Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

Tickets and Information

Entertaining with outstanding Nielsen and Hyde Pierce
This is a good, but not a great, play, providing a couple of hours of cheerful entertainment. And while a familiarity with Chekhov isn't absolutely required to enjoy the play, such a familiarity would, I think, enhance your experience. Nielsen's impersonation of Maggie Smith playing the role of the Evil Queen in Snow White is absolutely priceless and is one of the play's high points. So too is Hyde Pierce's Chaplinesque portrayal of Doc, one of Snow White's seven dwarves. But the play's finest moment occurs when Hyde Pierce goes off on a rant about how much better things used to be back in the fifties, when families gathered together in front of their black and white TV sets. Nielsen and Hyde Pierce really do steal the show although Magnussen and Angelson turn in perfectly adequate performances as Spike and Nina, respectively. I was a bit disappointed in Weaver's portrayal of Masha which struck me as rather pedestrian. But Shalita Grant, the sixth actor in the play, did a fine job as Cassandra. I have posted an expanded version of this review and reviews of several other Broadway, off Broadway, and off off Broadway plays on my blog www.aseatontheaisle.blogspot.com.

Reviewed by alansshows on Sunday, Dec 2nd, 2012

Entertaining with outstanding Nielsen and Hyde Pierce
This is a good, but not a great, play, providing a couple of hours of cheerful entertainment. And while a familiarity with Chekhov isn't absolutely required to enjoy the play, such a familiarity would, I think, enhance your experience. Nielsen's impersonation of Maggie Smith playing the role of the Evil Queen in Snow White is absolutely priceless and is one of the play's high points. So too is Hyde Pierce's Chaplinesque portrayal of Doc, one of Snow White's seven dwarves. But the play's finest moment occurs when Hyde Pierce goes off on a rant about how much better things used to be back in the fifties, when families gathered together in front of their black and white TV sets. Nielsen and Hyde Pierce really do steal the show although Magnussen and Angelson turn in perfectly adequate performances as Spike and Nina, respectively. I was a bit disappointed in Weaver's portrayal of Masha which struck me as rather pedestrian. But Shalita Grant, the sixth actor in the play, did a fine job as Cassandra. I have posted an expanded version of this review and reviews of several other Broadway, off Broadway, and off off Broadway plays on my blog www.aseatontheaisle.blogspot.com.

Reviewed by alansshows on Sunday, Dec 2nd, 2012