Present Laughter NYC Reviews and Tickets

“Kevin Kline was born to do Noel Coward...A performance of unimpeachable skill, made all the more delectable by its lightness of touch…von Stuelpnagel's production can't entirely disguise the wheezy fatigue of the 1939 comedy, but as complications multiply and the quasi-farcical cogs click into place, it runs like clockwork. That helps correct the imbalance of an ensemble in which the seemingly effortless work of the veterans outclasses their less seasoned castmates.”
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"Kline appears to be having the time of his life onstage...It’s a fast-paced and straightforward production featuring two equally delightful and delighted costars—the goofily irresistible Kristine Nielsen as Essendine’s stalwart secretary, Monica, and Kate Burton, steely and wry as his devoted not-quite-ex-wife, Liz—plus a mixed bag of supporting players...‘Present Laughter’ is a romp of sitcom-like goings-on, incredibly well executed."
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With all due respect to Noel Coward’s classic English comedies, do they really merit being revived so regularly?...Directed with a gentle hand by Moritz von Stuelpnagel, the production is pleasant but not especially interesting. There seems to have been no point in reviving the play other than to provide Kline with a star vehicle. Admittedly, the role fits Kline like a glove, especially given his knack for hammy personalities.”
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“Coward's sublime comedy of manners is as delightful, delicious, and ‘delovely’ as ever. And what makes the current production stand out even more is Kline's bravura performance…He is delivering a tour de force, calling upon all of his skills, both comic and tragic…Director von Stuelpnagel does exceptional work with his ensemble, maximizing the manic comedy while allowing his leads to rise above type.”
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“Contemporary attention spans aren't built for a play like this, a nearly three-hour drawing room sex farce from 1939 where the stakes are low and the tension nonexistent. But the work that Kline and his costars are doing is so expert that it's easy to overlook the flaws of this way-too-leisurely amuse-bouche of a comedy…Kline, one of the American theater's great actors, was born to play Garry. He does it with all the comedic flair and panache we could want. And then some."
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“Kevin Kline, with his crisp classical delivery and expertise in physical comedy, cuts a fine figure as the world-weary man about town…Kate Burton shines with cultured intelligence as his not quite ex-wife who still cares after him. The moments of Kline and Burton together represent the production's peak of civilized high comedy…While this is an ensemble play with plenty of richly drawn characters, Kline is the colorful centerpiece."
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"Kline may be the nimblest, most sophisticated comedian the American theatre has to offer, and the role of Garry fits him like one of his superbly tailored dressing gowns. Happily, Kline is sharing the stage with a prize collection of high-comedy playmates...The best part of von Stuelpnagel's production is that everyone on stage appears to be having a roaring time, thus making the audience want to join in the fun."
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“Kline and Garry fuse so tightly and so well that you're willing to overlook the other parts of the production that don't…Although von Stuelpnagel has staged the action capably, he hasn't settled on a unifying style for either the actors or the atmosphere…It can, and should, be fizzier and more buoyant...Kline, Burton, Nielsen, and Smulders can do a lot, but they can't do everything, Still, their efforts are impressive enough that nothing ever sags for more than a few minutes at a stretch.”
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