Sylvia NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (411)
See it if you love dogs and dated material that discusses gender roles.
Don't see it if you don't like Annaleigh Ashford. She steals the show!
See it if If you're a dog person or a Broderick fan, RUN! Hilarious and clever script; great performances;
Don't see it if If you're not into over the top acting;
See it if You like light fun comedy's, are a dog or animal lover or fan of Ashford who delivers a wonderful performance!
Don't see it if You prefer heavier thought provoking plays or don't like dogs
See it if you want a good play based on modern times. Annaleigh Ashford was amazing in the show, and looking for other shows with her.
Don't see it if you want a musical.
See it if you'd like to think about relationships with pets.
Don't see it if you won't be able to get past Matthew Broderick's non-performance.
See it if You love dogs and anything having to do with them.
Don't see it if You don't like very quirky comedies.
See it if You are a dog lover.
Don't see it if You have a limited imagination and dislike dogs.
See it if You enjoy a light story. The actress that played Sylvia was so convincing that at times you'd think she's really a dog.
Don't see it if You expect a traditional .comedy. If you do not care much about dogs, you probably would not appreciate this production.
Critic Reviews (49)
"'Sylvia' is a fanciful but slight dessert sort of a play, so have yourself a satisfying meal before ordering it up. It’s light and funny and easily digestible, so have a go. And then there’s Ms. Annaleigh Ashford, who is sort of the whipped cream on top making it all a real and rare treat."
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"'Sylvia' is very sweet and very slight. And, indeed, whenever the tireless Ashford is on stage this production strikes just the right balance between sentimental and silly... Perhaps hardcore dog owners won't care about the wobbly tone, or the fact that such a small-scaled show looks a tad adrift on a large Broadway stage. For the rest of us, 'Sylvia' ends up feeling like the proverbial dog that won't hunt."
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"'Sylvia' has often been knocked as a slight play, one that relies on a single gag. But with this cast and David Rockwell's fine sets, it's a welcome treat. You might even call it fetching."
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"'Sylvia’s' paper-thin plot on a big Broadway stage has shrunk to a wisp of an idea even if you’re a fan of canine humor…Annaleigh Ashford is delightful as usual but with social media making it harder and harder these days to appreciate a feisty talking dog on stage, all is not kibbles and bits…Considering 'Sylvia’s' dated plot, Mathew Broderick’s low-energy performance, and Daniel Sullivan’s flimsy direction, there is hardly any reason to sit up, pant or roll over with delight."
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"Broderick exudes no emotion, hardly moves his arms or legs. He seems so exhausted by showing up at the theater that he can barely even remember his lines...You know that thing Jimmy Fallon used to do, when he’d lose his you-know-what during a sketch? It’s pretty funny, if unprofessional, on a television comedy show. But it’s downright shameful when it happens at a $150-a-ticket Broadway play."
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"'Sylvia' is just a fine play, one to dig up when you have a star like Ashford to keep audiences wagging their tails."
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"My initial suspicions about this play being demeaning to women — a young cute 20-something has to get on the ground and pretend to be a dog for her male master? why couldn’t it be a male dog? — proved less complicated than I feared. The fact that Sylvia is female is directly addressed between Matthew Broderick’s character and a fellow dog owner in the park. Bottom line: this is a very funny comedy and if you love dogs, you’ll love 'Sylvia.'"
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"The source of most of the show's humor comes from the fact that we have a human playing the dog, and in taking full advantage of the comic potential, Ashford certainly doesn't disappoint. The production is worth the trip for Ashford's antics alone. The play, and the production, are certainly diverting...I experienced quite a few laughs of recognition at all the kooky canine shenanigans. But other than that, there's really not much to the play."
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