Oh, Hello on Broadway NYC Reviews and Tickets

"Stupendously entertaining...There are lots of bad puns on tuna and even more jokes that qualify as politically incorrect...Consider that as a trigger warning, if you must, but I find it hard to imagine anyone’s taking offense. That’s because, like most good theater, 'Oh, Hello' exhales the transporting joy of actors becoming someone else so completely and infectiously that on some level we become them as well and adopt whatever warped worldview they’re selling us."
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"'Oh, Hello on Broadway,' directed by goofy-smart prince Alex Timbers, stretches the shtick to 95 minutes of metatheatrical horseplay...The internal logic gets foggy, but 'Oh, Hello' is really about watching Kroll and Mulaney do high-level tag-team comedy, in the great tradition of Mike Nichols and Elaine May and Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner. If some of the tuna seems a bit canned, both comedians are superb improvisers...They make mustiness new, and they’re a New York City must."
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"The jokes are excellent...It’s the kind of nonsensical set-up that leaves the writers maximum latitude as to what they can build, but it also limits how strongly they can build it. The result is both delightful and shaggy, pointed and unmemorable. Most of the delight and pointedness come from the exemplary verbal polish of the scripted material...The 90-minute evening is already a mite too long, and if it weren’t for a few stand-alone bits, 'Oh, Hello' might be too soggy to enjoy."
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"The funniest show in town...Don't go looking for much of a plot in this stand-up comedy routine dressed up as theater...The evening is structurally ragged, composed of tenuously related blackout sketches, improvised bits, and an interview segment featuring a different special guest at every show...Not all the jokes land...The show could use some pruning. But it hardly matters when the jokes come this fast and furious."
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"Kroll and Mulaney wrote the script, in addition to starring, and they’re very funny performers. Their show is less funny, unfortunately, unless you’re already a dedicated fan...The script is full of genuine laughs...The play is directed by the playful and inventive Alex Timbers, who keeps the business humming along nicely...The entire effort feels surprisingly unambitious, with no real story, no attempt to welcome new audiences, no truly great comic moments. It’s a sketch, drawn out."
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"Sloppy, silly, occasionally inspired...'Oh, Hello' might not be the show to win over new enthusiasts...There’s no defining theme to the show, and the humor is all over the map. The core component of their act is pure character comedy...Is the material of this show really that uneven, or is the production still evolving? With the duo’s improv skills and their packed houses, 'Oh, Hello' could develop into a production format that would be all its own—and genuinely original."
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“The less said, the better. A hoary vaudeville masterminded and performed by Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, their Upper West Side alter kockers have ’em rolling in the aisles of the Lyceum Theatre with politically incorrect jokes, interspecies copulation, Norm Crosby-style malapropisms, idiosyncratic mispronunciations, and a tuna sandwich that would do the soon-to-be-departed Carnegie Deli proud. The whole thing is exceedingly idiotic or possibly just too cool for me.”
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"Their unlikely showbiz ascension is exactly the outcome we deserve — those of us who don’t mind a few lung-punishing laughing jags of an evening, in the theater...Comedians John Mulaney and Nick Kroll hold a theater crowd in their loony spell for a giddy, galloping 90 minutes...Their brand of comedy is a winning melange of all the brows: low, middle and high...Terrific bits of observational comedy — and more successful, I think, than an interlude halfway through."
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"Our long national downer is over. 'Oh, Hello' has finally put an end to entertainment’s interminable War on Fun. The smart, 95-minute two-hander created by and starring comedians Nick Kroll and John Mulaney dares to be hilarious, without a nanosecond of deeper meaning...Directed with chutzpah by Alex Timbers, the show — which, at 95 minutes, is a bit too much of a good thing — is completely un-PC, infectiously energetic and packed with winning zingers."
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"Gil and George have written a play, and it's aswirl with jokes and jabs at actors, stage hokum and overripe clichés. The crotchety geezers bat that around for a while, then launch into NY and personal history...The trio’s chat roams from babies and being Jewish to flexing biceps...There are moments that had me in stitches, but the show’s so shapeless and shaggy that it doesn’t add up to much."
