The Iceman Cometh (Broadway) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (253)
See it if A pipe dream is your umbrella & courage is required to exit perdition. Nice ensemble of Barflies & Whores who can't escape their delusions.
Don't see it if 4 hrs of O'Neill's well-observed truths & predilections will feel like a lifetime of nickel whisky squalor. Denzel shines but lacks menace.
See it if Denzel very good yet the ensemble makes this production work, esp. Morse and Meaney. D.W.’s seated, 4th wall Act 4 soliloquy very effective
Don't see it if Heavy and slow going, & color-blind casting, even with a megastar like Denzel, is confusing, as other black character is mistreated.
See it if you want to see Denzel Washington be as incredible as you would expect. The show was absolutely gripping and left me thinking for hours.
Don't see it if you can't get through the slow first 50 minutes before Denzel shows up. If suicide or depression are triggers one should not see this.
See it if You like the classics with power performances. They deserve the buzz.
Don't see it if you want fresh ideas for a 21c sensibility. Sexism and racism cringeworthy but real. Maybe we should confront...for four late hours? Ugh.
See it if you want to see stars and enjoy a show with great acting.
Don't see it if you don't like shows that are very long (most 4hours), dated, and involves alocholics.
See it if You want to see a classic play acted by theatrical veterans in a version that is less gloomy than previous revivals. Some wonderful acting.
Don't see it if You find O'Neill plays repetitive and too long. This revival is shorter than most but it's still several hours.
See it if you love Eugene O'Neil and Denzel Washington and long plays about the meaning of life and happiness and obsession. A masterful production.
Don't see it if You don't like long dialogue plays about life and dreams. You don't enjoy Eugene O'Neil.
See it if You appreciate great acting and if you love Denzel.
Don't see it if You have no interest in a 4 hour show or if you are looking for something light and uplifting
Critic Reviews (43)
"A solidly contracted dance towards death, filled with engaging and deep performances from a cast of pros relishing and finding humor in every morsel and whiskey shot. There is barely a weak link in the lot...They all resonate and vibrate at such a high level of detached lockjaw that their drunkenness is somehow energizing and we can not look away...It’s a big commitment, this 'Iceman,' but worth every hour."
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"The only truly great thing about George C. Wolfe’s mostly traditional production is that the (color-blind) casting of superstar Denzel Washington in the lead role of glad-handing salesman Theodore 'Hickey' Hickman will likely introduce this play to a whole new cadre of theater lovers. What’s not-so-great about Wolfe’s rendering, most importantly, is Washington’s somewhat disappointing performance...It’s some of the less well-known performers who make the strongest impression."
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"Washington is charming, conflicted, and persuasive. His supporting company, however, despite its inclusion of…reliable 'name' actors, falls short…Unlike Robert Falls's nuanced, far more subtly crafted BAM production, Wolfe's is like an acting Olympics in which each performer seems to be competing with his or her colleagues...Superficial character business supersedes…naturalness, including phony New York accents from both the tarts and tipplers that only increase the feeling of artificiality."
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"A strong ensemble cast of 19...persuasively play a dive full of colorful characters...The design and staging place the play firmly in the realm of the lyrical, but the acting makes it feel grounded in psychological reality. The trimming manages to direct more attention to the individual denizens of Harry Hope's saloon, each with a story to tell, each story giving another talented performer a chance to shine."
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"A series of solos, many of them from the horn section...One experiences less a world and more a room full of actors, mostly good ones, each waiting for a chance to monologue...The big monologue belongs to Washington’s Hickey. For most of it, Washington is playing Washington, letting his good looks and irrepressible charm do most of the character work, though the play’s most exciting moments are when he lets that charm falter."
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"Revelatory staging...Wolfe pushes his cast, led by Denzel Washington, to uncommon excellence...Under Wolfe’s direction, the actors convey an expressionistic freak show...The beauty of Wolfe’s direction is that he’s able to accommodate different acting styles in his often surreal vision...Near the end of 'Iceman,' it seems perfectly natural that Washington begins his long confession by pulling a chair up to the edge of the stage to address the audience directly."
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“Washington makes a game effort...and he nails some of the character’s dimensions...Unfortunately, he misses the darkness beneath the sunny exterior...Wolfe emphasizes the humor of Hickey and the huge cast of pitiable drunks clinging to their fantasies. As a result, the audience gets a hearty chuckle at their foibles and no gasps of recognition that they share the same condition...There are moments of mirth and some depth."
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"Although for a while he shows the required bluster but doesn’t hint at much underneath, when it comes to Hickey’s tell-all scene about himself, Washington delivers with shattering soulful nakedness...At that point it is an extraordinary performance....The large cast is composed of excellent actors..This is one of O’Neill’s major works, and it is rewarding to see it performed anew, especially with Washington making his bid to make the renowned role his own."
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