"With Timothy Olyphant anchoring a pitch-perfect cast, and with Lonergan’s absolutely uproarious script, it’s the farthest thing from tragedy...Olyphant exudes palpable charisma...Act I carries the audience on such a grand wave of laughter that the momentum slips a little during a slightly too long Act II—and the ending feels a bit anticlimactic. But the only real downside of this utterly delightful show is that C.J. Wilson’s Duke doesn’t have enough stage time."
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"This laugh-out-loud comedy about a narcissistic country singer is undeniably hilarious at points. It also has a tendency to drag, with the plot often wandering away with our patience...The laughs start to sputter as the second act circles the runway...This is despite the best efforts of director Neil Pepe, who has a talent for comic timing. While it doesn't completely compensate for a script in need of trimming, great performances and first-rate design help smooth the journey."
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"Can satire retain its bite when played as naturalism? 'Darling' comes off as an attempt to find out. But the story of a country music superstar ditching fame to search for a meaning in life seems to be searching for a meaning to be on the stage for nearly three hours...It's a simple story that's drawn out at a lethargic pace, with rarely a clue of the talent or charisma Strings must have that allows people to put up with his narcissistic nonsense. 'Darling' offers little to hold on to."
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"So enjoyable is everyone, and so tasty their dialogue, that it is well into the second act before you realize that Strings hasn't been at all affected by the play's events and Lonergan has no apparent plan for ending the play...Scene by scene, 'Hold On To Me Darling' entertains; in its total effect, it disappoints...If he has once again found his gifts for character and dialogue, his sense of structure is still missing in action. Still, it's good to be excited about Kenneth Lonergan again."
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"The only real stumbles you'll find, in fact, come from Lonergan. The shape and scope of 'Hold On to Me Darling' could not be better, but it does tend to wander into 'too much of a good thing' territory...Were it lighter and more streamlined, the play might not come as close as it does to running out of steam at the very end, just everything needs to be strongest...Lonergan hasn't quite found the ideal rhythm for every beat yet. But he's close."
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“In the hands of someone other than Timothy Olyphant, Strings McCrane might be a self-pitying monster too extreme to take seriously. However, this brilliantly accomplished actor has just the right amount of blarney to make Kenneth Lonergan’s ‘Hold On to Me Darling’ one of the most satisfying plays in town. And you will learn a good deal about the lives of the rich and famous and how they get away with the antics they commit.”
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"Lonergan's laugh filled world premiere about a hilariously needy serial womanizer is self-indulgently long. However, Strings' attempt to finally live his life according to his mama's wishes is easy to take thanks to the cast...Neil Pepe makes full use of the superb cast and design team...'Hold On to Me Darling' returns Lonergan closer to the top of his game with fully rounded characters and a script with serious issues edging their way through all the laughs."
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"'Hold Onto Me Darling' is a fun time, and—despite a very long running time and oddly miscast leading actor—is worth a look...It arrives at its main singular idea too quickly—the death of Strings' mother pulls the country-western star into an existential crisis...Lonergan never pushes past this initially amusing concept and, at times, without a lead actor with necessary comedic chops and nuance, the dialogue and jokes feel repetitive. Nonetheless, Lonergan is kind of a one-liner genius."
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