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"Intended for aging, oddball, scruffy, cranky, culturally (if not authentically) Jewish New Yorkers—and anyone else who identifies with or appreciates the same demographic...There is a wisp of a story line and even a dream ballet, but 'Oh, Hello' is primarily a vehicle for the duo to kvetch and kvell about everything under the sun and long nostalgically for the bygone days of New York in the 1970s...'Oh, Hello' is 95 minutes of politically incorrect, gleefully silly fun."
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"A Comedy Central cult act created by Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, Gil and George are curmudgeonly wannabe artists still waiting for their big break...Directed with a keen sense of the absurd by the brilliant Alex Timbers, 'Oh, Hello' is extremely funny stuff, veering from satirical wit to wackadoodle zaniness. Kroll and Mulaney have honed these grotesques for years and 90 minutes is almost too little time in their creepy company."
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"Audiences will laugh uproariously at their clownish behavior...Under the direction of Alex Timbers, the jokes are sharper, the flow more efficient, and the design considerably more extravagant...Each performance features a different guest, giving Kroll and Mulaney an opportunity to improvise and riff—and they're often funnier doing that than when they're delivering scripted material...'Oh, Hello' turns out to be a bottomless well of funny."
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"The ninety-minute evening allows for bits of improvisational riffing and Kroll and Mulaney have perfected a loose chemistry that plays on a low-key level...While fans of Kroll and Mulaney will no doubt eat it up, 'Oh, Hello on Broadway' tends to lose some steam during the last half-hour...The fact that something as non-traditional and New York-centric as an evening with George St. Geegland and Gil Faizon can play the Lyceum is a welcome sign for the creative health of Gotham's theatre scene."
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"The entire 100-minute evening is pointless, and evinces no socially or theatrically redeeming value I could detect. And yet I loved every single second of it...Despite its innumerable failings, it is insanely hilarious. And, considering that it never for a moment wants to be anything else, and that everything everyone involved does with it is in pursuit of that goal and no other, it unfurls with the unshakable confidence of a no-holds-barred success—and, in turn, becomes one."
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"Scott Pask’s set for the zany 'Oh, Hello on Broadway,' a ten-minute skit run amok, is the wittiest element in this two-man show created by Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, mining material they’ve been working on for the past few years."
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"The two comedians have created a full meal out of what started as a sketch...Kroll and Mulaney are great fun to watch, and their affection for each other and the characters is evident...There’s no staleness or boredom despite them having portrayed the grumps for over a decade. Alex Timbers uses a light touch, letting his funnymen and their antics loose...Kroll and Mulaney have crafted a tasty sensation for the new Broadway season."
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"You better be ready to laugh. A lot...These stars want, and you better believe they get, their spotlights. Director Alex Timbers keeps things tight, an accomplishment given the seemingly rambling delivery of the elderly leads...While you could call 'Oh, Hello on Broadway' sophomoric, to do so misses the point. There is a sophistication beneath its frat house mentality that keeps it sharp...It observes and skewers pop culture with laser-like precision and sets up jokes with skill and care."
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"For Kroll and Mulaney's many fans, 'Oh, Hello' is a winner...If the jokes overshadow the plot, that will suit them just fine...Anyone who, like me, comes to the Lyceum as Kroll-Mulaney virgins, will have a harder time getting into their brand of wacky, often in-your-face humor. Still, the very genuine chemistry between these guys does give a dash of charm to their shticky trajectory...I can't say that 'Oh, Hello' ever quite escaped its improv-sketch comedy roots for me."
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"There is the barest thread of a story line here and these two give it a nod every once in awhile...Mostly they wander off the reservation and tell stories or offer observations on everything from Lenny Kravitz‘s private parts to a childhood friendship with Robert Durst...About halfway through this show you realize you are never going to catch up so you let go of the reins and hang on for the ride. You realize that you have spent the better part of the past 70 minutes laughing."
