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The House of Blue Leaves Reviews
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| 1 |
Totally Misdirected! Review by: Runzo3, Jun 21, 2011 |
| I agree with everyone who has seen this show before-a mess and a bore. David Cromer should be ashamed of what he did to this fragile comedy/drama by under emphasizing the humor. It was so desperate right from the begining that it had no where to go and was so sad you could not like the characters. |
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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good, not great Review by: TJ, Jun 20, 2011 |
| Good, not great. Hearing the lines was a problem, especially from the female actresses. Considered leaving at intermission, but thought it might get better and it did, 2nd half was more entertaining. Only myself and one other person in my row returned after intermission. Wouldn't recommend it and was glad I got a cheap ticket, felt bad for the folks up front who paid more. Usher was nice and allowed me to move up closer when it was obvious there ... read more were a lot of empty seats. |
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Don't go
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| 3 |
I have never had Better seats to the worst play Ever! Review by: Eileen, Jun 18, 2011 |
| I love Edie Falco. She was the reason I purchased these tickets. The story line was dark, the play dragged and it was not worth the money! If you want to be depressed by the end of the show....go! I didn't laugh once, thought about leaving at intermission ( just couldn't not in my blood-somehow thought it had to get better- didn't. The best part was the end. I can't believe my Nurse Jackie opted to do this play! It was surprising. ... read more I was indifferent to Ben Stiller. I just thought the play stunk! |
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Large Group
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| 4 |
Terrible Review by: SalsaBoy, Jun 14, 2011 |
I was very disappointed with The House of Blue Leaves. Aside from being an amateurish play -- one of Guare's worst -- I could barely hear any of the actors. Stiller was okay volume-wise most of the time, but Edie Falco and Jennifer Jason Leigh could barely be heard much of the time. This isn't television, people. During intermission, for the first time in my life, I borrowed an assisted listening device (which has its own problems . . . lots ... read more of static when the stage is silent. I used it intermittently throughout the second act). To add insult to injury, the play was just stupid. The acting was awful. And the plot was borderline farce without intending to be. For an eighth grade project, I'd be impressed; for Broadway, I was insulted.
I left the theatre feeling gypped, which I rarely feel on Broadway, even if I don't like the play. Here, the play was bad, the acting was bad, the sound was bad. The one good thing I can say is that the stage was nice. I liked the set. Not with the time, energy, or expense.
The audience gave them a standing ovation. I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. It was, bar none, the worst thing I've ever seen on Broadway. If you miss it, consider yourself lucky. |
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| 5 |
Talented Actors Review by: Dlo, Jun 11, 2011 |
| I went to this play not knowing what to expect because of the mixed reviews. I was pleasantly surprised. The acting was great. The story compelling. I would defiantly recommend that you see this play before it is gone. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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Business Assoc., Seniors, Tourists
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| 6 |
Loved it! Review by: susyQ, Jun 6, 2011 |
| I saw the play two weeks ago. I thought Ben and Edie did a great job. I had no problems with the amps. I heard everything very well. I enjoyed seeing the three actors live, in person! Can anyone explain to me why they ended it the way it did? Also, the set pulled apart in our performance at the end. I couldn't tell if this was done on purpose or if it was an accident. |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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| 7 |
Not Worth the Money or Time Review by: Steve20A, May 25, 2011 |
Wish I had read the reviews before we went. The stage was well done. Stiller seemed angry throughout. Falco was good but couldn't be heard in some lines. Leigh was shrill. Part of the problem is that there did not appear to be any amplification and the actors had to speak loudly to be heard. And some scenes needed whispering, which couldn't be done without any amplification. An auditory mess.
And who thought this was worth producing? ... read more Some other commenters said they thought it was hilarious. I guess there are people who laugh at the mentally ill. It wasn't slapstick. It wasn't clever wording. It wasn't funny.
Save your money. I'm not a professional reviewer, but over 50 years I've probably seen 500 productions and this one doesn't measure up. |
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My recommendation:
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| 8 |
The good news, and the rest... Review by: Robert, May 21, 2011 |
First, the good news: Edie Falco is fantastic. Illuminating. A great actress. Also the set is real good. (You know you're in trouble when the set gets praise. Not a good sign.)
Now, the rest:
Jennifer Jason Leigh, in this play, directed by this director, gives a shrill, grating one-note performance with an irritating caricature of a Queens' accent. The fact that the only thing I can remember about her performance ... read more is her irritating voice speaks volumes. She is a much, much better actress than this.
Ben Stiller, directed by this director, is all over the place. To say he has not yet found his character (I saw the Friday night, May 20 performance) is to give him the benefit of the doubt. After 21 previews and almost a month after opening night, he still seems lost. His Artie Shaughnessy of Sunnyside, Queens is indescribable. By that I mean I do not have the slightest idea who that character is. And I don't think Mr. Stiller knows either.
Could it be the playwright or the play? John Guare and this play (in 1986) was a Tony Award nominee for Best Play. John Mahoney (Best Featured Actor), Swoozie Kurtz (Best Featured Actress), and Jerry Zaks (Best Direction of a Play) did win Tony Awards for their work in this play.
