Misery
75

Misery NYC Reviews and Tickets

75%
(331 Ratings)
Positive
74%
Mixed
19%
Negative
7%
Members say
Great acting, Entertaining, Great staging, Intense, Absorbing

About the Show

Bruce Willis makes his Broadway debut with Laurie Metcalf in this stage adaptation of Stephen King's best-selling horror novel.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (331)

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54 Reviews | 11 Followers
82
Great acting, Riveting, Highly underrated, Terrific set

See it if you like melodrama

Don't see it if you don't like violence

152 Reviews | 42 Followers
80
Cliched, Great staging, Great acting, Intelligent, Must see

See it if You want to see mr Willis as helpless person. + Mrs Metcalf absolutely perfect.

Don't see it if You don't like Stephen King

158 Reviews | 201 Followers
80
Intense, Slow

See it if You are a fan of the Stephen King or movie... Laurie Metcalf as the #1 fan is sooo good while Bruce Willis should stick to action films

Don't see it if You are not into darker themed productions..

399 Reviews | 205 Followers
80
Absorbing, Great acting, Great writing, Intelligent, Riveting

See it if Gripping. Two great stars, two great writers (William Goldman & Stephen King). What more could you want? Enjoyed it a lot.

Don't see it if Bruce Willis was a little stiff in places. It got a little gory a couple of times. People gasped.

714 Reviews | 252 Followers
79
Entertaining, Funny, Banal, Edgy, Intense

See it if You love Laurie Metcalf and would watch her act her way out of a paper bag.

Don't see it if You're looking for a play on equal par to the film.

103 Reviews | 32 Followers
79
Entertaining, Great acting, Slow, Funny, Absorbing

See it if Stephen King fans. Laurie Metcalf fans. People who know the book or movie.

Don't see it if You find Bruce Willis annoying. If you're expecting many thrills.

184 Reviews | 377 Followers
79
Entertaining, Great acting, Intense

See it if You are a Stephen King fan & you want to see Laurie Metcalf do what she does best on stage.

Don't see it if you are not a fan of the story or are looking for anything more than it is.

563 Reviews | 193 Followers
77
Funny, Fluffy, Campy, Entertaining

See it if You're familiar with the movie. You're a fan of Laurie Metcalf & Bruce Willis. You like the audience to be involved. You enjoy camp.

Don't see it if You're not a fan of the movie. You hate camp. You want a show w/more depth. You hate audience interaction.You're not a fan of Bruce & Laurie

Critic Reviews (49)

Chicago Tribune
November 15th, 2015

"To say that Willis keeps this performance hidden under his bedclothes is a bit like saying that King sold a book or two. The character upon whom King projected his fear of some day being at the mercy of a totally wackadoodle fan is reduced mostly to various manifestations of the mumble...The lack of a zesty scene partner who is really going to challenge her and go for broke eventually seems to wear Metcalf down — it is like watching a two-hander with one of the hands shrouded in mist."
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Entertainment Weekly
November 15th, 2015

"Luckily, director Will Frears and stars Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf are all in synch with the plot’s lack of serious intent…Though the technical specs are excellent, the production suffers from a curious lack of tension. And, moreover, fun…Willis plays Paul with a flatness and passivity that feels too inert, even for a character who is bedbound. And as Annie, Laurie Metcalf is overly conscious of not echoing the line readings as they were delivered by Bates."
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AM New York
November 15th, 2015

"Whereas Rob Reiner's film was chilling, Broadway production (directed without focus by Will Frears), comes off as a psycho version of 'The Odd Couple,' with audience members laughing throughout at Annie's apparent insanity. Those who don't see the humor are likely to find it a pointless star vehicle. Metcalf is big, loud and over-the-top as Annie. On the other hand, the gruff-looking Willis displays little energy or presence, which easily allows Metcalf to overtake the show."
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NY1
November 18th, 2015

"Bruce Willis is completely outshined by his co-star Laurie Metcalf. And because of that, somehow this stage adaptation of 'Misery' is more campy than scary…Metcalf is delivering a tour de force here...Just as Kathy Bates completely creeped us out, Metcalf achieves the same effect, though very much on her own terms...Unfortunately, it’s not just Paul’s legs that are hobbled here, it’s the entire show."
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Theatermania
November 15th, 2015

"Metcalf's performance is inscrutable, layered, and thrilling to behold. Willis feels much less present by comparison. He delivers most of his lines with the verve of a porn actor plodding through the exposition…Something about this change of medium has transformed 'Misery' from a thriller into a laugh-out-loud comedy...Suspense and dramatic tension are virtually nonexistent…'Misery' is a scream. I was never bored and didn't want it to end."
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BroadwayWorld
November 15th, 2015

"From beginning to end, the night belongs to Metcalf's lonely, mentally unstable Annie Wilkes..Willis is fine, but not especially interesting...Familiar moments may invoke laughter and cheers, but the stage version works as more of a character study than a thriller…'Misery' on Broadway is a bit of tasty popcorn elevated to high art by an exceptional stage actor."
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Lighting & Sound America
November 16th, 2015

"If you want to have the bejesus scared out of you, Laurie Metcalf is your woman. As Annie Wilkes in 'Misery,' she is an angel both of mercy and of death...Bruce Willis gives a performance that is largely uninflected and lacking in energy; one never feels the desperation associated with being held captive by a madwoman...A play like this is a kind of game; here, however, only one person on stage is playing for keeps."
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Talkin' Broadway
November 15th, 2015

"You know that what you're watching is terrible, but because the realities surrounding the way you're watching it make it just too unbelievable to absorb, it simply doesn't work as theatre the way it should. It's not a bad time, but when you're a millisecond away from witnessing a brutal act and you and the people around you can barely stifle snickers, it's not exactly a good time, either."
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