The Waverly Gallery (Broadway)
Closed 2h 15m
The Waverly Gallery (Broadway)
84

The Waverly Gallery (Broadway) NYC Reviews and Tickets

84%
(586 Ratings)
Positive
92%
Mixed
7%
Negative
1%
Members say
Great acting, Absorbing, Thought-provoking, Relevant, Great writing

About the Show

Kenneth Lonergan’s ('Lobby Hero,' 'Manchester By the Sea') acclaimed memory play makes its Broadway premiere. Starring Elaine May, Lucas Hedges, Joan Allen, and Michael Cera.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (586)

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150 Reviews | 48 Followers
100
Absorbing, Intelligent, Resonant, Great acting, Must see

See it if Incredible acting (especially Elaine May). The theme of aging is handled with great sensitivity. A very emotional experience.

Don't see it if If you cannot deal with dementia issues. This play will make you cry.

254 Reviews | 86 Followers
98
Wave waverly hello

See it if One Tony Award level performance among an all star cast. Playwright's success needs no introduction.

Don't see it if Zero negatives. Read more

713 Reviews | 402 Followers
98
Absorbing, Great acting, Great staging, Intelligent, Masterful

See it if Powerful performances

Don't see it if If the subject of aging if difficoto see. Read more

139 Reviews | 13 Followers
98
Absorbing, Relevant, Resonant, Great acting, Intense

See it if You want to see a great playwright at his best with superb acting and theme that touches the heart.

Don't see it if You don’t like family dramas or plays concerned with mental illness. Read more

228 Reviews | 36 Followers
98
Exquisite, Funny, Great acting, Great writing, Must see

See it if you want to laugh and cry. See it so when your parent needs you, you will have some clue about how to care for them.

Don't see it if you do not care about old people. Don't see it if great acting and ensemble pieces don't appeal to you. Read more

53 Reviews | 13 Followers
96
Masterful, Great writing, Superb acting especially elaine may

See it if You love great acting and reality. Realistic process of again and dementia.

Don't see it if You cannot deal with the slow deterioration of a human being....Altzheimers is a terrible disease.

336 Reviews | 45 Followers
96
Absorbing, Funny, Great acting, Great writing, Must see

See it if you can handle a play about a very serious disease-alzheimers. This play shows the humor of the early stages and the devastation at the end

Don't see it if you don't want to be emotionally drained

257 Reviews | 26 Followers
96
Absorbing, Great acting, Profound, Relevant, Riveting

See it if you want to see Elaine May at her best; you can deal with a play that explores the ravages of dementia for the whole family

Don't see it if you are looking for a comedy or a musical

Critic Reviews (62)

The New York Times
October 25th, 2018

“A group portrait, in which everyday life is distorted to the point of surrealism by the addled soul at its center. Neugebauer has assembled a dream cast to embody the collective madness that seems to descend on those closest to Gladys...As near perfect as the performances are, the physical production occasionally lets them down...Such objections dissolve as soon as Gladys and her clan reassemble into groupings that convey claustrophobic intimacy and tragic, unbridgeable distance.”
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Time Out New York
October 25th, 2018

“Lonergan's family drama, starring the great Elaine May, is an indelible portrait of loss...’The Waverly Gallery’ forces us to deal with the walking memento mori that Gladys has become, but in a way that never seems cruel...She is funny and warm and she’s familiar, which helps fill in some of the play’s emotional blanks...May receives very fine support from the rest of the ensemble of Lila Neugebauer’s steady and unforced revival.”
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New York Magazine / Vulture
October 25th, 2018

“There’s both a lot and very little happening in...’The Waverly Gallery’...A play that’s dedicated to the meticulous commemoration of the unextraordinary...While Lonergan’s play is funny...My trouble with ‘The Waverly Gallery’, despite its painstakingly relatable dialogue and situational poignancy, is that I...wanted it to do something else too...Even in the sensitive hands of its actors, especially May and Allen, it’s an affecting play, but not a revelatory one.”
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New Yorker
October 29th, 2018

"Gladys is so much the object of our interest that a tendril of plot about real estate—the landlord wants the gallery gone—feels tacked on, and better forgotten. More fruitful is the chorus of talk that surrounds Gladys...'Waverly' will not be remembered as one of Lonergan’s major works, but this production, directed by Lila Neugebauer, showcases his great and singular talent for splitting open brisk, bookish people like these."
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The Wall Street Journal
October 25th, 2018

“This revival is a close-to-ideal enactment of what might just be Lonergan’s most gripping stage play to date—which is saying something...May is not a stage actor but her lack of experience...doesn’t stop her from a performance that blends bewilderment with courage in a way that is beautifully, heartbreakingly right...Her four colleagues, Ms. Allen in particular, support her with the utmost sensitivity...Neugebauer has long since established herself as one of our best directors."
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Deadline
October 25th, 2018

“A vital comic drama that dares us to laugh before delivering the gut punch…The 'Waverly' characters talk over one another, with Neugebauer carefully charting the way, her instincts for each actor’s talents paying off tremendously...And as good as they all are, this production will be remembered for the stunning Elaine May...It feels a privilege to watch this legend transform Lonergan’s meditation on dignity, regret and ungraspable memory into something indelible and lasting."
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Variety
October 25th, 2018

"So the poignancy is a bit heavy-handed, even under the thoughtful direction of Lila Neugebauer. But the sentiments are genuine and the emotions they raise are potent...This is a hard play to watch - like a play that opens with a deathly ill person and doggedly follows that person to the grave. In fact, if they gave a prize for Most Depressing Play of the Season, this one would win...To be fair, there are moments of relief...A play that’s guaranteed to tear you apart."
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The Hollywood Reporter
October 25th, 2018

"While the memory play is not the most profound work of this keenly observant writer, it's probably his most personal...Neugebauer handles the gradual modulation from light comedy to searing pathos with confidence. But the play's inevitable limitation is that there's only one direction it can go...’The Waverly Gallery’ has been given a sensitive, for the most part beautifully acted production that honors the playwright's very personal stake."
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