See it if you love a star-studded cast in a classic play. It's dark but feels very contemporary. Watch out for the intermission bathroom stampede!
Don't see it if you don't like the 3:45 run time or the dark dramatic plays about addiction
See it if you would like to experience perfectly crafter, masterful acting!
Don't see it if you're a big baby who thinks 4 hours is too long for a play.
See it if Like classic drama and excellent performances
Don't see it if you can't sit for nearly four (4) hours
See it if You'd like to see a superb cast present as deep a family portrait as you can see on stage. Emotions laid out & bleeding.
Don't see it if You don't like a play that unfolds over almost four hours. This rewards the closely attentive viewer who can be patient. Also very raw pain.
See it if You enjoy seeing a classic play brought to life by some of the best actors gathered on one stage. Jessica Lange is magical!
Don't see it if You have a short attention span. It's long but worth it.
See it if The habitual behavior of a theatrical family will have you admiring our greatest American play. Lang, Byrne & Shannon are the Tony Trifecta.
Don't see it if 4 hours of heightened naturalism is too much character information for you or 4 characters berating each other is too much of a downer.
See it if You want to see a master class is acting
Don't see it if you are unwilling to sit for almost 4 hours of emotional devastation
See it if you want to see a powerfully acted presentation of one of the greatest American plays.
Don't see it if you are not willing to commit to the nearly four hour length.
"The three hour and 45-minute production is a long sit, not for the ADD or 'Bright Star' crowds. But the actors are committed (if occasionally too actorly) and Lange effectively captures the woman’s isolation, loneliness, and regret. The second half amps up the booze, emoting, incriminations, and dark humor. Mary disappears for a long time, then comes back, dementedly, as a little girl (her old self) desperate to be a nun. She’s Blanche DuBois again, after the breakdown."
Read more
“Lange is masterful here...When she's onstage, no one's as compelling. When she's not, however, the show drags...John Gallagher, Jr. is miscast...never fully connecting with anyone else on stage. That lack of connection is actually a problem for more cast members than Gallagher. Under Jonathan Kent's direction, this show, particularly in the second act, feels more like an excuse for showboat acting than an organic portrait of a family in decline."
Read more
“Some may be wide-eyed at its 3 hour and 45 minute marker, but time flows like water as you enter the crumbling world of the Tyrone family...This play carries actors that can portray the humanity of a broken soul...Jessica Lange is riveting as Mary...Michael Shannon’s Jamie will leave anyone in an emotional puddle...Gabriel Byrne is dastardly...Minifie, in particular, is hilarious and her few moments are like breaths of fresh air...Director Jonathan Kent has done a stellar job.”
Read more
"Jessica Lange dominates the production...Actors Gabriel Byrne and John Gallagher Jr’s grip on one scene seemed almost tenuous at times, but that’s the weakest patch in this formidable, searing production. Director Jonathan Kent’s impeccable pacing is most evident in Act 1...Shannon as the older brother perfectly conveys anger’s acid-drip...In the final soliloquy, when Mary concludes, 'and then I met James Tyrone,' well, that’s what theater’s all about."
Read more
"Such rich convergence of dramatic past and future is missing from the accomplished yet slightly vacant production...The Roundabout's virtuosic cast more than meets these demands...Rising to the challenge of the mammoth text is an accomplishment worth celebrating. But it's hard not to long for a little bit more from this production...The performance doesn't feel theatrically durational — just long."
Read more
"Director Jonathan Kent has assembled an all star cast. It's great watching stage and screen veterans Byrne and Shannon go toe-to-toe...Tony winner Gallagher is terrific…But it's Jessica Lange who is, unsurprisingly, the stand out. Watch as she dances around the stage while Mary dances around the issue...Listen as her voice changes on a dime, betraying the confusion and fog that keeps Mary in her own world. She is mesmerizing."
Read more
“You’ve not truly seen Jessica Lange perform until you catch Roundabout’s revival, for this is probably her best performance in years, if not ever...Michael Shannon gives a solid depiction of a man overcome by his demons...Unfortunately, John Gallagher, Jr. is less effective...In a season of unorthodox revivals, it’s refreshing to see one that’s simple, straightforward and free of gimmicks, allowing audiences to appreciate everything that is great about an American classic.”
Read more
"Lange gives a Tony-worthy performance as morphine-addicted matriarch Mary Tyrone. Jonathan Kent’s direction of this star-packed revival is substance to those who love great drama and acting…The actors bring to life the Tyrone family’s dysfunction but enable the play to be a compelling evening...Overall, 'Long Day’s Journey Into Night' is a masterpiece which should be seen and will hold your attention throughout the night."
Read more