The Parisian Woman
Closed 1h 30m
The Parisian Woman
73

The Parisian Woman NYC Reviews and Tickets

73%
(447 Ratings)
Positive
71%
Mixed
22%
Negative
7%
Members say
Relevant, Entertaining, Clever, Great acting, Disappointing

About the Show

Oscar nominee Uma Thurman ('Pulp Fiction,' 'Kill Bill') makes her Broadway debut in a new power play by 'House of Cards' creator Beau Willimon ('Farragut North,' 'Ides of March'). Directed by Tony winner Pam MacKinnon.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (447)

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351 Reviews | 54 Followers
88
Clever, Thought-provoking, Ambitious

See it if You're into the sport of modern politics. The writer created House of Cards. This is definitely of the same tone.

Don't see it if You don't like talkly dramas or the exploration of the first world problems of the rich and wanna be famous. Read more

58 Reviews | 13 Followers
87
Absorbing, Clever, Funny, Great acting, Relevant

See it if you like plays about political intrigue and sex being discussed freely and frequently. With well rounded and intriguing characters.

Don't see it if you like traditional political based shows where men are the central characters.

146 Reviews | 24 Followers
86
Absorbing, Delightful, Intelligent, Relevant, Thought-provoking

See it if you want to see complex, well developed and authentic characters relevant to current events.

Don't see it if you're sick of hearing about current events or want a musical. Read more

53 Reviews | 20 Followers
86
Funny, Delightful, Relevant

See it if a “drawing room comedy” set in today’s Washington, D.C. with brilliant actors and jokes poking fun at those currently in power might amuse.

Don't see it if You are a Republican or Conservative. As we left, I overheard someone say, “It wasn’t that funny for me because I am a Conservative.” Read more

161 Reviews | 54 Followers
85
Absorbing, Clever, Witty, Intelligent, Entertaining

See it if If you enjoy Washington sexual politics with a twist. Witty and biting.

Don't see it if Sick of contemporary Washington politics.

103 Reviews | 11 Followers
85
Great writing, Entertaining, Absorbing

See it if You enjoy contemporary political “dramady”with a surprise.

Don't see it if You don’t like wordy plays with a political slant.

175 Reviews | 30 Followers
85
Absorbing, Funny, Great acting, Great staging

See it if You want to see a play that addresses our current political climate with comedy and insight.

Don't see it if You are a fan of Trump or may not relate to the politics of our times. Read more

83 Reviews | 56 Followers
85
Clever, Funny, Great staging

See it if you like witty, amusing dialogue with jabs taken at the current political nightmare.

Don't see it if you're a close-minded Republican with no sense of humor; or if you don't like anything to do with politics. Read more

Critic Reviews (57)

Theatre Reviews Limited
December 7th, 2017

"Overshadows its important themes of love, trust, and the dynamics of relationships with clichés...It seems no one knows what do with Willimon’s script: Pam MacKinnon directs it like a daytime television drama and the actors decide to follow her lead and deliver stilted performances that rarely rise above the mediocre...What ought to be light and terribly funny becomes ponderous and overwrought leaving all attempts at exploring the comedy beneath the high drama falling flat."
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Broadway Blog
December 7th, 2017

“What might have been little more than a faintly entertaining, old-fashioned, politically-themed, boulevard dramedy gets some extra mileage by being updated to…the first year of the Trump administration…There's some left-leaning pleasure in having Trump continually jabbed at…but little is new and even less very funny. Take Trump away and the play collapses…Uma Thurman, long, lean, and lovely, captures Chloe's cool, calculating glamor but doesn't go too far in showing deeper feelings.”
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C
November 30th, 2017

"Proves to be eminently watchable -- in large part due to the star power of Uma Thurman...Sadly, director Pam MacKinnon often seems on less firm ground here than she has in such triumphs as 'Clybourne Park' and 'Virginia Woolf.' Still, she deserves much credit for both casting Thurman and guiding her star to such a committed performance...Thurman never flinches while acting opposite her unfortunately chosen leading men, notably the thoroughly miscast Lucas."
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DC Theatre Scene
December 6th, 2017

"Tame, tidy, talky and only superficially timely...There are now some current references, but they feel like checked boxes; there is little here that can count as substantive political or psychological insight into a new era. 'The Parisian Woman' also seems likely to disappoint anybody hoping for the theatrical equivalent of an anti-Trump support group...Theatergoers not bothered by these limitations, however, might find 'The Parisian Woman' a diverting enough 90 minutes."
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The Clyde Fitch Report
November 30th, 2017

"Uma Thurman, making an impressive Broadway debut...Willimon is damned if he doesn’t succeed at revealing that DC politics is one of those places in America in which the word 'corrupt' qualifies as a compliment...Certainly there is no denying that his play is served well by those passing around what he’s dishing. Director Pam MacKinnon lifts the unremitting sniping among actors to a high level."
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The Wrap
November 30th, 2017

"Trump’s name is now mentioned only near the very end of this 90-minute play, but along the way we’re treated to mentions of Ivanka, Twitter mania, General Kelly, fake news, Charlottesville, and a White House under siege by a mad-man president — all of which completely overshadows the captivating tale...With the right actors, Willimon’s play might run refreshingly counter to the zeitgeist. With the current cast and script updates, this 'Parisian Woman' is simply out of sync."
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The Huffington Post
November 30th, 2017

"Thurman is delightful and crafty in her role...Also beyond delightful is Blair Brown...Pam MacKinnon does an adequate job of staging, but there is no champagne sparkle...The laughs come fast and funny; but there is something synthetic about the style and the story...Even the frequent gibes at the president seem dated at times, his old campaign gaffes—locker room tales and all—by now sound inconsequential compared to what he’s been doing lately."
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Gotham Playgoer
November 30th, 2017

“Deep character portrayal is not the play’s strength. Playing out a somewhat intricate plot while springing an occasional surprise is where the pleasure lies. There are scattered references to life under the Trump administration that go for an easy laugh. The actors are well-cast. Ms. Thurman seems perfectly comfortable onstage; that her character does not come across as more charismatic is probably a problem in the writing.”
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