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Outstanding Everything Review by: Mara, May 10, 2012 |
| This show will rip your heart out, but keep you engaged and entertained for the entire two plus hours. Audra and Norm have great chemistry and their singing is outstanding. Everyone in the cast who sings a solo blows you away too. There is no weak link in this show.It is all solid, legit and the highest of quality. I wish them luck at the Tonys. They would surely deserve it. |
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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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| 2 |
Review by: Mitchell, Apr 10, 2012 |
| Saw the play on April 5- Absolutely loved it. Highly reccommend it to any lover of musical theater- Audra is amazing- the cast is wonderful- two and a half hours of musical nirvana. |
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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, Tourists, Adults
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| 3 |
A Masterpiece indeed Review by: , Apr 8, 2012 |
| Norm Lewis as Porgy will break your heart. Two weeks after seeing the show, I can't get the character out of my mind. Ms. Mc Donald hits notes that I never knew existed. The entire cast is fabulous.The set? The story was so gripping that I never noticed it. I so want to go again, but it's emotionally draining. Brilliant. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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| 4 |
Porgy is Best !!!! Review by: Diract 66, Mar 23, 2012 |
| An emotionally charged evening that keeps your attention from start to finish. If you're looking for a great dramatic story, set to music, than you will want to see this show. Norm Lewis and Audra McDonald will keep you engrossed in this play. Beautiful vocal quality from the entire cast, especially Porgy and Bess, will have you in tears, but their excellent acting performances will last even more. If you are looking for a set to help you ... read more go from scene to scene, forget it. The sparse staging looks like this could take place anywhere. Not creative in any way for a Broadway production, but you do focus on the characters and story more because of its lack of design. Throw up some leftover wood pieces and a platform and you're ready to go on tour. Can you really complain what you have missed from the original when it is not seen here? No! At least this generation will see this show, and this cast makes the evening an emotionally stimulating and unforgettable event. This IS musical theatre. Don't miss it!!!!! George and Ira would be proud too! |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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Anyone
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| 5 |
Go see it! Review by: shida_girl, Mar 12, 2012 |
| Wonderful performance of a classic. Incredibly demanding performances by everyone and they delivered. I have been in anticipation of this play for months and I was not disappointed - it was as amazing as I expected it to be! Yes the staging was minimal but I didn't mind - the fullness of the story and the acting of the actors filled the stage just fine. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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Large Group
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Recommended for:
Anyone
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| 6 |
An unforgettable evening! Review by: , Mar 4, 2012 |
| Fantastic theater. This is what theater should be. A timeless story that is still relevant and vibrant today. It is filled with luscious singing, a memorable score and passion. Not to be missed. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Business Associate
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, The Entire Family, Business Assoc.
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| 7 |
Dont miss out on the production Review by: rskblueyes, Feb 24, 2012 |
I had been looking forward to seeing this show since they announced the cast last year. The only other produciton of this show I'd ever seen was at the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center in 1985, which was a big production and over 3 hours long.
This current production has been pared down to about 2 1/2 hours, to me there were no notable cuts in plots or music. Yes the set is very simple as people have mentioned, it did not appear to be a ... read more real neighborhood as all you see is a water pump and some brick. If I was doing the set the design, I would have thrown in some laundry hanging out the windows or on some clothes lines.
All the performances were excellant in voice and in acting. Standouts include the actors playing Serena, Clara, Jake, and Mariah.
The principal leads Phillip Boynton and David Allan Grier gave fantastic performances. I didnt realize that Grier was a triple threat!
As for the main leads, both exceeded my expectations. As we all know Audra McDonald is probally the best all around Broadway actress of her generation. She was in great voice and it was amazing to see her character transform in this role from start to finish. Norm lewis , who is probally one of the best voices around, sounded very hoarse and notes cracked a bit. Im not sure if he was ill or the score was out of his range. His acting was excellant, he physically played this role perfectly.
I hope many will be able to see this production as it doesnt appear on Broadway very often.
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Alone
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, Seniors, Tourists
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| 8 |
Very Moving Review by: Pumpkin, Feb 6, 2012 |
| I saw the play and it is wonderful, make a point to see it. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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| 9 |
Mixed review; mostly positive. Review by: Ralphie, Feb 2, 2012 |
Wonderful show. Excellent performances, most partucularly Audra McDonald and Norm Lewis. Not only their singing, but their roles are physically demanding beyond anything you'd expect -- each beaten to a pulp for each performance. Every person in the cast does a perfect job; BUT...but...
