Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (431)
See it if you want to see two actors at the top of their game absolutely deliver stellar performances.
Don't see it if Nudity, cursing or vulgar speech bothers you. Read more
See it if you want to find out how two "lunatics" expose their vulnerabilities while Le Clair the "Lune " adds vibes both to the lovers and audience
Don't see it if you feel offended by a metaphoric nudity. Read more
See it if You love great dramedies with great actors. McDonald was much deserving of her nomination and Shannon should have been, at least, nominated
Don't see it if you do not like nudity or foul language
See it if you want to be engaged in a great story, beautifully acted. Seeing Audra Mcdonald in this role is mezmerizing. A great night of theater.
Don't see it if You do not like relationship -driven story line.
See it if You: like great acting & writing; are a McNally fan; love emotionally absorbing theatre & riveting characters who exist in real time onstage
Don't see it if You: dislike romances; prefer plot driven shows, light comedies or musicals; are not a fan of these two actors; dislike two handers.
See it if Great Acting, they work at the same place, go on a date and spend the night together and emotions and life comes with it.
Don't see it if Nudity and No Singing. Not flash or fast moving. Read more
See it if You are a fan of McNally’s beautiful writing and/or you don’t want to miss a chance to see these two fabulously talented actors.
Don't see it if You don’t want to delve into the intricacies and complexities of new love.
See it if You want to see two masters at the top of their game delivering stunning performances.
Don't see it if You don't like two handers that don't have a lot of forward action or if nudity bothers you.
Critic Reviews (44)
“Though Arbus finesses some of the play’s more cringeworthy turns, 30 years of evolution in gender politics haven’t exactly been kind to it...Both performers forge flesh-and-blood, convincingly ordinary characters, capturing their weary, troubled psyches and their glimmer of hope at meeting a kindred spirit. Together they turn their unlikely chemistry into something electric, and in doing so reanimate material that may otherwise have felt near its expiration date.”
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“Even though six-time Tony winner McDonald is unsurprisingly winning as the love-averse waitress Frankie...Its MVP is Shannon who brings his own prodigious charm to the role...The play is somewhat dated and it’s a stretch of the imagination to think of McDonald or Shannon as sad-sack losers. Plus the play goes on far too long...But with big-hearted support from McDonald, Shannon makes you fall in love with him and with the possibility that love truly can heal all wounds.”
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“McDonald and Shannon directed by Arbus spike Terrence McNally’s 1980s New York City ‘romance for the ages’ with organic authenticity and powerhouse performances. Both actors cleverly negotiate the difficulties of comedy by not playing for humor...In not pushing for laughs...the actors come up with the most unexpected and surprising riffs...They are precisely shepherded with adroit skill by Arbus to release their profound and moving sensibilities.”
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"A play that is likely to leave you squirming in your seat due to the icky substance of that romance...Both actors are brilliant, and give gorgeously rich performances. That’s why it’s all the more confounding that they never convincingly emit sparks of romance...While enjoyable—despite the squirms—this serviceable revival by director Arin Arbus never quite justifies its existence."
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“This is one delicious piece of theater...This beautifully written play has an odd set of concordances with ‘Burn This’...The production is anchored in two of the best performances currently on Broadway. McDonald and Shannon are a chemistry experiment made explosive, and made right. They are a delight to watch, to cringe for, and to respond to...These are two exceptional performances in total concert.”
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"Shannon is ideal casting for the role; he has the aura of someone whose failure to deviate from any kind of normality is profoundly weird...McDonald, too, is spectacular, making choices that minimize her physical presence; she is always tucking into herself, as if with enough effort she could eventually disappear from view."
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"Shannon is appropriately invasive and insistent and Audra is skeptical yet obviously intrigued by someone who proposes marriage and kids on a first date. Classical music wafts as a backdrop throughout, and the closing moments—as directed by Arin Arbus—neatly balance the lyrical and the mundane, with Johnny’s high-flying ideas grounded by a couple of toothbrushes in motion. It’s good stuff, but you should mainly see this for the excellent star duo of Audra and Michael."
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“Beautifully performed revival...The play requires significant willingness to go with the vision of...Arbus, especially when it comes to accepting the striking McDonald as an unattractive high school dropout...But the six-time Tony Award winner pulls it off with an intense, finely nuanced performance, her every move calculated to portray her conflicted feelings...Shannon is better suited physically to the Shakespeare-quoting ex-con, offering up an intriguing mix of bravado and brashness."
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