“Shonn was really terrific! It's a great showcase - shows a lot of range - and I loved his commitment to the material. I was very impressed.”
– Michael Rupert
“I was happy to have been there for this 'not to be missed' event. The story was very well told, subtly acted and carefully sung. Your struggle was clear, comic at times and beautifully earnest. You had such a graceful stride through the one-man ninety minute marathon. I was proud of you and have great faith many good things are to come for you as a result of your refined work.”
– Matt Bogart
"Shonn Wiley…held my rapt attention the entire time, and he made it all look natural, as if he were doing it the first time. Lovely singing - impressive dancing. Graceful and athletic. He commanded the stage. He really lit up the stage, and presented a dynamic, charismatic persona. I had not seen that before in him, and was really delighted. It was moving on many levels…He is like a gold-mine. [Elizabeth Lucas] deserves loads of credit for directing the piece so well."
– Martin Geiger
Comments from All That Chat on talkinbroadway.com…
"Not only is Shonn Wiley one of the small handful of tru triple threat performers in the city, but he is one of an even smaller group that can hold an audience in the palm of his hand for an entire one-person musical. Elizabeth Lucas' direction was nothing short of fantastic-it's rare one person onstage can not only hold my attention, but keep me enthralled for over an hour. Kudos to both. As to Timothy Huang's writing-it's extremely promising and full of potential. It's like listening to RENT-what a wonder it would be to see what Jonathan Larson could come up with next. I can't wait to see where Timothy's direction goes after this. Congrats to all involved. It seems the true finds in this festival are few and far between. Glad to have found one of the very few good ones."
"I'll throw in my two cents here as well: Elizabeth Lucas, Timothy Huang, and Shonn Wiley have created something spectacular here and it is not to be missed. Do whatever you have to do to catch the remaining performance - though I'm sure it's not the last we'll see of this piece."
"I didn't see Shonn Wiley in the 42ND STREET revival and, therefore, did not realize what a fine dancer he is. Now - THE VIEW FROM HERE is certainly not a musical comedy, but Wiley breaks wild during the dance break in one of the numbers, and there is plenty of movement in this 90 minute story. …the music and lyrics as delivered by Wiley and the on stage piano and trumpet, make poetry of it. He commanded my rapt attention throughout. There is so much going on in the actor's eyes...you know he is really living and breathing the character he is playing. Fine work."
"The View From Here. - I think Shonn Wiley is becoming one of the finest and one of my favorite actors on the rise today. I loved his portrayal of Mother's Younger Brother in Ragtime at Paper Mill earlier this year, and in this NYMF show, in which he is the sole character, you really have a chance to appreciate the wide range of his talents. He can really 'act' a song. He moves well, and he has a beautiful smooth voice. The combination made this show a pleasure to experience. Timothy Huang did a great job on music, lyrics and book -- we'll definitely be hearing a lot more from him, too. Credit also to Elizabeth Lucas for her direction, and simple, effective set design." |