Not so with the production and set decoration. Not the slightest hint this is a fishing village or Charleston, SC circa 1926. it's down South somewhere,... read more, and how they earn a living is not hinted at. There's lots of cement, and a water pump. Great, a water pump! There's no excuse for the lazy sloppy job with what ought to have been an easy setting to create -- for very little money.
Oddly criticised by some as racist, I'd say buy your tickets to this one with high expectations. The slacker job on the sets dosen't wreck the show, nothing in the show is racist; and on balance this is one of the best.
TIP: Row A sides. Tickets aren't sold because they're "partial view" -- but not if you're 6 feet tall. Slip on up there when the lights go out. Great view! |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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| 10 |
Review by: joan, Jan 29, 2012 |
| Loved it! Such beautiful music, songs,and voices. I never saw the opera so I don't know what was missing, but as an afternoon of theater with story, voices, dancing, sets, and OH! drama!!! I was totally sated. This show is so lovely and good. Enjoy! |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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| 11 |
Review by: Hairybs, Jan 15, 2012 |
| I LOVE Audra McDonald and couldn't wait to see this show. I felt disappointed. The singing was great and I enjoyed the story BUT it seemed choppy. I know the story was revised/cut-down and at times you can tell something was missing. Also, I only recognized 2 songs....this show just wasnt for me. Everyone else I went with really enjoyed it. I guess if you are like me and want a high energy musical comedy, see something else. ... read more If you are a Gershwin fan and enjoy a more operaish show, see this. |
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My recommendation:
Go see if you get a chance
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I saw this show with:
Large Group
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, Seniors, Tourists
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| 12 |
Saw it, loved it, going back to see it again.... Review by: JPM, Jan 14, 2012 |
| We loved PORGY and BESS....saw it in previews and plan to go see it again. The performers and their performances were spectacular. Fantastic! |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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| 13 |
One of the Most Important Shows of the Season Review by: Carol, Jan 4, 2012 |
The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess is the classic American opera. No finer casting for Bess could be made than Audra McDonald, who electrifies any production with her Julliard-trained voice. Norm Lewis as Porgy does a stand-out job as crippled Porgy, a feat sustained throughout the 2-hour performance, which zips by. The music is memorable and familiar, and Bryonha Marie Parkham performance as Serena matches McDonald's in range. Equally effective ... read more is NaTasha Yvette Williams, although she does not have the power of McDonald and Williams. David Alan Grier's training at Yale Drama School comes to the fore in his convincing roles as Sporting Life, a hustling drug dealer intent upon getting Bess hooked on cocaine and spiriting her away from Catfish Row to New York City.
The conflicts inherent in abuse of women, drugs, provincial values vs. urbane temptations form the basis of the play. In total it is a magical night at the theatre in a rare revival of a play that is not to be missed. The choreographer Ronald K. Brown makes a very creditable Broadway debut that adds to the atmosphere and story line enhanced by the costuming by Esosa. No detail is missed in this production. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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| 14 |
Very Good Show Review by: Jim-NJ, Jan 4, 2012 |
| It's hard to fail with Porgy and Bess. It is certainly one of the very best musicals ever written. Audra McDonald and Norman Lewis turn in great performance. The show is not over-powering and may lack a sense of a detailed story. It is still more than worth seeing for the display of talent and famous songs. |
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My recommendation:
Go see if you get a chance
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Recommended for:
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| 15 |
A great production of an old chestnut Review by: siouxsiedc, Jan 4, 2012 |
| This show is a bargain with the discount tickets - rarely does a Broadway show have such wonderful singers as Audra McDonald and Norm Lewis in the same show, and David Alan Grier was a wonderful surprise as well as Sportin' Life. In fact, there wasn't a weak link in the entire cast, and the dancing was much better than I expected. The set was spare but, with the projections, did a very good job of conveying how the Catfish Row ... read more population lives at the mercy of the sea. Interestingly, Bess comes across almost as a victim of domestic abuse, which certainly helps explain some of her bad decisions in the play. But be aware that the show is in dialect, which is a lot harder to stomach now than it was when the show was written (which may be why it hasn't been revived in recent years). Still, it compares very favorably with "Showboat," another chestnut that has been revived recently (and that has fewer memorable songs). |
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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:
Adults, Anyone
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