Torch Song (Off-Broadway) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (377)
See it if you care about people and human relationships of various kinds.
Don't see it if you're too homophobic to see a play about gay characters.
See it if You like great staging of a Harvey Fierstein classic.
Don't see it if You are looking for something fluffy.
See it if you want to see an expert cast deliver an enthralling performance of a hilarious, classic gay play.
Don't see it if gay people or talk about them (or simulated sexual acts) bother you.
See it if you enjoy family dramas about young couples trying to grow into themselves while dealing with strong family opinions about being gay
Don't see it if you don't enjoy family dramas. I don't know. One of my favorite plays. I would love to see a Broadway transfers!
See it if Stellar cast reviving modern themes of relationships, parents and children. Urie and Ruehl are amazing. I was transfixed the entire show.
Don't see it if You can't deal with gay themes, simulated sex or drag queens.
See it if You want to see a well acted revival of a classic about being gay in the 70s and 80s.
Don't see it if You don’t like long plays or don’t like LGBTQ subjects.
See it if you want something funny yet heartbreaking and honest about the complications of being queer and the reality of the closet.
Don't see it if you're uncomfortable with frank discussions of queerness, including the violence inflicted on queer folks.
See it if you want to see a tour-de-force performance by Michael Urie. If you want to see a classic play that still resonates and moves the audience.
Don't see it if you are homophobic, or if you are expecting light entertainment. It is weighty at times, but also clever and sometimes witty.
Critic Reviews (35)
“Urie works harder than almost any actor I’ve seen in any part...The one caveat, and not a small one, is that Kaufman hasn’t completely trusted Urie to make Arnold his own creation. Instead, Urie seems to have been asked at times to fall back on Fierstein’s singular rhythms and vocal delivery. These moments, sadly, distract one from the show...Fortunately, they are few and far between...Let’s all be glad that this 'Torch Song' is being sung, and that the amazing Urie is leading the chorus.”
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"A classy and distinctly modern production...The best thing about revisiting the timeless theme of unconditional, committed love that's the underpinning of all three acts is Fierstein's rapid-fire dialogue that mixes the snappy one liners enriched with moving revelations. Fortunately, the ensemble is up to landing the zingers and inhabiting their roles convincingly...Falls short of the socially relevant depth of Kushner's epic 'Angels in America.' But it's smartly staged and trimmed."
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“‘Torch Song’ is every bit as effective as ‘Torch Song Trilogy’ was so many years ago, when it was a brand new play with a punch. It's been directed with a surefire hand by Moisés Kaufman, who, typically, knows what he's doing, as he shuffles his cast on the stage with winning results. He also turns it into a play that shines as if it were new.”
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"It pulses with the vitality of Fierstein’s script and a virtuoso performance by Michael Urie as Arnold, bolstered by the rest of the excellent cast...Ruehl's timing and instincts are impeccable...Kaufman’s direction is crisp and smooth; everything flows as it should...Revisiting 'Torch Song' is like running into an old friend you didn’t even know you missed, in awe at how good it is to see them."
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"Ruehl matches Urie’s Arnold as if they were truly related. Their entanglement is beyond explanation...The play’s true vulnerability lies in the honest depiction of its characters and their struggles with those others that hold that special place in their heart, courtesy of the exacting direction by Moisés Kaufman...It remains, most definitely and defiantly, a profound, hilarious, and deeply affecting experience. One that will be remembered for a lifetime."
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“The action of the truncated trilogy is uneven...The dialogue seems worn and overwrought...Under Mr. Kaufman’s careful direction, the members of cast deliver believable performances despite the stereotypical traits of each character...There are times when the characters border on becoming cartoons...The conversations reek of situation comedy. This is unfortunate...It is difficult to discern whether this misfortune is the result of Kaufman’s direction or Fierstein’s writing.”
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“Some of the material is a bit dated but, despite the plethora of gay-oriented material in the years that followed, enough remains that is still relevant to audiences today…Urie acts his charming heart out; however, for all his attempts to capture Arnold's unique qualities as a…Jewish homosexual from...Brighton Beach, Urie remains as far from Arnold as Easter eggs are from Hanukkah gelt…For New York authenticity one need only listen to Jackson Heights-raised Mercedes Ruehl as Arnold's mother.”
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"There’s a sheen of artificiality to much of 'Torch Song' – a patina of calculation even in some of the heartfelt confrontations — that wasn’t so noticeable before...Performances are good enough, with one exception, largely to minimize any damage caused by the moments of vintage shtick...Given such lapses into dialogue of the bada-bada-bing variety, one is grateful for the presence of Michael Urie."
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