King James NYC Reviews and Tickets
About the Show
Production Covid-19 Safety ProtocolsShow-Score Member Reviews (176)
See it if You want a great two hander examination of the love which holds a straight friendship together despite the ups and downs of real life.
Don't see it if You demand a big production (although the beautiful turntable set is very impressive) or subtle, REAL writing doesn't work for you. Read more
See it if You like basketball. Or if you don't know anything about basketball but like solid writing, a compelling story and good performances.
Don't see it if A two-character play about friendship isn't your cup of tea. Read more
See it if actors r excellent in terrific play about male friendship in lonely lives. Writer exposes them gradually like onions 1 layer at a time. Wow.
Don't see it if Don't let sports motif hold u back from attending -- even those w no knowledge of basketball will enjoy the shifting dynamics of characters. Read more
See it if you like great acting... LeBron James...Cleveland
Don't see it if you don't like talky plays, it's basically a two hander - but a really good one!
See it if A lifetime friendship develops between 2 unlikely male personalities over the love of basketball; wonderful acting & delightful sets
Don't see it if Unless you hate a good story & script with great acting, I can see no reason not see the play. Very enjoyable and memorable.
See it if you like brilliantly written shows that are relatable and unveil the depths of male friendship in particular with its ups and downs. Perfect
Don't see it if you don't enjoy deeply moving well acted plays that is relevant and thoughtful. Through a common interest so much is explored & its worth it
See it if You want to see a very well-written play about the highs & lows of male friendship. No need to be a basketball fan.
Don't see it if Really can’t think of reasons to avoid this well-written, beautifully acted, & expertly produced piece of theatre.
See it if About a friendship that starts with the love of basketball that last over time thru good and bad.
Don't see it if you want alot of action on stage, dancing and sing.
Critic Reviews (16)
"His [Joseph] work here is a strong analysis of friendship dynamics built along, but not hinged upon, the issues that divide them."
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" 'King James' abandons its hopes of resonance for a world of vanity and convenience, its conflicts not resolved but dissolved."
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"The play’s trick is the same one that undergirds so many friendships: They’re both built around something quotidian, whether it’s basketball or not, that stands in for so much more"
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“ 'King James' explores how a passionate interest in any collective endeavor we have no actual part in can nevertheless enrich and enlarge our lives, even if it also, paradoxically, can sometimes leave us feeling diminished."
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"...the larger point of 'King James' is how two friends get past the fouls and keep playing...It’s one of the best plays you’ll see this year as well."
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"King James, previously seen at Steppenwolf Theatre Company (where Davis is artistic director) and Center Theatre Group, is the sort of play I wish we'd see more often, an affable comedy that packs a delayed punch, preferring to win us over before making its tougher, subtler points. It's an elegant piece, further lifted by a pair of assured performances. Its easy expertise is something even the great LeBron might envy."
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" 'King James' really isn't my kind of thing, and a working knowledge of layups and power forwards and the last 20 years of the NBA would probably help a lot. Anyhow, the basketball fans in the audience seemed to love it, and they represent a far younger, more diverse crowd than Manhattan Theatre Club typically draws. Let's cheer it for that."
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"The playwright beautifully captures the vagaries of friendship, including the power imbalance dependencies that can affect them and the careless misunderstandings that can rupture them."
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