Straight White Men (Broadway) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (315)
See it if you'll laugh at the juvenile antics of grown men. You don't need philosophy; you'll settle for a slice-of-life portrayal w/its messiness.
Don't see it if you want true insight into privilege. Lee offers little POV; issues have no resolution. A cop out. Sh we like/dislike SWM? Muddy thinking. Read more
See it if You want to see a very funny show that’s also tender and smart and full of good topical insights. Mostly great acting and clever staging.
Don't see it if You can’t overlook a few choppy moments that just don’t seem to flow as smoothly as real life does. Feels slightly forced to make its point.
See it if If you want to see a family story of brothers at Christmas, one bro foesnt live up to expectations. Poorly directed.
Don't see it if If you want a good show with substance behind d it, good directing g or something that keeps your attention.
See it if Does a privileged education obligate a person to a high-achievement life? Dad and 2 sons try to "fix" 3rd son. Enjoyed the physical comedy
Don't see it if Given how close the family seemed to be, I didn't buy their rejection of the low-key 3rd son. Writing was too heavy-handed.
See it if you like the cast who do terrific jobs, want to see funny show with "hidden" serious undertones, want to see something unexpected
Don't see it if you're expecting a tirade about male privilege, don't like men behaving like children, can't deal with a truly exasperating character
See it if you want to see a fresh, funny & insightful study of human nature, familial bonds, inherent privilege, over/underachievement & masculinity.
Don't see it if you require a tidy & easy resolution to satisfy your experience; liberal guilt prevents you from sympathizing with the titular characters. Read more
See it if You want to see a cute, albeit run-of-the-mill, all-boys family comedy with some famous (though good) actors.
Don't see it if You’re hoping for a provocative play by a hot playwright who’s known for that. This is decent, but very average. But maybe that’s the point?
See it if you believe that people should live up to the expectations that society thrusts upon them. This may make you reconsider that notion.
Don't see it if you’re blinded by the title. Open your mind and watch this insightful play that happens to leverage white men to discuss universal themes.
Critic Reviews (47)
"Under Ms. Lee’s direction at the Public, the play was shaggier and, paradoxically, more coherent; something about this knotty material, with its complex point of view and shifting tonalities, benefits from a crude attack. In the current production, I missed the brutality of the final confrontations, which now seem to pass in a haze of tough love. That said, 'Straight White Men' is still an exceedingly odd — and thus welcome — presence on Broadway. It remains undeniably powerful."
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"Anna D. Shapiro’s Broadway production feels broader than the one that Lee directed at the Public in 2014, and the performances are somewhat uneven: The cocky Charles and the cryptically recessive Schneider are excellent, whereas Payne still seems to be finding his footing. Hammer, in his stage debut, leans on sincerity a bit heavily but radiates charm, which goes a long way...She may poke fun at these guys as they poke at each other, but Lee is not dismissive."
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"It’s nuanced, curious, and compassionate. That’s not to say it’s comfortable—Lee’s sense of mischief and her expert control of tension are still at play—but it is, in its bones, gentle...For all its clear-eyed examination of certain kinds of meanness—the most insidious of which look a lot like caring—'Straight White Men' isn’t a mean play, and that feels like one of the most important things about it right now."
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"'Straight White Men' is such a great title for a show that it momentarily blinds you to the fact that there’s no real script to support it...Rigged to make audience members feel hep, because they get to give a thumbs-down to some straight white men in a political climate that is increasingly critical of all three of those designations...Not only does it not exhibit any of the humor, recklessness, and passion of Lee’s previous work; it refutes those things...Shallow, soporific, and all about itself."
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"'Straight White Men' is great fun for much of its time, but the play falters when it attempts to explore more serious terrain. The playwright doesn't manage to convey successfully what she's trying to say about the expectations that inevitably accompany privilege...Nonetheless, the evening succeeds to a large degree thanks to the sharply funny comic writing, the impeccable direction by Shapiro and the superb performances of an ensemble who display tremendous chemistry together."
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"The play examines toxic masculinity and white male privilege while making you disappointed that modern men still haven’t harnessed their strength in a positive movement the way women have with feminism. The dysfunction in 'Straight White Men' is relatable...At times it feels like each is waiting his turn for the next line they need to nail, but overall the cast delivers magnetic and profound performances, sandwiching harsh truths between jokes and even some adorable dance moves."
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"In 'Straight White Men,' Young Jean Lee’s cutting but deeply humane satire about straight white male privilege and pain, Armie Hammer, Josh Charles and, in an especially heart-wrenching performance, Paul Schneider play three brothers with mid-life issues. In director Anna D. Shapiro’s super-smart production...The re-written version of the play seems to have extended and pumped up the fun and games from the original version."
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"The play isn’t any good, though that won’t matter, since it fulfills the first condition of success on Broadway: It tells the members of the audience what they want to hear, and nothing else...Lee affects to sympathize with her pitiful straight white men but in fact gives the impression of regarding them with smug contempt, an impression reinforced by the inch-deep shallowness of her satirical strokes...Trails off into vagueness without ever landing any decisive hits on its putative target."
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