Shear Madness NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (388)
See it if you like bold comedy and enjoy a whodunit!
Don't see it if you don't like interactive theatre.
See it if You like silly comedy and a fun whodunnit plot.
Don't see it if You are looking for something thought provoking or meaningful
See it if If you want to have a lot of fun!
Don't see it if I can't think of a reason why not to see Shear Madness!
See it if See this every year as jokes change
Don't see it if You hate cheesy jokes with a passion
See it if you'd enjoy a wildly talented cast and have a fun entertaining time. If you enjoy(ed) the game Clue, you'll appreciate this production.
Don't see it if you do not like audience participation or a "who done it." I enjoyed this show far more than I thought that I would.
See it if You are looking for a night of shear fun. The show is audience inclusive and the actors are very sharp.
Don't see it if You are in the mood for a serious mystery.
See it if You appreciate Improv that works with audience interaction. Fun cast that looks like they have fun doing the show. Very funny lines
Don't see it if You can't take the pressure of trying to help figure out who the murderer is...
See it if You like to laugh. It's a murder mystery with audience participation. They have an answer for every question the audience introduces.
Don't see it if you want a more serious show.
Critic Reviews (31)
"The lunatic confection at New World Stages indicates the opposite: all those years have helped create an indestructible engine for laughter that should keep its cast bankrolled for quite some time...since this is a murder mystery, it would spoil things to reveal too much more. Suffice it to say that 'Shear Madness' is a hoot."
Read more
"Interactive theater comedies don’t get much daffier or more featherweight than the whodunit 'Shear Madness'...Given the glee that the show inspired at a recent press preview, it would seem that theatergoers are eager to take part in the murder mystery experience...The show requires a company skilled in both scripted and improvisational comedy, and director Bruce Jordan has at his disposal a sextet of performers who deliver both with panache."
Read more
"Like any newly arrived out-of-towner, the show hasn’t yet fully adapted to Manhattan’s rhythms and sensibilities. It does, however, feature a cast of charming and improv-savvy actors, and with some tuning-up, 'Shear Madness' has the potential to do well in Gotham...More than the murder mystery plot line, the comic tension created by the show’s unknown outcome gives the show its theatrical energy...its script would benefit from some trimming, shaping and styling."
Read more
"Although 'Shear Madness' is a murder mystery, it is more of a comedy. The show is not at all scary as the murder is only talked about and does not even take place on stage. The show is very entertaining and extremely funny...Although the characters in the show are somewhat clichéd, they are very well played by the talented cast...Older children would probably enjoy it...A very amusing show."
Read more
"Part farce, part whodunit, and part choose-your-own-adventure story, 'Shear Madness' is entertaining but weak. There is enough fun and fluff to keep most people amused and engaged, but for a production that has run and been workshopped for several decades in various cities before opening in New York, it is not as polished as one would hope."
Read more
"What really makes this show come alive is the acting from a very appealing cast. They are funny and very expressive and in some instances very extreme in what they are thinking and doing. Some of the actions dealing with shampoos and shaves is really hilarious."
Read more
"There has been a murder, and one of four suspects at the Shear Madness Salon is guilty. You are the judge and jury, and it’s mad fun...One line is funnier than the next...The real fun begins when they turn up the house lights and let the audience take part in the investigation by recreating all the activity up to the time of the murder...Since the audience is not limited to script, you can only imagine the amount of funny that comes out during the Q&A."
Read more
"'Shear Madness' is an hilarious whodunit set in a local hair salon that turns into a crazy murder scene. Best of all, there’s no need for a spoiler alert, since the ending is different every time—because the audience gets to solve the crime."
Read more