Turn Me Loose NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (71)
See it if you care about social issues, specifically racism and if you lie a show where you are laughing one minute and deeply moved the next
Don't see it if Everyone should see it. But don't see it if you really, really can't handle racial humor.
See it if You want to be stirred by a caring man's fight for racial equality. Dick Gregory was more than just a comedian.
Don't see it if You prefer lighter subject matter.
See it if you want to see a magnificent performance by Joe Morton.
Don't see it if you are put off by rude language.
See it if An amazing performance that is funny, tragic, moving throughout. Totally captivating.
Don't see it if If you are a racist.Or better yet, DO see it it if you are a racist. Maybe you will learn something!
See it if A funny and beautifully performed chronicle of the comedian's controversial career with some unexpected and painful personal anecdotes.
Don't see it if you never liked Dick Gregory's brutally honest, politically-charged humor or delude yourself that you now inhabit a post-racial America.
See it if you have any love of great writing and acting and recent history that rings incredibly relevant to current politics.
Don't see it if You can't accept the reality of racial inequalities that continue despite the civil rights movement and the small steps forward.
See it if you're familiar with Dick Gregory or Joe Morton, you like stand-up, you have a social conscience, you like stories that punch in the gut.
Don't see it if you don't like shows about race, how far our society has to go, or 1-man shows (the structure is slightly uninspired). Well worth it anyway.
See it if you think ninety minutes of Joe Morton channeling Dick Gregory would be amazing -- you'd be right.
Don't see it if you're easily offended by criticisms of white privilege. Actually, scratch that -- you NEED to see it more than anyone else.
Critic Reviews (23)
“The beauty of this incendiary piece, directed with punch by John Gould Rubin, is that the manner in which Law has transferred Gregory’s life to the stage has him transition from one of the first black stand-up comics gaining national attention in the 1960s to an activist who stopped telling jokes because he increasingly came to believe there was less and less amusing about the condition of African-Americans in contemporary United States society.”
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"Morton is giving one of the most riveting performances in town as comedian/activist Dick Gregory...John Gould Rubin’s direction is smooth. Morton’s performance is simply too good to miss. Despite being selected by the 'Times' as a critic’s pick, there were empty seats. The diverse audience made up in enthusiasm what it lacked in numbers."
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"Joe Morton is a splendid actor, proven once again with his spot-on portrait of the noted comedian and activist Dick Gregory…It is a smooth-as-silk performance--moving, hilarious and politically razor-sharp…The evening is both entertaining and meaningful, with laughs galore that reveal so much about our society then and now."
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"This deserves the widest audience possible! It’s both one of the most important and funniest shows I’ve seen in quite some time…One of the greatest talkers of his time, Gregory provides playwright Gretchen Law with abundant material…She has successfully distilled it all down to only the funniest, pithiest and most visionary bits…This is truly essential viewing, and as such gets my highest recommendation."
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"This show, which relies on a lot of Gregory’s material, has the ability to still make 'white Northern liberals' squirm a bit. There are two reasons for this. The first is the power of Mr. Gregory’s work which has stood the test of time. The second is Joe Morton’s brilliant performance…Mr. Morton doesn’t impersonate the man, but rather, he performs the character with such attention to detail that a good impersonation would pale by comparison…It’s a must-see."
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"Morton gives a tour de force performance…His voice has a deep timbre, and he has amazing reserve and control over both his voice and physicality...The raw immediacy of Morton’s performance, coupled with the power of Gregory’s message, incites some members of the audience to murmur 'Mmm-hmmm' and 'Yeah,' as if they are receiving a message from the pulpit rather than the stage."
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"'Turn Me Loose' is about the legendary comic Dick Gregory who is brilliantly played by Joe Morton...You will shed a tear as the cruelty and injustice of segregation is shown and then your tears will be from the laughter of the genius of Gregory’s humor...It’s amazing what can be accomplished with a simple set and one main character...I laughed so hard I cried."
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