The Cherry Orchard (Roundabout) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (360)
See it if you want to see an excellent ensemble. The leads are okay, but the ensemble really shines.
Don't see it if you would be bothered by a shallow interpretation of a great work.
See it if you like-modern interpretations of classics (still a period piece but language is a bit more contemporary)
Don't see it if you don't like-dramas with a somber tone and sporadic comedic breaks throughout. you want a comedy/musical with a lighthearted tone.
See it if You get a good price on a ticket and you enjoy Russian theatre.
Don't see it if You expect a riveting plot or performances. Read more
See it if you're a Chekhov nerd and have never seen it... if you hope to see good young actors on upswing. Beltran, Flood, Gevinson are very good.
Don't see it if you're Chekhov snob. Not the best rendering..characters not well differentiated w/o much chemistry...staging is a bit jarring.
See it if You are a die-hard fan of Chekov or a member of the cast.
Don't see it if You expect pacing and staging
See it if /4 top cast including Diane Lane, John Glover, Celia Kennan-Bolger & Joel Gray, updated script/production make accessible 2 modern audience
Don't see it if in playing up humor & spectacle, dumb down play, sacrificing transcendent poetry & heartbreak of original script; left w/ is this Chekhov?
See it if You love Chekhov, Diane Lane, (who is so pretty), and thinking about class hierarchy.
Don't see it if You need better directing. Talented actors were wasted in this kinda boring production.
See it if See it if you enjoy modern interpretations of classic plays, comic dramas, lengendary actors, Chekhov, intelligent, thought-provoking shows
Don't see it if Don't see it if you're in the mood for hilarious comedy, radically imaginative new stagings of old plays, or light-hearted entertainment.
Critic Reviews (45)
"Karam has slaughtered Chekhov and British director Simon Godwin has directed so that the play is so confused in so many ways...It is a mash-up that is all clutter and no substance...The cast, which is star-studded, overacts and misses the nuances of the play; only Celia Keenan-Bolger comes off unscathed. Lane is the big draw and she is a good actress and we get flashes of it in this jumbled mess, but she skirts to overacting...All of the cast is acting in different versions of the same play."
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“Godwin and Karam are all broad strokes. They’re also often messy in their execution, with several supporting characters wandering about in undefined relationships with the principals…Godwin’s ‘Orchard’ isn’t one of those nights in the theater where each actor appears to be performing in another production. He’s got them all on the same page, but it’s one ripped from musical theater…Godwin indulges in muddled casting.”
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"In an effort to infuse relevance and energy in what sometimes can come across as a dusty warhorse, Godwin pushes his stellar company to mug like maniacs without establishing connections. With few exceptions, I had a hard time believing these people even knew each other much less that they were related or intimate friends...There are too many wrong notes to make the evening complete...A strong final 20 minutes does not save this 'Orchard' from an over-pruning director."
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"An odd mix of actors emote loudly, but mostly fail to be convincing about the emotions they are enduring...There are humorous elements in the play, and a somewhat touching instant of unrequited love, but in order for a production to work, somehow it must suggest the Russian soul. Regrettably, the actors in this production rarely seem remotely Russian...There is one exception. Joel Grey as the elderly, humble servant Firs...Grey’s acting reminds us of what is missing."
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"The play’s dynamic mash-up of genres is part of its lasting appeal. But Roundabout Theatre Company’s jumbled revival is neither particularly funny nor affecting...From the outset, it’s clear that director Simon Godwin intends to milk Chekhov's play for comedy, supplementing ironic and outright funny lines with pratfalls and sight gags worthy of a farce. But when the plot calls for an abrupt shift in tone, as it often does, emotions mostly fall flat."
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"The Simon Godwin-helmed piece is lacking guidance...The inconsistency in style was seen fervently in the direction. Godwin tried to infuse so much into so little...Without any nuances, Godwin’s production fell into a pit of monotony...Thankfully, this production accumulated a stage full of talent. Unfortunately, talent didn’t actually save the day...This production sadly was a laundry list of misfortune. With the amount of disconnect within, this revival never truly blossomed."
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"Godwin has neglected the inner lives of the people in the play and failed to create a cohesive environment in which actors of any color could develop them. The period has been updated but it's not clear exactly when or why. The tone jerks from slapstick to melodrama, with stops along the way for a carnival interlude, complete with a dance number...Understandably confused, the actors seem to have grabbed on to whatever style works best for them. The result is a mishmash."
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“The much-anticipated production, with Diane Lane at the top of a blazingly promising cast, is perplexing, stylistic gibberish. Worse, it is unmoving…Lane mostly seems earnest and uncomfortable…Instead of toying with shades of emotions, she sticks to primary colors…Nico Muhly’s incidental music, performed by a compelling musical trio, captures more of Chekhov’s language than do most of these crushingly uninteresting characters.”
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