So recently I watched no less than three Broadway shows–breaking my yearly record of Broadway shows by two–and since there’s really no good place to put reviews of Broadway shows, why not use this perpetual dark house column?
1. The Motherfucker with the Hat: I saw this show only two days ago, so it’s the freshest in memory, if not material. I liked this show, but found some of the praise (it’s nominated for several Tony awards including Best Play) to be hyperbolic…or as one of the characters would call it “motherfucking gay ass shit on DL from stinky ass fuck face.” This is one of those plays that tries so hard to shock you with foul language–I guess it still shocks on Broadway where it wouldn’t to those of us that have watched HBO for a decade–you might miss that it isn’t really saying anything. Oh sure, it says a lot about addiction and tangled up relationships in NY, and several other themes we’ve seen explored 1000 times, but nothing you haven’t heard from more articulate sources before. I do like that–for once–a Broadway show has a decidedly working class point of view but there’s a reason we avoid screaming Puerto Ricans on the street and don’t pay 100 dollars a ticket to watch them scream at each other on a stage. Show grade: B (a nice time, but not quite the dynamo you might have been expecting)
2. Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo: Once again, we’re treated to a show with a big name comedy star (The Motherfucker with the Hat had Chris Rock, this has Robin Williams) doing quasi serious work–although Rock and Williams still play the material too broadly and shout most of their lines–in a play that’s a little rough around the edges compared to the usual Broadway stuff. I like this show a little more on the one hand and dislike it a little more on the other. On the one hand, it raises some really interesting questions about the nature of man and violence, plus it’s a truly original idea and setting for a Broadway show. On the other hand, the supporting characters drove me nuts with stupidity and some of the humor tried too hard. Still, any show that has the malevolent ghost of Udai Hussein (weirdly enough the best performance) stalking the stage is doing something right. Grade: B
3. My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend: Mike Birbiglia’s one man show about all his failed relationships. What this show loses in ambition points (it couldn’t be simpler compared to Bengal Tiger’s tricky narrative and weighty themes) it makes up for in enjoyment value. Not every joke really works and there are more chuckles than belly laughs, but you could do much, much worse for an off broadway comedy show. Grade: B
So what does three Broadway shows that could not be more different all getting the same grade mean? Probably that I shouldn’t be reviewing Broadway shows.
ohhh, I want to see one of those shows. mfwth is supposed to be so funny
Great review – I love you comedic angle.