Clever Little Lies NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (82)
See it if You like a good fun story. Heartwarming and real. Great actors and staging. Clever quips.
Don't see it if you don't have time. It's worth going if you can.
See it if you're a Marlo Thomas fan.
Don't see it if you like edgier fare.
See it if you're a fan of Marlo Thomas or Kate Wetherhead. The cast is great and Marlo and Kate really shine.
Don't see it if you're expecting a rollicking comedy. This show feels a bit like a cross between a sitcom and a Lifetime movie.
See it if you enjoy excellent ensemble comedic acting featuring priceless reactions and surprise ending that lifts this above most sitcoms
Don't see it if you think you've seen this comedic situation a thousand times (you have) and Marlo Thomas at times mistakes posing for acting
See it if Infidelity themes and family dynamics intrigue you
Don't see it if You are looking for an engaging or fast paced plot
See it if you like "family secret" plays. A good cast but it is given little to work with in the script.
Don't see it if you're hoping for something actually clever. There were several missed opportunities to make a forgettable play interesting.
See it if you want a little off broadway show to see.
Don't see it if you want a better show and writing.
See it if You enjoy modern staging and an exploration of the complexities of family relationships.
Don't see it if You want something that is purely lighthearted.
Critic Reviews (37)
"Production values are high... It's a little too easy to mock DiPietro's shallow, self-involved people, but he does an admirable job of finding layers in characters who initially seem thoroughly uninteresting. Like it or not, many of us will recognize ourselves, even if we wish we didn't. "
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"'Clever Little Lies,' delivers a large share of laughs but comes most alive when its amiable characters turn unhappy... The plot is fairly standard, and the individual lines are not side-splitters. But taken together and served up by a first-rate cast, it all produces some splendid chemistry...As Mr. DiPietro’s script looks to explore a few trickier emotions — its poignant ending is particularly affecting — its melancholy moments lift this already likable show just a little bit higher."
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"A drawing-room comedy, served with a refreshing tinge of drama that puts some additional meat on its bones. I can't say he drills as close to the molten core of love and marriage as Sondheim in 'Company', but for a light night at the theater, his sharp wit and poignant insights will leave you feeling comfortably satiated."
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"An exceptional new play that smartly deals with a real-life dilemma, marital infidelity...'Clever Little Lies' has just the right dose of comedy; the dialogue and interaction between the characters is warm, witty, and real. The audience feels an intimate part of the events unfolding onstage...'Clever Little Lies' is a completely entertaining theatrical experience. Metropolitan area audiences should not miss an opportunity to see this jewel of a performance."
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"Written, directed and performed in sharp comic style, 'Clever Little Lies' is filled with laughs...Its tone and character depiction fail to prepare us for its low key, melancholy resolution. The plot twist that leads to it is not needed to lend weight to the play and its valuable observations about the obligations of marriage and the effects of infidelity. And yet, 'Lies' is a valuable antidote to a culture which proselytizes that failure to give full reign to one's id is to deny oneself fulfillment and happiness."
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"Not-as-clever-as-it-needs-to-be little comedy...Audiences can look forward to having a few laughs watching 'Clever Little Lies,' but they will be hard pressed to find anything really diverting in what happens—except for the handsome living room setting that glides smoothly into view following a short visit to the locker room and a subsequent spin with Bill Jr. and Jane in their spiffy red convertible. "
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"Filled with contrived tension and imposed edginess, 'Clever Little Lies' leaves open the question of its relevance or insight. Certainly the play suggests that the struggle with temptation as a means of existential wanderlust is a universal human problem, but there is little here to invoke empathy. These particular problems smack of impulsive and shortsighted egocentrism with little room for nuance."
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"It might be easy to dismiss Joe DiPietro's 'Clever Little Lies' as a bit of fluff were it not for the humanity of its characters and its revelation of the darker truths of our natures. What starts out as a snappy domestic comedy soon devolves into a study of marriage, fidelity, parenting and trust...The combination of comedy and tragedy results in a delicious examination of what it means to be a spouse and a parent. Not bad for a 90-minute piece of 'fluff'."
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