Pygmalion NYC Reviews and Tickets

"Fleet, appealing, overstretched revival...Lots of Bedlamite fun..When it slices to the core of a classic text with wit and verve and a show-off’s delight, it’s doing what the company does best...Some ideas don't fly...These changes shift the play toward themes of colonialism and deracination instead. That’s a play I’d like to see, but it’s not 'Pygmalion,' or at least it’s not 'Pygmalion' with only a line or two improved."
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"Mr. Tucker has other Bedlam-style directorial tricks up his sleeve, ranging from cross-gender casting to a show-opening coup de théâtre that I wouldn’t dream of giving away...Shaw was a supreme master of the stage, one whose greatest plays need no directorial assistance to make their effect, much less their political points. On the other hand, Mr. Tucker’s hurtling staging is so vigorous and direct that it’s no sacrifice to go where it takes you."
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"Eliza comes from immigrant stock...That's just one of the smart, relevant touches that Tucker has woven into his exceptionally performed, highly entertaining, must-see production...Tucker directs this nearly flawless production with accomplished stagecraft and relentless humor, yet also with a poignant delicacy...Sharma, who plays Eliza with pathos and delightful wryness, has us in the palm of her hands...The production's comedic center is Lewis...Equally compelling...are the social issues."
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"Tucker, who directed and stars as the supercilious language expert Henry Higgins, has found many ways to muddy the Shavian waters...If you are unfamiliar with the play, all I can say is, God help you...This is yet another Bedlam production defined by strategies and devices that don't really add up to a coherent vision. Tucker and his collaborators seem to be addicted to what works in the moment, with little consideration of the overall effect."
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"To anyone deciding whether to attend...I say you must go...That's if you're truly interested in Shaw and potent theater. You must...to encounter Tucker's extremely strong but severely arrested-development Higgins as well Sharma's multi-dimensional Eliza...Tucker's direction of the small cast is at a consistent peak...Trimming the cast to six requires doubling during the high-hilarity tea to-do...The fast-paced routine is intended to be cute, but the only effect it has is narrative confusion."
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"Bedlam, the innovative and ingenious theater company, has mounted their second Shaw revival (following their acclaimed Saint Joan with four actors) and the evidence of the genius of artistic director Eric Tucker is that not once do you miss Lerner & Loewe's score in this staging of 'Pygmalion.' This most popular of Shaw's comedies most likely does not get revived as often as it might due to 'My Fair Lady,' but this production restores it to its own niche."
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"Though there are a few, soft, quiet moments in the space, the incarnation of this drama...spins beautifully...The immediacy of the theater is felt, seen, and heard; the characters are right next to you, creating a sense that anyone could participate in this moral dilemma...Fans of Shaw might love this production, for its zest and fidelity to the original text...It is great acting and directorial vision that make Bedlam’s production of 'Pygmalion' such a success."
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"Shaw's witty dialogue...still has the power to make its own music with its sparkling dialogue and multi-faceted characters...Bedlam's very unique vision makes a trip to the beautiful Sheen Center imperative for anyone who appreciates an audacious yet respectful adaptation of a classic...Delightfully cheeky, without running the risk of turning Shaw's themes into high camp...Sharma and Tucker not only tap into the evolving emotions of each, but also have terrific chemistry."
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"Surely 'Pygmalion' has never been more visceral and captivating than it is in the hands of director Eric Tucker and his stellar Bedlam theater company...The conflict at the center of the play transcends the class differences that fascinated Shaw by taking on pronounced shades of racism and imperialism. It is a bold insight by Tucker that comes to life on the strength of stellar acting and directing...This is a quite human and productively troubling 'Pygmalion.'"
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“The play's heart and soul remain; however, also be aware that Bedlam continues to employ…mannerisms that might not be to everyone's taste…The script has been pared down to a nonstop…two hours, and is played for the most part in a straightforward, realistic way...For all the show's vivacity, however, it does occasionally lag…Sharma…may not…conform to traditional ideas of Eliza but, without the considerable feeling and intellectual penetration she provides, this production would be in trouble.”
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"With its usual verve, the acclaimed downtown company puts on a good show, in the process demonstrating that, if 'Pygmalion' is not as mellifluous as 'My Fair Lady,' it retains the sharp social satire that the musical largely drops...The entire Bedlam cast is, as usual, superb...The inclusion of performers of Indian descent adds the issue of race to the textual ones of class and gender...If Shaw is occasionally didactic and verbose, for my money, 'Pygmalion' offers some real pleasures."
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"Tucker's potent and persuasive staging, which gives us an Indian Eliza. Smashingly played by Sharm...The show's emphasis on the acting, and in fact some of the most powerful moments are wordless...Sharma, in an exquisitely dexterous performance, is more fun to watch for much of the play - raw and vibrant, exultant and unignorable...This is a 'Pygmalion' that may make you feel for Eliza as you have never felt before."
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"I only hope Mr. Tucker's Orson Welles mentality is contagious, and that Bedlams pop up all over the country, continuing to course new lifeblood into the canon of English theater."
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"So intimate you’re right in the middle of the action...The action is directed by Bedlam’s artistic director, Eric Tucker, who has streamlined the text to focus on the gender power dynamics between Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle...While Tucker’s performance is perfectly fine, he’s outshone by Vaishnavi Sharma as Eliza...She’s ravishing as both the fiery flower girl and the elegant lady created by Higgins, with lots of nuance and humor in her performance."
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