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“Gil and George’s language constantly subverts expectations as ordinary remarks take extraordinary turns. There are simple malapropisms, like saying ‘home page’ for ‘homage,’ while many words are mispronounced by accenting the wrong syllable. Where Gil and George are concerned, the Marx Brothers can’t be far behind, although without this show’s scatological and raunchy humor. Even the Marxes never had a love affair with a raccoon, though, much less impregnated one.”
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"The theater in-jokes are a hoot...But this is hardly a highbrow affair. Some of the more hilarious moments involve Gil’s risque relationship with a racoon...Their humor might not be the best fit for Broadway. Some of it seems too subtle and New Yorker-y for mass tourist appeal. 'Oh, Hello on Broadway' may be most appreciated by folks who’ve already been introduced to this odd couple. For those just meeting them, it’s an awfully long first date."
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"I was surprised at how little I laughed...Not quite a real play with a plot, but also not quite a series of comedy sketches. It’s reminiscent of 'Wayne’s World,' but without the narrative consistency, and 'The Pee-Wee Herman Show' but without the colorfully inventive design...It’s 100 anarchic minutes of shtick and weirdness and one-liners and scenes that mock the idea of scenes....Much of 'Oh Hello' struck me as inside jokes that everybody in the audience seemed to get except me."
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"This act, by Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, consists of two curmudgeonly old men...Personally I don’t get it and the emperor has NO clothes...A series of comedy sketches, where the two try to crack each other up and do most of the time. By the way, unprofessional. There is no plot, arc, nor is it funny. I laughed at maybe one joke. What you get is 100 minutes of stupidity...It’s all an inside joke, that I seriously do not get! By the way, a lot of the audience does not get it either."
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"This show is messy, puerile, crass, and wildly indulgent...It is also uproariously, stomach-achingly funny...The show probably shouldn’t work as well as it does. Kroll and Mulaney don’t always play the characters consistently (when it seems like too much effort, they just play themselves) and they crack themselves up habitually. But the pleasure they take in the exercise is obvious and infectious...The writing, though variable, has more than its share of semi-precious gems."
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"Strap yourself into the roller coaster and ride along for ninety-five minutes of hilarious insanity or insane hilarity, take your pick...The scenery—designed by Scott Pask—is full of jokes, including some real belly laughs...Alex Timbers directs; or perhaps we should say he successfully manages to keep up with his actors (who seem to be unrestrainedly improvising along the way)...It starts out funny and moves past hysterical to sublime."
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"The big problem with 'Oh, Hello' is that Mulaney doesn’t deliver. He’s neither the classic straight man who sets up the zany alpha male (Kroll) nor is he an even mildly amusing caricature in his own right...Promises to be much raunchier and offensive than it ever delivers...Often resembles a 'Pee-wee’s Playhouse' for the post-millennial crowd. No surprise, it’s directed by Alex Timbers, who brought 'The Pee-wee Herman Show' to Broadway a few seasons ago and has never recovered."
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"I find Kroll and Mulaney funnier in manner and outrageousness—they are very good comics—than in much of their material. However, they often exhibit very savvy comments reflecting knowledge of theater, culture and politics...The sort of humor that will arouse laughter in some and possibly make others uncomfortable. One can say that these cut-ups are an acquired taste...Alex Timbers directs the show with a clear understanding of what makes these entertainers funny."
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"Gil Faizon and George St. Geegland of 'Oh, Hello on Broadway' are refreshingly crotchety. For those unfamiliar with these cantankerous oldsters, Gil and George are bizarre creations of 30-something comics Nick Kroll and John Mulaney...The structure of their two-man show is loosey-goosey...Director Alex Timbers keeps the daffy duo on a relaxed leash, allowing them to romp and jump but not run out of control...Anyone with a taste for tangy humor should see 'Oh, Hello.'"
