The Cherry Orchard (BAM) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (24)
See it if you like Chekov
Don't see it if you don't like Chekov, or plays in another language where you have to read supertitles
See it if you are open to a fresh insight into this classic Chekhov. Acting is superb and the director's concept opens the play to new revelations.
Don't see it if you're looking for a traditional reading of this play. This is not a museum piece.
See it if This is a fascinating, revelatory Chekhov production with an outstanding ensemble. One of the best Cherry Orchards I've seen.
Don't see it if you don't want to read English subtitles and sit through 2 3/4 hours of a Chekhov dramedy that is heavier on the drama than the comedy.
See it if you want to hear it in the original Russian; a deeply serious take on this play, with remarkable acting
Don't see it if don't like to read subtitles
See it if you think the cherry on top of a good revival is a freshness that brings out new flavors. Many actors & staging ideas are pick of the crop.
Don't see it if playing with the text, a lack of clarity, slow 1st act & problematic central performance will leave a bad taste in your mouth.
See it if you're a fan of Chekov (I'm not particularly but this is a great work of his) and want to see masterful performances.
Don't see it if you listen to professional critics (I almost didn't go because of the NYX' scathing pan). Either the director retooled or the critic on LSD.
See it if you like the cast. they were good. if you know the story cause it will help
Don't see it if if you do not know the story.
See it if you just want to see known actors on stage.
Don't see it if you want to see good actors who just don't deliver.
Critic Reviews (6)
"It is possible to appreciate the cleverness of Mr. Dodin’s approach yet initially find it tedious...But the pace speeds up significantly after intermission. Some bits of business that Mr. Dodin invested in earlier, at last pay poignant dividends. Greater risks are taken and these have their rewards, too. It is here that this 'Cherry Orchard' comes into blossom, speaking not only to the time of its creation but also to contemporary Russia, and more universally, too. "
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"Chekhov fans got a little thrill when they heard that Maly Drama Theatre was coming to town...Yet the version now at BAM limps along, striking muffled notes that should be clear. The Maly actors shout and mug; there's little magic, no balance and barely any dynamic control...Dodin has staged an 'Orchard' that elaborates on all kinds of facets—he adds sexual high jinks and much violent business. He adds so much, but edits out Chekhov's sympathy. That, I found, was a cut too deep."
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"A superb revival...Director Lev Dodin is judicious in his adaptation, hacking through the weeds to get us right into this conflict of class, pride, and economic reality. The result is a production with the breezy pace of a comedy, but the emotional heft of a tragedy. It perfectly encapsulates the dueling impulses of this famously contentious play...The unadulterated commitment of the entire cast leaves the most lasting impression...Chekhov's text comes alive under the production."
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"The Maly Drama Theatre’s production of ‘The Cherry Orchard’, though exasperating, is also entertaining and, to a small degree, revelatory. The director, Lev Dodin, imposed way too many of his own ideas on the delicate structure, in the process making questionable choices. The focus too often strays to a piece of silly business…Dodin uses the conceit of a silent movie to impart the image of the cherry orchard...This is actually lovely, and the one idea that works.”
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"Rarely does a revival come along that allows us to experience a classic as if for the first time, and see it in an entirely new light. Such is the case with the brilliant revival of Chekhov’s 'The Cherry Orchard' by the Maly Drama Theatre...Lev Dodin, its fearless director, has made some daring and unconventional choices with Chekhov’s beloved masterpiece that elevate this production to one of the most thrilling I’ve seen in my theatre-going lifetime."
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"The artistic vision that Dodin shared with us was sometimes exquisite, sometimes as powerful as a hammer hitting an anvil...Dodin's direction is marvelous, but his creation takes wings thanks to Danila Kozlovsky's prodigious performance of Lopakhin. He is strong, smart, generous and conflicted...One of the strongest Dodin productions I have seen."
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