The Show-Off NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (32)
See it if you like old plays.....the set is fantastic, puts today's broadway to shame. acting is good. takes a few twists and turns to keep interest
Don't see it if old plays which are slow and dated turn you off. Repetitious and kinda long.
See it if you like revivals of old plays. See how the older generations related. Most of the acting was pretty good. The staging/costumes were nice
Don't see it if you don't like revivals or shows ab out family dynamics.
See it if you like to be entertained. you like to be surprised. you enjoy period pieces
Don't see it if vindicatio of an ethically questionable character bothers you. You need something profound and thought provoking
See it if Period piece suprisingly relevant proving pomposity never goes out of style Ensemble uneven but leads O'Toole & Gould sustain interest
Don't see it if Wackerman's weak direction never finds balance between dark & light comedy Dark side (bordering on harsh & shrill) wins but a few laughs had
See it if You want to see an interesting old play which has a a very dull first act. Hang in there...It get better. Very annoying lead character.
Don't see it if If you've seen another production of it. In spite of a gorgeous set, I have a feeling that this show has been done better. not very funny
See it if If you like period pieces. Keep your expectations low. It was an okay production.
Don't see it if Nothing really grabbed me. The acting was cartoonist and stiff. I am a patient audience but I noticed many left at intermission.
See it if if you have a great interest in Kelly's plays or if you're enamored with plays from this period.
Don't see it if you're looking for something that will engage you. Very slow, and some of the acting uninspired.
See it if Curious about early 20th cent. dramatist George Kelly and American theatre history. Annette O'Toole solid but misguided performance.
Don't see it if No humanity under the struggles & pretensions of middle class America 1920s. Empty performances, humorless pointless production.
Critic Reviews (21)
"It’s a frothy, silly period piece with a lot of heart and some interesting comments regarding the institution of marriage...The direction here, by the discerning Wackerman, is right on point...This is a well-heeled company, an embarrassment of riches...Has a production team that knows how to show off their inimitable expertise, and it’s really delightful. So, tell a fib or two, a harmless little white lie, steal a little time away from the rest of your busy schedules and catch 'The Show-Off.'"
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"There are laughs in 'The Show-Off' but most are chuckles and only a few land big, although Kelly's comedy can be praised for its spontaneous rather than deliberate quality. On the other hand…there are long stretches…whose naturalistic tone is surprisingly serious (and dull)…This is definitely not a show-off revival… but it should prove satisfying enough for theatregoers curious about the most popular play by one of America's foremost, if largely forgotten, dramatists of the 1920s and 1930s."
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"Peccadillo Theater Company is doing its gallant bit to revive interest in playwright Kelly with its super production...In a series of clever plot fiddling, Kelly keeps his cards close to his playwright’s chest. As possibly his best achievement he keeps Aubrey one of those figures you love to hate...Director Wackerman is a dab hand at these wonderful American chestnuts. The cast measures up to everything he’s obviously asked of them."
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"Using Annette O’Toole as the mother is a waste of her talents and feels like miscasting...I wish this story had been more explored. The success of the night is Tirosh Schneider who plays the youngest Fisher child, Joe. It is his storyline that gives us that inevitable happy ending...This show feels dated under Dan Wackerman’s direction but is pleasing to look at thanks to Harry Feiner’s scenic and lighting design. Sometimes shows should be left in the closet as time has passed them by."
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"The first question is why revive this piece...Aubrey ranges from irritating to infuriating. Amy is stupid. Clara switches her judgment and behavior without sufficient underpinning. Frank is a cipher...The second is a matter of two acting styles at war...Wackerman, who moves his players around with great skill and captivating small business, has given us far better in terms of performance...In order for a play like this to work at all, casting must be believable and style consistent."
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"The story’s tricky mix of comical and serious doings makes the play a challenging one to produce, and the Peccadillo Theater Company’s new revival does not effectively fuse its contrasts. There needs to be a subtle stylization to the acting and the visuals, but such an effect eludes Wackerman, the company’s artistic director, whose flat-footed staging yields a mostly dull occasion. Moreover, the fuzzy acoustics of the Theatre at St. Clement’s are no friend to Kelly’s should-be-snappy dialogue."
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"How a playwright and director balance our distaste for a blowhard throughout three acts requires skill. Kelly’s writing shows skill. Wackerman reveals a sensitivity to this problem. However, astute acting handles the potential issues of our annoyance...O'Toole propels the production. Thankfully, her feisty performance stirs the pot of laughter and moves the character dynamic toward conclusion."
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"Kelly’s title character, Aubrey Piper, is a great creation, an annoying rascal and a liar, and one waits impatiently for him to get his comeuppance...The pudgy Gould inflicts every irritation that his obnoxious character can put upon the others as he swans around the gorgeously detailed living room and parlor...In the final moments, Kelly springs a last twist that proves darkly ironic yet feels just right."
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