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"What’s 'Oh, Hello on Broadway' doing on Broadway? You may well ask. Depending on your threshold for the shaggy ridiculous, you may well keep asking yourself during much of the wildly uneven 95 minutes...The show bungees around with absurd, occasional cleverness, with dated references to Blue Man Group and softball observations about theater cliches....Timbers encourages a breathless pace that suggests we are not meant to ponder too long on any of the foolishness."
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"They're smart and very funny–at times. But, over 95 minutes, there is also a fair share of clunkers, bottom-drawer lines...And in a show as loosely constructed as this, without a strong through line to carry interest past bumpy moments, the evening rises and falls joke by joke...For the person who comes to the theater innocent of knowledge of Kroll and Mulaney, their extended sketch of a show will likely depend on how he or she responds to a pair of cantankerous elder citizens."
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"A gleefully misanthropic sketch show...The laughter here often hinges on the feeling that we probably shouldn’t be finding any of this quite so funny...But when that banter knowingly sends up its own bigotry, then we may guffaw as well as groan...That blend of arcane local colour, highbrow repartee and toilet humour makes for an improbably enjoyable evening. 'Oh, Hello' may just consist of two evil old men gassing on stage for 90 plotless minutes, but you’ll love them by the end."
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"A disorganized, screwy Broadway production...As wacky as 'Oh, Hello' is, the laughs are generous, albeit with a squirmy quality with barely a hint of a theme...You get the point of all this, not that there is really any point. For 30-something Kroll and Mulaney, Comedy Central skit favorites, 'Oh, Hello' is an homage to the magic of Broadway...This free-wheeling look at our city's unique characters is over-the-top yet lovable in a repulsive, hands-off kind of way."
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"From the moment the houselights dimmed, and Kroll and Mulaney moseyed on from the wings, pandemonium reigned. They were greeted by a huge hand, and for the next 100 minutes laughter followed in waves, erupting about every four or five words...Never have I felt I was such a curmudgeon...I just didn’t get it...I know I’m way out of the mainstream on this one...If you don’t have any history of this original team, it might be more difficult to get at what they are doing up there."
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"None of this is especially memorable, but it is very entertaining, especially given the duo's knack for improvisation...Mulaney and Kroll occasionally pause to address audience members who make the mistake of sneezing or, even worse, getting up to use the bathroom. They appear to be having a blast putting on old man makeup and ill-fitting corduroys and trying to make each other laugh. Their spirited silliness proves infectious."
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"'Charmed, I’m sure,' says Gil Faizon after nearly every introduction. It’s hard not to be...Kroll and Mulaney, who are in their thirties, use an intentional 'budget' elderly look as a tongue and cheek mechanism—and it works wonderfully. The plot is paper thin and the sophomoric jokes abound, but do not be fooled into thinking that this is only for frat-boys. On the contrary, Kroll and Mulaney have a knack for combining Borscht belt yuks with intelligent, existential humor."
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"The result is nothing short of hilarious, with no intention other than to make you laugh out loud. Kroll and Mulaney are in tip-top form here...The actors know exactly which buttons to push for maximum effect while never really going over the top or staying on any particular subject for too long...Filled with jokes and bits that are often politically incorrect and also occasionally unprintable, 'Oh, Hello on Broadway' is a supremely enjoyable and satisfying experience."
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"Whether one 'gets' the show’s humor or not, one cannot ignore the fact that Mr. Kroll and Mr. Delaney have a marvelous chemistry together as a comedy team. The actors, both in their 30s, rely a bit too heavily on old-man stereotypes and insider jokes, but they get laughs regardless, and have a winning gift for improv and highbrow pratfalls. The shtick in 'Oh, Hello on Broadway' isn’t for everybody, but there’s enough hammy humor here to make the show an offbeat hit."
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"Impropriety is the lifeblood of Nick Kroll and John Mulaney’s 'Oh, Hello,' a savage sendup of growing old and out-of-touch but still persisting...You’ve probably seen these guys in their tattered blazers browsing used bookstores and other faded New York institutions. There’s a darkness that courses through that keeps the jokes uneasy and adds complexity to this thoroughly enjoyable show."
