the relatively small audience, this is a serious flaw. His attempts at interaction were painful to watch at best, and at times extremely embarrassing. At some point, he asked a young lady in the audience if she would have sex with him. This was of course done in a certain context, part of a broader lecture on how Sinatra’s self-confidence made all the difference, and of course was intended to be funny. But it so clearly was not funny to anyone, like most of the rest show, and it is hard to understand why Mr. Hoffman keeps this routine going. I counted 3 medium laughs from the audience throughout the entire show, while there must have been a hundred ‘jokes’. It is just badly written, and certainly with the time it’s been running this show should have been improved by now… or at least they could have taken some of those (very) rough edges off, one would think?
Although in all truth, the biggest favor Mr. Hoffman could do us all (including himself), is to drop the embarrassing, uninteresting and incoherent monologue entirely and just SING!! He starts the show by explaining that he is not a Sinatra impersonator – this begs the question: why the *** not?? It is where his talent lies, with that incredible voice…
Having to sit through this embarrassment of a show is bad enough in itself. The short stints of singing throughout are promising at first, making me think ‘wow what a voice! I can’t wait hearing him sing some of the big hits!’ Then, you start realizing its not gonna happen… making this badly written show not only embarrassing but frustrating as well – for the huge missed opportunity. When he sang ‘Start spreading the news..’ and then just STOPPED I almost stood up an left…
In short, this 'show' does not deliver, and with tickets (full price) at between $60 and $85, does not even begin to provide value for money. A frustrating disappointment (and, for some ladies in the audience, also a big time embarrassment I am sure), that one would do well to stay away from.
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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Business Associate
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This dude REALLY loves Sinatra Review by: Twenty something professional, Apr 16, 2012 |
| This is a man that loves Frank Sinatra. He has devoted his entire life to the legend of "the voice" and it certainly shows during his show. Cary Hoffman is a fantastic singer and I wish that he would just have a concert. I'm not too into the actual story of his life because I know what the ending is already, playing in the basement of a restaurant off broadway. I got a ticket along with my girlfriend for a total of $60. I would certainly ... read more recommend seeing it for that price but not for the regular price of $60 each. Also, make sure you don't sit up front because, and this is no fault of his, he does spit frequently during the show. |
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My recommendation:
Go see if you get a chance
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Recommended for:
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| 3 |
Sunday with Sinatra Review by: Jim, Apr 15, 2012 |
Went to matinee of "My Sinatra" with my wife,sister-in-law and brother to celebrate his 6oth birthday! Being raised by parents who loved the music of Frank, every song elicited an emotional response in our memories of growing up in a house (and car) filled with Sinatra music. Corey Hoffman was a great admirer of the man and his music and filled the venue with anecdotes, some funny, some sad, leading to his dream of being able to salute his idol, ... read more hero, mentor, super hero through his music. Dressed in a tuxedo and against a backdrop of family pictures, he weaves a magic spell and transports us back to those wonderful days when music by Porter, Gershin, Arlen, Mercer
and others created the soundtrack of our lives!
Sofia's Restaurant offered a great Dinner & Show package and the meal was fantastic as well! A perfect way to spend time with people you love and who grew up loving Ol'Blue Eyes! |
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My recommendation:
Go see if you get a chance
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, The Entire Family, Seniors
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| 4 |
Don't Bother Review by: july1231863, Mar 24, 2012 |
We saw half the show on March 23, 2012 because we left at intermission deciding to enjoy NYC by night from atop the Empire State building instead. "My Sinatra" was, in my opinion a total waste of time and money. The performer neither looked or sounded like Sinatra, the jokes were stale, his personal anecdotes seemed more like self-pity than self-revelation and the venue was dingy and seedy. A bit of advice for the performer; if you're really ... read more that obsessed with emulating Sinatra it's doubtful "Ole Blue Eyes", unlike you, ever dropped F-Bombs during a performance. He probably had more respect for his audience. If the performer wants so much to "be" Sinatra then show class not crass. My advice; avoid this show and use the money to go to dinner. We were quite looking forward to an evening with "Sinatra." We've seen better Elvis impersonators at fireman's carnivals.
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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| 5 |
My Sinatra Delivers! Review by: Broadwayjem, Mar 1, 2012 |
| still on a high from see My Sinatra which was written and performed by Cary Hoffman last night. The show is one of those hidden treasures of the Broadway/show scene and is a can't miss for any Sinatra fan or lover of the Great American Songbook! I definitely recommend it! |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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| 6 |
Review by: Still laughing, Dec 22, 2011 |
| Great memories of Frankie told in a really funny way--Went to see "My Sinatra" last night and wanted you to know what a great time I had--Cary Hoffman regaled us with his stories and sang all Frankie's oldies, some better than others--However his stories kept me laughing until the tears came -- The venue was fair, but the show was excellent-- |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Seniors, Tourists, Adults
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| 7 |
A must see! Review by: Jen, Oct 26, 2011 |
| Entertaining from beginning to end! This guy sings so much like Sinatra I couldn't believe it. His true life story is riveting and very funny, he had me laughing and crying, especially at the loss of his father. The best kept secret off-broadway! I'm going again and taking my parents. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
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Recommended for:
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| 8 |
My Sinatra, performed by Cory Hoffman Review by: Sally DiLorenzo, Jun 4, 2011 |
My Review: My Sinatra, performed by Cory Hoffman
The singing 5 star quality, I would have loved to have heard the whole songs: 1) My Way 2)Luck Be a Lady tonight, etc. I haven't heard such a good rendition of Sinatra for over 10 years+.
It's a play like a reality show but if it were all songs, it would be worthy of better theaters and prices.
I prefer downtown theaters because we paid $44 for parking on 46 Street to see it.... read more.
Certainly Broadway worthy if he would sing all of the songs in their entirety.
I enjoyed the performer and pianist.
It's definitely worth seeing, it brought me back to when music was sung from the heart. |
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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, Business Assoc., Seniors
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| * Review is an opinion of a BroadwayBox user and not that of Broadwaybox.com and Tekbyte LLC |
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