The Inheritance NYC Reviews and Tickets

87%

(478 Reviews)

Positive

92%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Great acting, Absorbing, Ambitious, Great writing, Great staging

About the Show

Re-envisioning E. M. Forster’s masterpiece “Howards End” to 21st-century New York, this epic two-part play follows the interlinking lives of three generations of gay men searching for a community of their own.

From the show:

It begins with a gathering of young, gay New Yorkers.

Each has a story aching to come out…

Profoundly touching and wickedly hilarious, Matthew Lopez’s highly-anticipated two-part play, THE INHERITANCE, asks how much we owe to those who lived and loved before us, and questions the role we must play for future generations.

Brilliantly re-envisioning E. M. Forster’s masterpiece “Howards End” to 21st-century New York, it follows the interlinking lives of three generations of gay men searching for a community of their own – and a place to call home.

This epic new play by Matthew Lopez marks the Broadway debut of a bold new voice in American theatre, directed by visionary two-time Tony Award winner Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, Netflix’s The Crown). THE INHERITANCE is a life-affirming journey of tears and laughter, through conflicts and connections, heartbreak and hope. A new play, generations in the making.

Member Reviews (478)

Must see, Resonant, Riveting, Profound, Great writing

See it if You want to experience an emotional journey, an amazingly true to life recollection of the AIDS plague years and the impact on gay life.

Don't see it if Everyone should see this powerful play. It’s long. It’s draining. It’s worth every minute of it. Read more

Raunchy, Engaging, Heavily narrated, Rambling, Epic soap opera

See it if you'd like a sprawling, unfocused play abt current gay life. Captivating, but too lg for pay-off. Quirky staging (bare feet) Rushed ending.

Don't see it if you want a consistent experience. Writing quality varies wildly. Plot holes. Uneven acting. Gimmicky narration. Melodrama. Some gr moments.

Riveting, Absorbing, Great writing, Masterful, Relevant

See it if you want a fresh, realistic look at gay life based in current NYC with reflections on the consequences of the past-briliantly acted & staged

Don't see it if you don't care about people or do not like long plays. Read more

Entertaining, Sentimental, Raunchy, Cheesy, Melodramatic

See it if Surprisingly light entertainment, despite weighty themes. P1 is exposition for the more dramatic P2. Pleasurably cheesy; 7 hours fly by.

Don't see it if You don't like a lot of narration. Many simplistic characters. Copious explicit description of gay sex. Over-the-top sentimentality.

Overlong, Melodramatic, Intelligent, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if u have 7 hrs to devote to a group of gay men in their talky struggle to grapple with their roles & responsibilities in pre-to-post-AIDS NYC.

Don't see it if u'll be offended by (gratuitous) nudity; ur not interested in exploring gay (mostly white & privileged) history in the 20th/21st Centuries. Read more

Resonant, Thought-provoking, Great staging, Absorbing, Ambitious

See it if It's Daldry's nuanced, liquid staging that shines brightest in Lopez's stylish, modernist revision of Forster's novel of class & morality

Don't see it if Like the novel, the engaging drama doesn't try to hide its white elitist privilege despite its many good acting turns & whip-smart dialogue

Masterful, Relevant, Epic, Thought-provoking, Great writing

See it if you must see every Tony winner for Best Play, because there’s no way this isn’t winning. Beautifully written, funny, sad, and hopeful.

Don't see it if you have a hard time sitting through long shows. Between the two parts, this is well over 6 hours—though the time flies by.

Absorbing, Intelligent, Great acting, Ambitious, Emotional

See it if brilliant acting/directing; reminder of the recent past & how much has changed and how much has not; tribute to friends we loved & lost.

Don't see it if you have a short attention span; covers so much ground focus sometimes gets muddled; uncomfortable w/gay topics, nudity and/or promiscuity Read more

Critic Reviews (31)

"‘The Inheritance’ Review: So Many Men, So Much Time:Breadth doesn’t always equal depth in Matthew Lopez’s supersize, vividly painted portrait of gay life in the 21st century, featuring E.M. Forster as a spirit guide."
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4/5 Stars "Rarely transmitted by the families of LGBT people themselves-many of the men in this play have childhoods marked by trauma-gay culture is a chain of links to the past. The AIDS epidemic severed many of those links; 'The Inheritance' aims to reforge them."
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"Tragedy Plus Comedy Plus Melodrama in 'The Inheritance'"
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"Stephen Daldry directs Matthew Lopez's two-part drama about gay New Yorkers, which draws inspiration from 'Howards End' to depict the generation after the AIDS crisis."
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