Fully Committed

“Ferguson, a five-time Emmy nominee, has given many a memorable performance in New York...This blissfully frenetic expedition takes things to a whole new level...Ferguson had help from a Juilliard dialect coach nailing all the different accents, and succeeds brilliantly…‘Fully Committed’ wraps on a note more satisfying than anything we imagine is actually cooked up at this ridiculous restaurant.” Full Review

"A brilliant tour de force played by Jesse Tyler Ferguson...The show ran many years ago, and it is as funny now as it was in the past...If you want to laugh, you need to check this show out. You will be highly entertained, and you will be satisfied and hungry for more!...This review gets five golden forks!" Full Review

“Jesse Tyler Ferguson is giving a master class in hysteria...This is a true, theatrical, palate-cleansing delight...The only questionable aspect of the production is the set…’Fully Committed’ is a laugh riot, and a thoroughly satisfying one. The star is as busy as one of those plate-spinners from vaudeville days, keeping things airborne as they throw more and more at him. Ferguson is a joy to behold, and — needless to say — fully committed to your hilarity.” Full Review

"In some ways a 'New Yorker' cartoon brought to life, thanks to its breezily incisive view of modern Manhattan manners, 'Fully Committed' is a sly exercise in one-man farce…Ferguson's touch remains infinitely light; he never, ever presses for a laugh. He also has a faultless ear for the absurdity hidden in his many characters' dialogue…The fleet and funny 'Fully Committed' proves to be an ideal vehicle for Ferguson, letting him display his full range of comic skills." Full Review

"Mr. Ferguson takes on the task, and carries it off brilliantly...There is an arc to the proceedings, and the climax occurs just where it should, and leads to an ending that is satisfying and full of fun. And that’s what I think you’ll join me in feeling at evening’s end. It’s always satisfying and fun and exciting to discover a brilliantly talented comedian with star quality who is himself fully committed to knocking himself out for our pleasure." Full Review

"The show is a literal tour de force for Ferguson. The actor embodies over 40 characters, making each totally identifiable and distinct. More than simply changing his vocal inflections for the different personas, Ferguson is able to literally become the people presented through physical movements, gestures, and facial expressions…Thanks to a very strong performance and excellent production values all around, this is one completely fulfilling and satisfying experience." Full Review

“Before he became a household name, Jesse Tyler Ferguson was one of New York’s most inventive comic character actors. You can sense his delight at stretching those muscles in the revival of ‘Fully Committed’...Ferguson's performance is necessarily broad, and not always precise: a half-British accent creeps into several voices. But it hardly matters. The actor’s likability glazes his hamminess with sugar, and the play, while not very filling, can be enjoyed with few reservations.” Full Review

“A one-person play for theatergoers who hate one-person plays....Fans of this restaurant-reservationist comedy will not be disappointed...Under Jason Moore‘s otherwise spot-on direction, a few of Ferguson’s haughtier female callers get blurred. He’s better with the men...The two characters that emerge as most distinctive are Sam’s recently widowed father and his baby-carrying brother...There’s nothing funny about them, and they give the show real heart.” Full Review

“A triumph of voices and athleticism from Ferguson, who sweats up a storm...The amount of concentration required by Ferguson is impressive and director Jason Moore runs a tight ship. One stray ring or bobbled cue could set the whole thing off, but Ferguson runs through ‘Fully Committed’ surefooted like an Olympian on an obstacle course. The premise loses steam about halfway through, but that's when the playwright wisely turns to Sam's personal life.” Full Review

“I had my doubts about the one-man-show thing going in, but they were quickly allayed by Mr. Ferguson's spitfire timing, physical athleticism, and rubber-faced bravado...My wife and I had a rollicking good time. We are seriously considering another attendance given the number of lines and jokes impossible to catch in just one sitting. Mr. Ferguson perfectly captures the pain, absurdity, and, strangely, the power of one consigned to such a position." Full Review

“Some of the jokes could be sharper...it is often strangely polite...But Ferguson is an actor of such irrepressible amiability...Under Jason Moore’s direction, a few of the actorly shifts could occur more quickly and not all the personae have a gestural specificity to match the vocal one. But moving back and forth among 40 distinct characters still represents a tour de force, which Ferguson wears lightly, even humbly, though with obvious enjoyment." Full Review

“The immensely likable Mr. Ferguson doesn’t quite have the vocal flexibility necessary to impersonate so widely varied a gallery of characters, and so the tour-de-force aspect isn’t fully realized. Even so, his acting crackles with physical energy and comic life, and it won’t take long for you to shelve your doubts and buy into his performance. The play itself is a piece of very well-made fluff...The laughter is pretty close to nonstop. If it’s light entertainment you crave, you’re in luck.” Full Review