Which brings us to David Cromer, the director. If it was only Mr. Stiller, then perhaps it's just an actor running up against his limitations. But Ms Leigh is a fine, proven actress and she seems equally lost. The fault here must lie with the director.
My wife wanted to leave after the first act, but we soldiered on, hoping against hope. The second act is somewhat entertaining. (Madcap comedy, I guess.) But when it all ended, I felt nothing! (And I am a soft touch when it comes to the theater.) I didn't care a whit about any of them. No catharsis. No joy. No admiration. No sadness. Just disappointment at an evening (and a couple hundred bucks) wasted.
Will it receive any Tony Award nominations this year? Edie Falco. The others? I don't think so. In fact, I hope not, lest the Tony's become more of a promotional vehicle, rather than an award of true merit. |
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| 9 |
Don't do it Review by: brooklynlady, May 21, 2011 |
| Why did they chose to redo this play? It reminded me of the movie "You Can't take it with You" because of the confusion produced on the stage. Very loud play. Actors were okay. Would love to see Eddie Falco in a play that suits her talent. |
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My recommendation:
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| 10 |
great acting worth seeing Review by: RUSS, May 21, 2011 |
| may 19th i saw the play last night. my thatre group had it offered a few times. decided to go this time. i am so glad i didnt listen to the negative reviews. i thought it was very good. wonderfuacting by all. some reviews made it sound awful. this was not the case. i have been an avid theatre goer for years take my advice go see it. |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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I saw this show with:
Alone
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Recommended for:
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| 11 |
Stay home and pull lint from the dryer vent for a better time . . . Review by: liz, May 17, 2011 |
| My husband and I left at intermission. The acting was ok. Edie Falco was excellent, Ben Stiller lackluster, and Jennifer Jason Leigh, fine. The problem was in the writing. The attempts at humor or remote levity may have been workable years ago, but not tonight. There is nothing worse in a Broadway play than humor which relies on rape and schzophrenia for laughs. Even the names of tyhe women---the playwright couldn't do any better ... read more than "Bananas" and "Bunny"? I felt like a knife was ripping through my stomach until we left and breathed in the fresh air. Forget the money and time, spare yourselves the agony. |
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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| 12 |
Surprisingly uneven, incoherent, and depressing tone Review by: Andre, May 9, 2011 |
| Unfortunately, I have to agree with the essence of most published reviews: the play does not have a consistent tone and is far too dark for being advertised as a comedy. Mind you, I had read the reviews and expected a serious play but the story is very zany yet the tone is serious and supposedly realistic - for me that did not mesh. I enjoyed seeing the set and seeing Ben Stiller and Edie Falco in person but for the first ... read more time I was considering leaving at intermission too. The funny sequence with the nuns actually worked well - for about 5 minutes - and I believe if the play had had that tone it would have been a success. Unfortunately, it did not. I would not recommend this. |
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My recommendation:
Don't go
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I saw this show with:
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| 13 |
Review by: kak, May 4, 2011 |
| Great play.....great acting. It was nice to see Ben Stiller out of his usual comic roles (i.e Dodgeball, Zoolander). Some of the previous reviews I've read say the audience bood at times....it probably was the fancy snobby rich New Yorkers that see Broadway plays often who did that. It was very rude to do. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
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Recommended for:
Anyone
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| 14 |
Go, if you think you can handle it. Review by: Tom Bestor, May 1, 2011 |
The stars -- Edie Falco, Ben Stiller and Jennifer Jason Leigh -- are excellent. Especially Edie as the delusional paranoid agoraphobic (second agoraphobe of the trip!) Bananas.
The set -- stunning.
The play -- a revival of a brilliant, whacked-up maelstrom of desire and broken dreams and insane humor and celebrity-mad nuns-- is hysterical. In several senses of the word. I think it may be a metaphor of humanity coming into self-awareness, ... read more but I need to see it again.
David Cromer -- who helmed my last favorite play in New York, an amazing revival of "Our Town" -- is just as sure-handed here.
Bottom line? Go, if you think you can handle it. |
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| 15 |
Could have been better Review by: bigharp9, Apr 19, 2011 |
| Saw the show last night. Its not nearly as seamless or entertaining as the 1986 production. That production was much zanier, I felt that this one was very dark, particularly Ben Stillers performance. To me, that character needs to come off as a pathetic dreamer, & he played it full of anger. I thought Jennifer Jason Leigh was much better than the reviews I had read about her, & Edie Falco was real good, although I think Swoosie Kurtz ... read more played the role with a lot more humor. I just think this is a strange adaptation of the play, & I thought it could have been a lot funnier, particularly from Ben Stillers part. He just is miscast, although he does give a great effort. The set was great, but I have to tell you, the sound was dreadful. At times it was difficult to hear the actors (& I had 8th row seats) & you often could hear outside noise, like fire engines, during the performance. One high note was that I sat next to John Laroquette, & Judith Light was directly in front of me. Pretty cool. |
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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:
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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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