a.r.t. - american repertory theater

Outstanding performance all around including the sets, the music, the performers,the sound, the special effects, and the theatre itself. The website is very helpful with suggestions (and discounts) for parking and nearby restaurants as well as maps on how to get around. I put this musical right up there with Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera - that's quite a compliment!

Love that A.R.T. We recently were lucky enough to attend a sold out performance of "Finding Neverland". The theatre has an excellent sound system; we were seated in the second last row and never missed a word or a note. There are no poor seats in the theatre. One of the more comfortable venues for live entertainment in the Boston area and the A.R.T. is easy to get to by public transportation. Highly recommended to anyone interested in attending professional theatre in a perfect venue.

The A.R.T is the best theatre in the Boston area; there are no bad seats, the sound system is fantastic. It is THE place to enjoy Diane Paulus' pre-Broadway plays and musicals. We saw Pippin and most recently Finding Neverland, both of which were superb. Most "Broadway in Boston" shows are an expensive, pale imitation of the real one and only Broadway; don't waste your money! The A.R.T is the only local theatre that rivals Broadway in quality of production and creative excellence.

Musical was a magical journey. Very emotional, and performances which will astound you. Broadway bound for sure!

I went to see Finding Neverland the Musical. The show was fantastic. I'm excited to hear it will be going to Broadway. The Theater is wonderful. Good sound, and didn't seem to be a bad seat in the theater.

Every production is excellent. Exciting, well cast, completely professional. I have never been disappointed by a show there.

I've seen some phenomenal shows at the ART - most recently, the brilliant and beautiful production of "Witness Uganda"."Finding Neverland" desperately misses the mark.First, the good stuff... Great production value. The sets were lovely and inventive. Costuming was good. Laura Michelle Kelly was fantastic - a joy to watch on stage and the only part of the production that pulled you in emotionally. Michael McGrath's turn as Charles Frohman/Hook was enjoyable and should earn him a Tony nomination if he stays with the cast when they move to Broadway in the spring.Now, the bad... Jeremy Jordan was terrible. He's not old enough for the role, struggled with the accent (which was distracting and unnecessary), and didn't carry enough depth or maturity for the character. Mia Michael's choreography was spastic, manic, and distracting. Her balletic handling of the servants movements was delightful, but most of the choreographed numbers were non-period and fought against the production - especially the opening number, which unfortunately set the tone for the rest of the show. The music was insipid and completely forgetful. The boy who played young Peter was awful - painful to watch, especially in the second act when his character is supposed to be so sympathetic. He was such a departure from the thoughtful and sensitive performance that Freddy Highmore brought to the film. I literally was cringing when he was on stage because it was so bad.High Points - Act 1 Finale. They should have had more crossover into the fantasy "Peter Pan" world. Glitter Cyclone - this is where they should have ended the show. It would have been provocative, impactful, and dramatic. But instead they had to tie up all the loose ends (poorly) and offer the audience a denouement.

We have seen many plays at this theater. Even traditional plays like Mamet and Shakespeare's "Casear" and "The Tempest" are injected with new life not only in sets, but in attitude and state directions, even if original text is preserved. If you like theater and like to think about old (and new) things in new ways, take a chance and attend a performance.

A reason to visit Boston. We have been going to plays at the American Repertory Theater since it was the Yale Repertory Theater in the late sixties and early seventies, occasionally taking a season or a year off in annoyance and eventually finding a reason to go back. Lately though the only criticism often lobbed at the ART is that it's "pre-Broadway", meaning too entertaining. While the ART's versions of plays such as The Tempest may give a particular take on a classic, they don't seem gimmicky. Recent productions have combined authenticity in interpretation with superbly edgy production values. It speaks well for the ART that it takes risks and remains successful. My favorite shows last year were three very different productions: The Shape She Makes (danced at the Oberon, the second stage) and All the Way and The Tempest at the Loeb. Under Diane Paulus's leadership the A.R.T. has reached new heights.

We see several Broadway shows a year in New York, and were delighted that we could see Finding Neverland, which is headed to Broadway in September, at a fraction of the price of the New York venues. The show is based on the movie of the same name, which starred Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet, and tells the poignant story of how playwright J.M. Barrie came to write Peter Pan. The ART production was amazing in every respect: incredible cast (especially Jeremy Jordan as Barrie and the four boys of the Darling family); great songs, singing, and orchestration; whimsical choreography; inspired sets (among the best I’ve seen in many years of theater-going); and a story that makes you laugh and cry. We attended a Red Sox game the night after seeing Neverland, and had the good fortune to hear Jeremy Jordan sing the national anthem the way it should be sung. Kudos to Director Diane Paulus and all at ART for putting this show together. It should do very well on Broadway.

Didn't see the Johnny Depp movie; didn't know anything about the storyline (depicting the life of J.M. Barrie, the creator of Peter Pan); didn't expect much, despite a mostly-glowing "Globe" review; was BLOWN AWAY by this musical.We attend all types of live performance, from opera to Shakespeare to choral presentations to jazz and blues. This piece is simply spectacular, with amazing production values, great voices, a superb pit orchestra, and some staging that we will never forget. It is going to Broadway, and deeply deserves to do so. Do not miss the opportunity to see this. It's family-friendly, and anyone who knows the story of Peter Pan will be especially happy with what happens during the unforgettable evening at "Finding Neverland". It was over oh-too-soon.

Go see this play before it gets to Broadway. I went not knowing totally what the play was about. Yup guilty as charged. At first thought it was something to do with Michael Jackson and than read it was something to do with Peter Pan, which it was. The play is imaginative, the acting is amazing, the dancing is amazing, the singing is amazing, it tugs at your heart strings and while 2 1/2 hours long it does not feel long at all. What an amazing production. I called the last minute and got by luck a second row seat at a sold out production. Ticket was just turned in. Lucky me. Go see this now and you will not be disappointed. I promise you that.

I recently saw the American Repertory Theater's production of Finding Neverland, directed by Diana Paulus and produced by Harvey Weinstein. Those names alone made this destined to be a Broadway-bound given, let alone that Jennifer Hudson sang the title song as a preview at this year's Tony's. All that aside, let's get to the play. It was magical, emotional, touching, heartbreaking, comedic...all in one. It connects us with both our inner child and mature adult. The music seamlessly acts as the seque from one scene to the next. The voices, dancing and acting are flawless...I DO HOPE THEY DON'T CHANGE THE CAST FOR BROADWAY - THEY ARE PERFECT!I guess by now you can tell I loved it...in fact I bought tickets to go again before it closes. I guess that is a true stamp of approval!!

Just saw "Finding Neverland" and it was excellent. It will be going on to Broadway and it should be a success there. Prices of seats was good.

We see shows here that eventually have gone on to Broadway (Porgy & Bess, Pippen, Finding Neverland). For less than 25% of the cost of a Broadway show, and in a theater that is small enough that you can really see everything up close and personal, it is the ideal theater environment