Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike collective thoughts

[Ato2]

Saw the first preview tonight and I have never heard such guffaws all throughout an entire show since God of Carnage. As expected, EVERYBODY was on their feet for an ovation.

With this terrific ensemble, funny writing, beautiful set and sound, I will have to say that this is the show to beat. Too bad it's closing June 30th so go run and see this show! You will have a good laugh!

[Smaxie]

The laughter for God of Carnage was next door at the Jacobs.

[Kad]

"I have never heard such guffaws all throughout an entire show since God of Carnage"

I guess you missed One Man, Two Guvnors?

[indytallguy]

" Saw the first preview tonight and I have never heard such guffaws all throughout an entire show since God of Carnage, which coincidentally was also at the Golden Theatre. As expected, EVERYBODY was on their feet for an ovation.

With this terrific ensemble, funny writing, beautiful set and sound, I will have to say that this is the show to beat. Too bad it's closing June 30th so go run and see this show! You will have a good laugh! "

Shill-o-meter says: pretty likely.

[WithoutATrace]

Happy to hear this news. LOVED the show off broadway and looking forward to seeing it a second time on Thursday night.

[Ato2]

I saw One Man Two Guvnors. It was pure farce. I hardly laughed. Vanya's comedy comes from a funny writing.

[Rainbowhigh23]

The return of Hootie Pie!

[jbm2]

What is the running time?

[Ato2]

2 hours and 20 minutes with one 15-minute intermission.

[Wayman_Wong]

I saw 'Vanya and Sonia' twice at the Newhouse and laughed heartily both times. I also saw 'One Man, Two Guvnors' and barely cracked a smile. Humor is so subjective. For me, this is one of Christopher Durang's finest and funniest shows in years.

[PalJoey]

This is one of my favorite plays not merely in decades but in my life.

[JayG]

This play is the biggest piece of claptrap I've seen in years. Tremendously overhyped. A shallow, seldom funny college skit

[TotallyEffed]

I absolutely adore this play and saw it twice at Lincoln Center. I can't wait to catch it again (probably more than once) on Broadway. Hilarious, moving, touching, bizarre, and beautifully acted. Hoping this one takes a few Tonys.

[After Eight]

JayG,

You are absolutely right.

Talk about overhyped! It defines the word.

It was excruciatingly unfunny. And sophomoric. And long.

[iluvtheatertrash]

I loved it. Hoping that Kristine Nielsen takes home a Tony. The Act Two phone call is a master class.

[drewmangroup]

I'm intrigued. The point of comparison seems to be One Man, Two Guvnors, which I adored. I am curious if anyone can chime in with comparisons to the other gold standard of recent Broadway comedies, the revival of Boeing Boeing.

[Kad]

Well, One Man, Two Guvnors isn't a good comparison, other than they are both comedies. Vanya and Sonia isn't a farce.

[nasty_khakis]

Kristine Nielsen would be a hands down front runner if they put her in supporting actress. Granted, its a large part but where the show has an ensemble feeling overall, it works.

Her performance is one of those very very rare moments in theatre where an actor is playing 100% dramatic emotionally open sad moments while also being able to play for laughs and broad comedy without at all acting muggy. She's a revelation, especially in that phone call.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Excited to see this again next week! Anxious to see how the cast and the production transfer on Broadway.

[undercoveractor]

AfterEight-
I wanted to ask you a question in a PM because I am honestly not interested in starting an argument or making you feel attacked....I'm just curious and a bit fascinated by you. You do not accept PM's, so I'll ask here.
You obviously see a lot of theatre and have a storied history of seeing things that I can only imagine, but almost every time that I see your comments it is dismissive and negative. My question is 'What have you seen in the past 10 years that you have loved? Or at least what have you seen that keeps you coming back to see other things? '

And truthfully, I am not being snide or encouraging others to jump on you....I have just wanted to ask you that for a long time.

[TotallyEffed]

I have also tried to send After Eight a very similar message. I see a great deal of theatre and I'm usually unimpressed with what I see. I actually usually AGREE with After Eight but he hates even the things I do like!

[ARTc]

I'm fascinated. Perhaps its the wrong thread for this, but an honest discussion about why we're passionate about theater yet trash everything we see is one I want to read - perhaps participate in.

[After Eight]

Undercover and Totally,

First, I can't imagine why anyone would be intrigued by me. I'm really just your everyday theatregoer, no more, no less.

What have I loved in the last 10 years?

Well, most recently, Donnybrook! I was walking on air after leaving the theatre. Offhand, I can't think of any others, but I'm sure there were. If you let me go further back in time, I could give you many, many titles.

What keeps me coming back for more? The hope that somehow, I'll get to experience the same euphoria I felt at Donnybrook!, and at the shows of yesteryear.

I'd sit through 100 duds to be able to experience that one brief, shining moment.


Artc,

That does sound like an interesting thread. If you start it, this one can revert back to the play in question.

[PalJoey]

Well, most recently, Donnybrook!

Donnybrook opened and closed in 1961.

The question was what have you enjoyed in the last 10 years, not the last 100.

[After Eight]

PJ,

It is being revived right now.

[EricMontreal22]

Yes, but I think the point was what *new* show--at least that would be my question as well. You have some very good taste--for shows that opened before 1970--but for someone who seems to pay money to see a show nearly nightly, I also am curious what keeps you returning? (Besides the hope for another revival like Donnybrook, which actually ahs a story that I thought you would find morally wrong given what you've said about other shows, but oh well...)