The Portuguese Kid NYC Reviews and Tickets

“Most of Shanley’s jokes are deliciously funny in his actors’ hands...Not every joke lands...Even the titular joke pales in comparison to far wittier one-liners... When it tries to tackle more existential questions about life, love, and purpose, it falls short. Still, 'The Portuguese Kid' makes for a wildly entertaining couple of hours of whip-smart banter — as long as you don’t expect much substance beyond that."
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“Watching a silly comedy that most of the audience appears to be enjoying, but which you find pointless, plodding and excessively broad, can be a frustrating and bewildering experience. You wonder, why can’t I get into this? Is it me, or is it the play?...The play relies heavily on one-liners (many of which are labored and lame) and ethnic stereotyping...The play may fare better under a different director who does not encourage oversized performances.”
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"Thanks to a first-class production, this one's quite a hoot...One of the most hysterical opening scenes ever to grace a New York stage. Unfortunately, Shanley is not able to sustain the hilarity of that first scene...Shanley directs the play as if a grand farce, though the material adds up to a silly soap opera...Bottom line on 'The Portuguese Kid'? Not the best of Shanley's plays, but it is perhaps the funniest. You will laugh — of that I have no doubt!"
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“Shanley throws everything and the kitchen sink into this comedy...With the cast and creative team Shanley has assembled, ’Kid’ should be better than it is...Alexander and Scott are often hilarious...’Kid’ isn't a great play...But it's definitely a crowd pleaser. Once you check your brain at the door, if you're eager to laugh, you'll happily lap up the over-the-top comedic circumstances, no matter how far-fetched they are."
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“The conventional wisdom is that Alexander, Scott, and Testa are starring in ‘The Portuguese Kid’; in truth, they're propping it up. Whatever amusement is to be found in Shanley's makeshift and often mystifying charade is entirely due to the efforts of these three...So old-fashioned in style and humor that one wonders if it hasn't been sitting around for some time. They don't write them like this anymore, and, as this script demonstrates, there's a reason for that.”
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“A joke-filled but decidedly saggy sex comedy...Testa is also the only one who is able to capture the crazy spirit and exquisite comic timing needed to pull off the steady stream of one-liners that serve as the dialog for large chunks of the play...Some lines will make you laugh...But there are also many whose sell-by date expired long ago...Perhaps a better director might have been able to help Shanley build on those moments of self-reflection and trim away the parts that drag the play down."
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“An American version of a Noel Coward sex comedy but with the stamp of Shanley's own zinger spiced tough talk and less glamorous characters? Well it is, sort of. But with Jason Alexander, forever identified with 'Seinfeld's' George Costanza, there's simply no escaping that it all feels less Cowardesque or top-tier Shanley than an episode from that iconic sitcom...Nothing in ‘The Portuguese Kid’ is as good as you expect from this author."
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“Writer John Patrick Shanley gives us many things with this play: the expected laughter, some political Trump vs. Clinton references, and his own skilled direction...Each performer brings his or her unique brand to the table...The plot is extremely predictable but it doesn't take away from the humor...Though this idea is hardly original, Shanley's premise, combined with quality performances, sells the idea. Venturing beyond the funny is when I think the play falters.”
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