"4/5 stars! I was consistently enchanted by the show's low-tech magic...and by its gentle lessons about friendship, teamwork and the importance of fun. But what about 'Winnie the Pooh's' target demo? To judge from the rapt expressions of my three-year-old date and her slightly older peers, they were as delighted as little bears in honey pots."
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"Elpenord and Palmieri also show the greatest level of detailed puppetry and physical theatre; they enter and exit each scene with the same commitment to character whether they are embodying butterflies, snowflakes, or a named character. Additionally, their foot and hand work are so precise that one starts to believe that Matthew Lish’s wonderfully crafted puppets have actually come to life...I am unashamed to admit that observing them revel in the beauty of this production, content in the knowledge that they were safe to do so, reduced me to tears."
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"It's a total sensory experience from the moment one enters the theatre. First, you're engulfed by the sounds of frogs and crickets. David Goldstein's set glows with Jamie Roderick's warm, inviting lighting and evokes the Disney animated films and Ashdown Forest in Sussex, England that served as author A.A. Milne's inspiration. It makes you feel like you've entered an enchanted woodland. And that's before the show begins."
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"The question arises who is the intended audience. The 60-minute show is too slow for young children and too repetitious for adults. Possibly this is meant for the nostalgia crowd of which there are apparently legions...Winnie the Pooh: The New Musical Stage Adaptation is a pleasant enough hour. However, if you are looking for a typical Disney experience like Mary Poppins or The Lion King, this isn’t it."
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"The puppeteering and stagecraft of Winnie the Pooh—The New Musical Stage Adaptation were all delightfully first-rate. Original music and orchestrations by Nate Edmondson brought life to the Hundred Acre Wood both in songs and underscoring of dialog. Costumes by Lindsay McWilliams carefully echoed puppet construction and characterization. Scenic designer David Goldstein has obviously spent time in The Hundred Acre Wood, capturing the nuance of flora and fauna and the wooden bridge upon which the characters play the game of Poohsticks. Jamie Roderick designed the lighting and Matthew Lish was puppet and scenic coordinator."
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"Winnie the Pooh is a thoroughly charming show that will keep children and adults alike happily enthralled for every moment of the hour-long performance. It’s a perfect family-friendly event for the holidays, or anytime, with an uplifting moral that ‘bears’ repeating: be friendly and helpful, work together and get along."
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"Access to great, kid-friendly theater is one of the perks of raising kids in NYC. And while the industry has been slow to come back from the pandemic, I recently brought my 8-year-old to see the new Winnie the Pooh adaptation playing at Theatre Row, and it turned out to be just the right outing for our return to live entertainment."
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