The Starry Messenger
Tickets and Information
SHOW INFORMATION
CURRENTLY CLOSED
Opened Nov 23, 2009
Closed Dec 19, 2009
Opened Nov 23, 2009
Closed Dec 19, 2009
Directions & Map
Visit the The Starry Messenger website:
http://www.thenewgroup.org/season1.htm
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WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
Kenneth Lonergan's The Starry Messenger follows an astronomy teacher whose carefully circumscribed world is upended by an unexpected encounter that changes everything. This play features performances by Matthew Broderick, Catalina Sandino Moreno, J Smith Cameron, Stephanie Cannon, Kieran Culkin, Jonathan Hadary, Grant Shaud, and Missy Yager.
WHAT ARE CRITICS SAYING?
What are other members saying?
Don't bother
This play is a waste of almost 3 hours ! time. Poorly written and directed, there are sections that literally make the audience groan. Most of the acting seems awkward, something else we can probably blame on Lonergan.
Not since John Patrick Shanleys "Romantic Poetry" has a playwright been so totally responsible for so total a mess.
Reviewed by CharlieSig
on Monday, Nov 23rd, 2009
Not as bad as the papers say Strong Performances
Hadnt read reviews, but wanted to see the play when I saw the adverts in October. Strong performances and some very funny lines. Maybe the bad press worked as a strong motivator, but Broderick was fine. He flubbed a few lines, but not badly, just misspoke, and he has a *lot* of lines. The problem lies with the writing. The play is supposed to be about a life changing meeting, but there is not enough change in Marks character to actually register with the audience. And there were at least two places in the second half that I thought were the ending. They were good, natural end points, but the play continued. And I never really got the "point". And since Im a college professor of drama, I have a little experience getting the point. The story aside, I did enjoy the performances very much. Catalina Sandino Moreno is lovely and strong, though what her character sees in the Broderick character is difficult to see. Grant Shaud has delicious comic timing. Merwin Goldsmith was a standout. My party of four agreed that the play was worth a try for the performances alone. Lighting, set design and music also very good.
Reviewed by mrc0201
on Saturday, Nov 21st, 2009
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recommend, approve and/or guarantee such events, or any facts, views, advice and/or information contained therein.
©1999-2012 TheaterMania.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use & Privacy Policy
There are several poignant and compelling moments scattered throughout Kenneth Lonergan's overstuffed new play, The Starry Messenger, currently being presented by The New Group at Theatre Row. Unfortunately, lackluster lead performances from Matthew Broderick and Catalina Sandino Moreno work against the subtle layering of emotion within the playwright's script. And with a running time of nearly three hours, the production -- directed by Lonergan -- tends to drag.
The play is set in New York City in 1995, and revolves around Mark (Broderick), a 46-year-old astronomy teacher at the old Hayden Planetarium. He's experiencing something of a mid-life crisis, precipitated by the imminent closure [...]