Choir Boy (Broadway) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (434)
See it if the story is so well told and so moving...the harmonizing was amazing and when they started stepping i was on the edge of my seat. fresh
Don't see it if you want something light & funny, this isnt it. very emotional and you will likely cry
See it if you like Tarell Alvin McCraney's writings (Moonlight), great acting esp J. Quinton Johnson, Chuck Cooper, and Jeremy Pope and great music
Don't see it if don't like LGBT+ themes, don't like LGBT or racial slurs, or nudity Read more
See it if you're looking for an emotionally devastating musical that doesn't force a happy ending to make the audience comfortable.
Don't see it if you're uncomfortable with a frank treatment of how some queer youth are treated, or are uncomfortable with the use of slurs. Read more
See it if You enjoy a serious issue well acted in a truly professional way. Great story, great night!
Don't see it if You like musicals— this play has music but is a serious drama.
See it if you love brilliant writing, acting, singing & staging. This is a profoundly powerful piece of theater that everyone should see. So Powerful!
Don't see it if you just want mindless entertainment. The show deals with many important issues in today's world. So Powerful...RUN TO SEE THIS SHOW!!!
See it if If you want to see great acting, a relevant topic/ and a superb cast then don't miss his play
Don't see it if If a gay themed play has no interest for you than don't go/
See it if You want a fresh new show acted by wonderful, young, fresh actors. Beautiful story and storytelling.
Don't see it if You don’t like new plays or trying anything new at all. It’s a wonderful show.
See it if You want a slice of life, of growing up, about race but not, about homosexuality but not, religion but not. This was so well written. Go!
Don't see it if You’re bothered by any of the above, don’t like unpleasant topics, think life is fair, want hero’s and villains—everyone had a story.
Critic Reviews (57)
"A big-hearted, gimlet-eyed portrait of young African Americans navigating class and sexual differences in private school...The result is worth a loud and proud hallelujah...Jeremy Pope’s lead performance is a whirling, glittering thing of beauty...All the actors deserve high praise for seamlessly meshing on the many musical interludes based on hymns and spirituals, which are expertly woven into the naturalism of the rest of the show by ace director Trip Cullman."
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"The gifted director Trip Cullman conjures a gorgeous conspiracy of elements – aural, dramatic and visual – in making the strongest possible case for Tarell Alvin McCraney’s affectingly sentimental memory play...How Pharus negotiates the treacherous waters of Drew, sometimes with success and as often in heartbreaking failure, is the subject...The boys in the group, guided by music director Webb, make an angelic sound and are given frequent chances to amaze us."
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“The preternaturally gifted Jeremy Pope plays the title role...McCraney writes heightened, lyrical dramatic language....His characters are rich in human complexity and as a result we care deeply about what happens to them...The script seems to be on the point of ending multiple times, but ultimately resolves in a satisfying coda...Cullman is in complete command here, guiding his actors toward characterizations that are explicit and chiseled."
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“Vibrant and beautifully conceived...While both Cooper and Pendleton have been cast as stereotypes, they are needed to propel the play forward and both...can make even stereotypes feel fresh...The most remarkable and original aspect of ‘Choir Boy’ is...the actual acapella singing...Another in a long list of boarding school plays...But McCraney’s outstanding writing skills and the clever use of that chorus make ‘Choir Boy’ a most welcome and original addition to Broadway."
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"You may find yourself wishing that director Trip Cullman worked more closely with playwright McCraney to cut some of the confusing loose ends and what might be referred to as the dramatic fat. And in contrast with Pope and Pendleton, the usually boisterous Chuck Cooper proves disappointing as the Headmaster--surprisingly confined, when he should have been more in charge--not to mention, more engaged and engaging."
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“Song speaks louder than words in McCraney's Broadway debut...The unsettling, playful, puzzling drama...Pope’s effervescent performance stands out...Cullman, whose lucid, detailed staging lends focus to a script that, while consistently compelling, sometimes gets away from itself...’Choir Boy’ suffers from the early scenes’ premonitions of plotlessness...’Choir Boy’ isn’t a play about inaction, it’s a play about resilience...And that is something worth singing about.”
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“In this revival of McCraney’s spirited and heart warming drama you’ll many times feel you’ve been warmly wrapped in the arms of the spirituals sung in gorgeous harmonies...You’ll hear some glorious spirituals, peppered with many insightful performances, in this coming of age story directed by Cullman who keeps a sharp eye on the fun stuff, with...well thought out scenic and costume designs, lighting...and notably strong choreography.”
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"A layered and muscular one-act with music, drama, comedy and a loaded title...If one of the performed numbers, Boys to Men by New Edition, is a little too on the nose, nearly every other moment of this unique play, first staged off Broadway in 2013, buzzes with tension or glides into joy...Pope handles these transitions effortlessly, creating a vivid, capable and graceful character. His cast mates are equally skilled, and aided in no small amount by the clever direction of Trip Cullman."
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