Seared NYC Reviews and Tickets

82%

(150 Reviews)

Positive

93%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Great acting, Entertaining, Funny, Great staging, Clever

About the Show

Set in a intimate kitchen of a New York City restaurant, this new comedy from writer Theresa Rebeck ("Berhardt/Hamlet") asks us to consider where art ends and commerce begins.

From the show:

Brilliant, hot-headed chef Harry scores a mention in a food magazine with his signature scallops, and his business partner Mike finally sees profits within reach. The only problem, Harry refuses to recreate his masterpiece for the masses. Mix in a shrewd restaurant consultant and a waiter with dreams of his own and it all goes to hell in this hilarious and insightful new play that asks us to consider where art ends and commerce begins. Audiences will be up close to the action of as MCC’s flexible Frankel Theater is transformed into the intimate kitchen of a New York City restaurant.

Member Reviews (150)

Melodramatic, Indulgent, Quirky, Funny, Clever

See it if Entertaining melodramatic sitcom with many funny moments. Great staging/set. Charismatic actors ham up their flamboyant characters.

Don't see it if The conflict with the insufferable genius chef gets repetitive. Needs more depth rather than volume. Ending is cute but contrived.

Overheated, Half baked

See it if u don't mind watching insufferable people shout at each other for 2+ hrs in a well-staged & acted, amusing but insubstantial kitchen dramedy

Don't see it if u expect a searing debate on culinary art vs. commerce. [You'll get plenty of shouting on the topic, but I wouldn't call any of it "debate"]

Edgy, Thought-provoking, Intense, Great staging, Great acting

See it if Esparza's red hot performance as an insufferable chef on the brink of 'celebrity' nearly engulfs an equally intense ensemble Taut A+ staging

Don't see it if Rebeck's able craftsmanship is better than usual in tale of art vs commerce or more importantly 'genius' vs talented 2nd act payoff shines

Intense, Funny, Realistic set, Realistic situation, Great acting

See it if you are interested in the realistic presentation of life in a restaurant kitchen. The actors do a good job. The set is detailed & practical

Don't see it if excellently presented reality fails to be enough for a theater to offer.

Great acting, Indulgent, Great staging

See it if Incredible staging! I've never seen anything like it. Extensive cooking onstage. Great set.

Don't see it if By the second half of the show I was just so sick of Harry. Yes, he is supposed to be annoying but his behavior became repetitive & boring Read more

Great acting, Great staging, Clever

See it if you like dramas that deal with two people that are polar opposite‘s but still want the same goal

Don't see it if You are bothered by lots of loud arguments on stage and a whiny entitled character Read more

Great writing, Great staging, Funny, Great acting, Clever

See it if you like great writing and acting on an amazing set.Absolutely hilarious. Kept my interest from beginning to end.Also made me hungry.

Don't see it if you want an ending that has more answers than questions.Left me with a lot to think about.

Absorbing, Riveting, Original, Clever, Great acting

See it if Raul Esparza as a chef is not to be missed. Terrific, engaging show. I had a smile on my face from the start. Foodies will love this.

Don't see it if If the back-kitchen doings of a restaurant hold no interest for you.

Critic Reviews (19)

"For a Pompous Chef, Comeuppance on the Menu: Raúl Esparza faces the realities of the restaurant business in Theresa Rebeck’s energetic but formulaic art-versus-commerce comedy."
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3/5 Stars "There's not much food for thought in 'Seared.' Its arguments are well-worn...Comedy and comeuppance are what keep it cooking; von Stuelpnagel smartly fires up the humor, and the actors add spice to their archetypical characters...Like a comfortable neighborhood joint, it’s satisfying even if it isn’t surprising."
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"Theresa Rebeck’s 'Seared' Is a Pretty Light Meal"
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"Raúl Esparza stars in the new comedy by Theresa Rebeck, author of 'Seminar' and 'Mauritius' and creator of NBC's 'Smash,' about a stubborn chef who clashes with a restaurant consultant."
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"‘Seared’ Review: A Hearty Helping of Comedy With a Side of Seriousness: Moritz von Stuelpnagel gives a fine staging of Theresa Rebeck’s play about a neurotic chef who thinks he’s an artist."
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"Theresa Rebeck's 'Seared' Turns Up the Heat on One Brooklyn Restaurant: The New York premiere of this kitchen comedy stars Raúl Esparza and Krysta Rodriguez."
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"Raul Esparza and Krysta Rodriguez Clash in Theresa Rebeck's Art Vs. Commerce Comedy, 'SEARED'"
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"The real news of the evening, however, is von Stuelpnagel, who gives the proceedings the polish and punch of a golden-age Broadway comedy. He and his gifted cast enliven this comedy of scullery skullduggery, generating some wickedly tasty fun."
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"Originally commissioned and produced by San Francisco Playhouse in 2016, Theresa Rebeck's whip-smart restaurant comedy, Seared, is making its Off-Broadway debut at MCC Theater in a terrific production starring a sensational Raúl Esparza as a gifted chef who may be his own worst enemy. "
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3/5 Stars "Raul Esparza fires up Theresa Rebeck's tasty yet underdone comedy."
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3/5 Stars "Theresa Rebeck newest comedy, about a crash-and-burn-style pretentious New York chef, needs more fire."
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"Theresa Rebeck’s two-act is a tangy and satisfying Off-Broadway main course."
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"While it may be totally accurate to what goes on in some restaurant kitchens, it contains the kind of leading protagonist who makes you lose interest in both the play and the topic. The theme may be art versus commerce but Rebeck has stacked the deck a bit too much to one side."
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"Theresa Rebeck's literally tasty comic take on art versus commerce is having its New York premiere at the beautiful new MCC Thesters's intimate Susan & Ronald Frankel Theater."
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"Ms. Rebeck's fine script serves as a tantalizing trope - here an extended metaphor - for the place art occupies in America's commercial environment and for the future of all artistic endeavors in that milieu."
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"Plot, theme, and even character are not the specialties of the house. Two things count as the main draws. rapid-fire dialogue, largely comic bickering, handled masterfully by the four actors and…the ballet of meal preparation that occurs right before our eyes (and our noses)"
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"The restaurant industry's underbelly gets exposed in 'Seared,' and though its ingredients are occasionally out of proportion, it's a theatrical dish worth savoring."
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"After Rebeck gives Harry a couple of near-operatic arias about how he doesn't care about cash (stirringly delivered by Esparza), she throws in a little twist undermining that very point, and the play instantly becomes the theatrical equivalent of a souffle that falls while it's in the oven.
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"Most patrons will feel they’ve had a toothsome…meal although, for all of its gourmet pretensions, Rebeck can’t avoid overcooking it…Given what’s available in the barely appetizing marketplace of recently opened new plays, it just might be flavorsome enough to place on my 'Best Bets' list."
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