The Government Inspector
Closed 2h 0m
The Government Inspector
83

The Government Inspector NYC Reviews and Tickets

83%
(280 Ratings)
Positive
91%
Mixed
8%
Negative
1%
Members say
Funny, Entertaining, Great acting, Delightful, Clever

About the Show

Red Bull Theater presents an adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s deeply silly satire of small-town corruption. A riotous portrait of rampaging self-delusion starring Michael Urie ('Buyer & Cellar,' 'Ugly Betty').

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Show-Score Member Reviews (280)

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104 Reviews | 20 Followers
95
Clever, Delightful, Funny, Great writing, Intelligent

See it if A smart,interesting evening of old fashioned theater. Michael Urie reminds me of Hugh Jackman.

Don't see it if I don't love slap stick but tryit

63 Reviews | 14 Followers
95
Delightful, Hilarious, Intelligent

See it if you want to laugh your head off

Don't see it if silly, yet brilliant, comedy doesn't appeal to you Read more

127 Reviews | 13 Followers
95
Clever, Delightful, Enchanting, Funny, Entertaining

See it if you love good, classical theatre that is super well done with a delightful, outstanding cast.

Don't see it if you aren't into farce.

262 Reviews | 26 Followers
95
Funny, Quirky, Masterful, Refreshing, Entertaining

See it if You want to laugh; you love Michael Urie

Don't see it if You don't like silliness; you don't like a premise of mistaken identity

314 Reviews | 52 Followers
95
Clever, Funny, Great acting, Dizzying, Quirky

See it if you want to see a Russian classic comedy done like a three stooges type show, but still gets its point across. Michael Urie - comic genius

Don't see it if you don't like silly shows with plenty of slapstick

74 Reviews | 22 Followers
94
Great acting, Hilarious, Must see, Delightful, Refreshing

See it if Comedy, Farce, Comedic actors at the top of their game, You need to laugh

Don't see it if You are looking for something dramatic, serious, don't like having a good time at the theatre

85 Reviews | 13 Followers
94
Clever, Delightful, Funny, Entertaining, Great acting

See it if You want to see a classic play on political buffoonery made totally relevant by a master class of brilliant comic actors, starting w Urie.

Don't see it if You don't like intelligent comedy, coupled with masterful physical comedic timing.

89 Reviews | 21 Followers
92
Clever, Delightful, Enchanting, Entertaining, Funny

See it if You want to chuckle nearly nonstop and see some great comic acting.

Don't see it if You dislike literature turned into plays.

Critic Reviews (47)

TheaterScene.net
June 2nd, 2017

"Hilarity reigns in this madcap revival...A Mel Brooks-style presentation with coarseness, slapstick, pratfalls and gags galore...Hatcher’s frothy adaptation is jocularly crammed with one-liners, zingers, anachronisms and double entendres...Berger’s fast-paced staging is an exuberant amalgam of physical and verbal virtuosity combined with visual flair...Michael McGrath dominates the show...A wonderful opportunity to experience the play’s timeless splendor."
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CurtainUp
June 1st, 2017

"Loaded with laughs; but, like all good comedies, even those going way over the top, it's underpinned by all too real relevancy...I can't think of a better company than Red Bull Theater to give Hatcher's smartly modernized and streamlined adaptation a production to land every joke and double entendre...If I had to single out the funniest of these buffoons, it would be Arnie Burton as the nosy Postmaster...Good as all these actors are, it's clear that Michael Urie is very much the play's star."
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Theatre is Easy
June 1st, 2017

"A refreshingly mindless comedy with an amazing cast that will have you rolling in the aisles...A hilarious Vaudevillian entertainment that manages to amuse for an entire two hours...The chemistry and timing between Urie and McGrath is perfect...The script is at once well-traveled and fresh...Under the impeccable direction of Jesse Berger, there are too many notable performances to mention them all...What we have here is just a wholesome, family-friendly, good ‘ole time. Enjoy it."
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Theater Pizzazz
June 7th, 2017

"A pleasantly chaotic production...Still resonates today, despite its outrageously farcical staging...A large contingent of cartoony characters are well drawn by a cast of gung-ho actors who have no fear of being over-the-top silly...Berger might have pulled in some of the high-spirited performances, particularly Mr. Urie’s in an extended drunk scene in which he made some anachronistic references...However, the overall mood was consistent and the pacing remarkable."
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Front Row Center
June 2nd, 2017

"There are two delicious reasons to see 'The Government Inspector.' The first is Michael Urie and the second is Arnie Burton...Jesse Berger’s direction feels flat and heavy. Everyone except Urie and Burton seems to be playing in what we think of as the broad style of 19th-century melodramas...There is no nuance, no inner life, no spark. The cast is not aided by the text...The text as written is either a poor translation or the original was as dull as a box of rocks."
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Front Mezz Junkies
June 1st, 2017

"Current and hysterically funny...This play, although hilariously simple in its setup, is quite devilish in its taking down of politicians...Michael Urie couldn’t be more appealing in this silly but very funny play...The impressive cast is large and hilarious in a 'Mr Bean' kind of way. They almost fall over themselves in this silly and ridiculous play, but in all the right kind of ways. The most fun I’ve had at the theatre since the equally madcap 'The Play That Goes Wrong.'"
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New York Theater
August 13th, 2017

"What saves this play from a depressing relevance is the phenomenal physical clowning by Urie...Every one of the 14-member cast is positively vaudevillian in their portrayals, a testament not only to their own talents but to that of director Berger. But I was struck by Urie’s singular gift for physical comedy...The banter is courtesy of the adaptation by playwright Hatcher, which is so consistently funny that he’s excused for adding a twist at the end that doesn’t make very much sense."
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Broadway Blog
June 1st, 2017

“Hatcher adeptly slims Gogol's wordy original down to a lightning-fast two hours (with one intermission), uses doubling to allow a cast of 14 to play twice as many characters, and gives the dialogue a contemporary spin filled with punchy one-liners…Sometimes the production seems like a free-for-all game of ‘I can be funnier than you,’ the actors going as far overboard as they can to play up their clownish characters…The Red Bull's 'Government Inspector' passes inspection with flying colors.”
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