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"The show's plot is thin...But you're not there for the plot. You're there to see Kroll and Mulaney's masterful take on Faizon and St. Geegland—two incredibly nuanced and well-rounded characters who manage to be wildly offensive and incredibly lovable at the same time. Both are equally excellent...The laughs rarely slow down in the pitch-perfect show either...Alt-comedy fans will surely love 'Oh, Hello.' But rarely do theatergoers get to see such a refreshing, relatable character study."
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"Creators Kroll and Mulaney have honed these characters for more than ten years, who were first born in live sketches and then online videos...For an audience of theatre and comedy nerds, Kroll and Mulaney’s love letter (perhaps stalker note they say) to the theatre is simply hilarious."
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"Every night Kroll and Mulaney pack the Lyceum Theatre and parade their shticky counterparts in front of appreciative crowds. The result is electric. Expect non-stop laughs, and I mean non-stop...That connection between artists and audience derives in part from the growth from small stage to small screen to big stage. But it also comes from the incredible chemistry between the two performers and the unexpected way in which these exaggerated septuagenarians come to life."
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"Really, really funny...The joy in watching them comes from seeing what at first registers as a single, obvious joke keep growing bigger and bigger and bigger, until its warped, silly worldview takes over your mind, too…A charming full-dress production…The noise from the audience throughout their performance — that of people blind drunk on their own laughter — suggests that the roster of cool theater has now been swelled by the uncoolest dudes on the planet."
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"They appear to be just a pair of clueless baby boomers in corduroy and mop-like gray wigs, yucking it up in ludicrous New York accents. But in no time their laughter spreads to the audience and the jokes keep rolling with a hit-to-miss ratio of close to 100 percent...It’s hard to imagine it getting any funnier. In fact, bring a handkerchief to wipe away tears. If laughter is the best medicine, Kroll and Mulaney are peddling an overdose."
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"Kroll and Mulaney join the fray in this laugh-out-loud sendup of the stage...George and Gil, with their half-century relationship, definitely have depths to explore. Kroll and Mulaney gleefully unlock a secret world of Steely Dan records, ex-wives, and terrible diners occupied by two men who froze their lives in amber sometime around 1977...It's all really funny, but perhaps just a little too long. Still, no one is likely to leave feeling like they didn't get their money's worth."
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"These two men are comedic forces in their own right, but together they create a performance that is incomparable, because their combined talent and intellect creates a type of comedy that has many levels…Their chemistry allows them to build on each other's jokes, raising the comedy to levels not typically seen in this type of two-person act…'Oh, Hello' was incredibly smart and 'laugh until your stomach hurts' funny."
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"The show looks great and keeps a brisk pace. There is something quite special about remembering these years with Gil and George, and the audience laughs through each beat of the bio drama…Their witty banter never keeps the audience in the dark....At the end of the show, Gil and George break the fourth wall…They take questions from the audience..Improvisation has never been so sharp. It is a fitting finale to a heart-warming journey that really captures every moment."
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"Although the two-hour performance might have been pared down to a solid hour and a half, I type this review still sore from laughter. 'Oh, Hello' is very, very funny...'Oh, Hello' also features a healthy amount of interaction and near flawless improvisation...The only real lag was in the last quarter of the show...Still, once the play within the comedy show started to wrap up, the near-constant laughs returned. Just about everyone left the theater quoting favorite one-liners."
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"'Oh Hello' is a joke-a-second laugh endurance test exploring two charmingly racist, lovably petulant New York nudges and their obsessions with tuna, turtlenecks and Alan Alda. There wasn’t a dry eye or seat in the house from all of the laughter-induced tears and pees, much of it the product of improvisation...While 'Oh Hello' occasionally appears to sag, that feeling may only be attributable to the frenetically funny pace the show otherwise maintains."
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