"Manages to cover surprisingly little dramatic territory...The plot, such as it is, doesn't begin in earnest until post-intermission...The show's principal pair don't prove to be up to the task of buoying this sinking musical. Of the two, Kyle Stone as Dr. John Watson is the more proficient, both vocally and dramatically, and he's at the forefront for most of 'My Dear Watson's' most watchable moments. But unfortunately those moments occur all too rarely over the show's two hours."
Read more

"Bartschi's dialogue is prosaic and heavily expository...Her lyrics are similarly dispassionate and information-packed...A score that meanders up and down minor-key scales; it's nearly all minor-key...It gets compelling on rare occasion...'My Dear Watson,' then, isn't much good, but...It accomplishes what previous Holmes musicals failed to do: It gives Holmes and Watson something to sing about. If only they had better stuff to sing."
Read more

"Didonna is not an especially charismatic or vocally strong Holmes...His direction tends to be rather clunky...In fairness to all the performers, this is clearly a case of a company working with a limited budget and most importantly, that Bartschi has not given them an especially impressive score or lyrics...'My Dear Watson' has been a work in progress for nine years. For it to have a life beyond its current brief run in New York, it still needs a lot more work."
Read more

“A clever tale of mystery…The melodic score, orchestrated with a piano and violin, gracefully moves up and down the scale…The creative team has done a lot right to establish the world of the play…It’s magical and moving in the way that musical theater should be. John DiDonna is dashing as Holmes. His performance is steely, sharp, and clear. His voice, although a bit raspy, carries…Soothing melodies are pleasant and memorable.”
Read more

"Kyle Stone's John Watson is the heart of this production...The back and forth between Holmes and Watson is clever and delightful...Fans of Sherlock Holmes will doubtless enjoy 'My Dear Watson.' It's a fun little musical that banks on the ever-enduring popularity of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson as a duo. It's not exactly chock-full of showstoppers (though the music is nice) and it may leave a little something to be desired in parts; but it's Sherlock Holmes."
Read more

"The book, music, and lyrics are at best unremarkable and the performances range from barely adequate to completely inadequate. DiDonna’s direction is haphazard and the staging is sophomoric. It is difficult to discern what precisely contributes to the lack of success of this musical. The characters are not believable and their conflicts are not interesting...'My Dear Watson' has the distinct flavor of community theater and needs considerable work to move forward."
Read more

"So the question is: do we need another Sherlock Holmes show? And does the new one add something new and unusual to the tradition? The answer to both, my dear Watson, is elementary: no! Even Holmes might be baffled by this structurally flimsy, inexpertly performed, two-hour, musical corpse…so lamely acted, sung, and staged…it's almost a parody of bad theatre…'My Dear Watson' may be a mystery play but the big mystery is why, after nine years of work, it's not any better."
Read more

"A lethargic Sherlock Holmes musical that needs plenty of work if it is to have any legs. There is too much talk and not enough singing, and what music there is has little power...There is a murder, of course, but there’s not much of interest about it. Yes, Professor Moriarty appears as the arch villain, and that leads to one of the most ridiculous fight scenes imaginable."
Read more