“Tyler Ferguson navigates these human mountains and valleys, major torrents and tricky rivulets, with precision and even empathy; it’s a virtuosic performance and the audience, you should pardon the expression, eats it up. Derek McLane’s just-squalid-enough set...is spot-on. At barely 70 minutes, ‘Fully Committed’ is not so much a meal as an amuse-bouche, that clever little thingy the chef sends out before your meal to tickle your palate...A gulp and it’s gone.” Full Review

"Becky Mode’s hilarious satirical look at haute cuisine and the wacky and often short-tempered people who populate that world…Ferguson is a gifted physical comedian, and as he bounces around the stage in director Jason Moore’s production, he works a lot of empathy into his performance.…While it’s not cutting-edge cuisine, Ferguson makes sure it’s delicious." Full Review

"He's not the world's greatest impersonator, and, especially at the beginning of the 80-minute show, some of the characters blur together...But the show soon settles down, and, despite not being a virtuoso of voices, Ferguson uses his performing skill and endearing personality to create a very engaging evening…But what most broadens Mode's satire of contemporary restaurant culture into a very human story, as well, is Ferguson's extremely appealing performance." Full Review

"Becky Mode’s one-person satire of social elitism doesn’t exactly offer burning insights, but it is very, very real and quite funny…In a tireless and nimble performance, Jesse Tyler Ferguson vigorously inhabits over a dozen characters…He comfortably commands an audience without mugging or showboating...But it's the more grounded characters who provide a sense of who Sam is, and save the show from being simply a collage of impressions and jabs at it’s-who-you-know culture." Full Review

“Ferguson juggles all of these personalities rather deftly, making only a few fumbles. It takes about three calls for the ego-tastic chef to really take shape, and reservations manager Bob never really becomes instantly identifiable...Yet one can’t help but wish that for his Broadway return Ferguson had chosen something more substantial. 'Fully Committed' is full of laughs, but leaves you wanting more.” Full Review

"With the help of director Jason Moore, Ferguson has brought to life a character who isn’t just a vehicle for a turntable of personalities, but a human being with needs, desires, and a deep longing for a sense of fulfillment…Backed by an affable and charismatic lead actor, 'Fully Committed' is a well-rounded production that is fun and energetic, and—between the myriad of characters popping in and out of the story—has a message full of heart and sincerity.' Full Review

"Mr. Ferguson brings such warmth and variety to his performance that you may not notice that in the more than 15 years since the play opened Off Broadway, it has acquired a slightly sour aftertaste. Back in 1999, the words 'income inequality' were not on the lips of every economist, pundit and politician...Lively as Mr. Ferguson is, and as frequently hilarious as ‘Fully Committed’ can be, it feels shrunken in a Broadway theater." Full Review

“It's no small challenge to play this many people...but Ferguson does it with effortless style...Ferguson could, however, stand to up the volume a notch. As distinctive and delicious as all these creations are, they're not yet up to full Broadway size...There's still something for everyone on this menu, which makes ‘Fully Committed’ the rare nutrition-free amuse-bouche that genuinely, unapologetically amuses.” Full Review

“Without bringing anything special to the role...Ferguson’s performance should remind the industry why this clever trifle is among the ten most-produced plays in the country...The funny voices and comic poses Ferguson adopts to play all these characters are no more amusing than they need to be. But he shines as one character: Sam. Not only does he bring a sense of true if battered humanity to the role, he also gives Sam all the satisfaction he deserves." Full Review

"A soufflé of a show being sold as a full expensive meal...I wonder whether there is a better choice of vehicle out there to deliver Ferguson’s talents to a Broadway audience...The satire is amusing, albeit mild and familiar...A gift for vocal impersonations is not, as it turns out, in Ferguson’s wheelhouse...But, if too many of the characters are indistinct and too few are all that interesting, one stands out. Ferguson is a terrific Sam." Full Review

“The problem is that though the venue is not overwhelmingly big and Ferguson brings enormous charm and energy to this demanding role, ‘Fully Committed’ hasn't aged all that well...Given Ferguson's big fan base and our appetite for fun entertainment, ‘Fully Committed’ remains enjoyable, even if more an appetizer than a really full meal...If his characters are sometimes a bit hard to tell apart, he does enough of them with amazing smoothness.” Full Review

"Jesse Tyler Ferguson plays 40 characters with near-pitch perfection…Both his physical stamina and his dialect precision is impressive…There is not much of a discernible plot to be had in Mode's play...Subtle, the play isn't.,,,As a divertissement, 'Fully Committed' excels. It is an amuse bouche, as there is no better way to pass an evening other than, perhaps, at Pasquale Jones, Cafe Altro Paradiso, or Le Turtle. But you'll never get a reservation there, anyway." Full Review

"Ferguson is not a television star for nothing. He gradually builds the performance from a base of detailed realism...Still, it’s an inversion of the 'Fully Committed' of 1999...Asking a play that is basically a clever stunt to support the weight of this more complex interpretation is asking for trouble, which here takes the form of a strange pall. As a result, 'Fully Committed' never quite reaches the pitch of mania you may be hoping for, as if it were on beta-blockers." Full Review