Talk about being in the Weeds -- reviews for the Roundabout's recent Mary-Louise Parker-led production of Hedda Gabler on Broadway haven't been too kind. The New York Times' all-too-powerful Ben Brantley called it "one of the worst revivals I have ever, ever seen," so: there goes that extension. Thing is, it's not all bad. The production has a few saving graces that go without mention elsewhere, though.

1. PJ Harvey stealing the show. It's true -- the infamously eccentric singer/songwriter Harvey did the original score for the production; it's dissonant, strange, atmospheric, and absolutely beautiful. The Times actually has a slideshow with a piece of the score in it -- it's a must-listen for both Harvey fans and Broadway sound designers everywhere. So many of the productions on Broadway fail or fall short here, and often, it's because the original music for a show (heard for only a few minutes out of, say, a two-hour production) isn't really a dealbreaker. But in the same way lighting or scenery (in a much more prominent way) can set a mood, a good score can pull an audience further into a production beyond all the obvious elements. Harvey's score does just that: It sets everything on edge, possibly further than any other element of the production. It's the toy at the bottom of the cereal box in this case, but if you're there, make sure to listen closely; you can hear the sound of what should be the future of sound design in theater, with working, experienced musicians handling setting a mood.

2. Mary-Louise Parker's unintentionally pitch-perfect performance. The common gripe of this production's total lack of glue between the actors -- the complaint that they seem to be in totally separate eras of this Hedda -- is mostly true, and Parker plays the title character in an air far more contemporary than anyone else on the stage: she's in 2009, while the rest of the cast hangs out around when the play was written (1890). Parker plays Hedda's ambivalence with her domestic non-bliss as of-the-minute: pissy, desperate for desperation, but mostly, unflinchingly bored. The contrast between her performance and those of the people surrounding her creates a strange, bizarre friction that lies outside the context of the play. Maybe Parker is just bored with the show; then again, maybe this is how her character should have always been played. Either way, even if fanatics of long-dead playwright Henrik Ibsen are pissed, at least Parker's fans (also: kind of fanatical) will definitely dig it.

3. The Incredible Sleaze of Paul Sparks. Even though it's a supporting role, Paul Sparks still gets a pretty meaty piece to play with; the last time he was featured on Broadway was in Richard Greenberg's Take Me Out, so his White Way resume has serious pedigree, and his work off-Broadway is pretty often nothing short of awesome. Sparks plays his role -- a writer with a slightly tragic streak who falls in the title character's path of destruction -- with an exceptional amount of sleaze. In a downer of a character, and a play in general, it's fun to watch Sparks on a big stage, playing one strong, resonating note exceptionally loudly, and awesomely.

Tickets to Hedda Gabler are on sale through the Roundabout’s site; the show's on a limited run through March 29, so get in while you can.