A Midsummer Night's Dream (Public Theater) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (233)
See it if You like Shakespeare. The Public hit a home run with this one.
Don't see it if You don't like Shakespeare. This production is faithful to the original.
See it if you wanted to see a lovely version where you don't need to "study" ahead of time. It may be a little wacky for some but still...
Don't see it if you like your Shakespeare a little more traditional.
See it if . . . you love Danny Burstein. He's great as Bottom. The design of everything is astonishing. Beautifully directed by Lear deBessonet.
Don't see it if Not sure why you wouldn't see this.
See it if you enjoy updated Shakespeare in a lovely setting with a stellar cast and a jazzy bent.
Don't see it if you are a Shakespeare purist and you have a problem with fun song and dance breaks Read more
See it if you can get tickets. A superb, lighthearted, modern-but-not-modern production of a comedy that transports you to an evening of delight.
Don't see it if your only option is to wait on the standby line. It's great, but not exactly a "see it or you'll regret it" great.
See it if you are looking for a unique take on midsummer casting-wise; the stars in this show are fantastic, and the staging is a lot of fun
Don't see it if you want to get home at a reasonable time (it's a commitment!); if you're looking for a traditional cast
See it if A light-hearted tribute that greatly takes advantage of its outdoor Central Park setting. Full of humorous dramatic twists
Don't see it if Expect long monologues and confrontations Shakespeare style. Rather mundane costume. Read more
See it if Love Shakespeare.
Don't see it if Don't like Shakespeare, outdoor theatre in nyc in summer.
Critic Reviews (42)
"A splendidly opulent production, and the Central Park background on a summer’s eve is a very real contributor to the pleasures of the evening...A large cast which includes a half dozen Broadway favorites is having a grand time cavorting across its vast stage...Ashford brings her own very special charms to the role of Helena...Danny Burstein is on target as Bottom the Weaver...With everyone having such a fine summer evening out, who could resist that?"
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"A ravishingly beautiful, joyously performed take on Shakespeare's fairy-dusted tale of crisscrossed lovers. Directed by Lear deBessonet, this is a very traditional and straightforward 'Midsummer' with lovely modern touches...The clarity of the performances and direction mean that this would also be a terrific introduction to Shakespeare for younger viewers...This production is two-and-three-quarter hours of dreamy bliss."
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"DeBessonet pushes the whimsical slapstick of the story, drawing on a flight of gifted comic actors...All of this sweet joy is both the production's greatest asset and largest drawback. On the plus side: this is fun fluff, with nothing to distract from the silliness. On the minus side: this is fun fluff, with none of the melancholy undertones about intimate betrayals that give some productions of 'Midsummer' surprising heft. No matter. This sort of pure pleasure is all too rare."
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"This version...offers a couple of pleasant treats: Ashford as Helena and Nielsen as Puck. These are two of the theater's finest comedic actresses and they don't disappoint here. Also turning in notable performances, in a very strong ensemble cast, are Burstein as Bottom, Poe as Oberon and Rashad as Titania...I didn't care for the heavy, jazzy original music...It doesn't blend with the light feel of the show...The costumes also stand out for not fitting with the whimsical, airy atmosphere."
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“Filled with charm and hilarity, beautiful music and magic. It’s so much fun that it’s hard to say what the best part is...Ashford can get more laughs with a crook of her little finger than most actors can manage with their entire bodies…It is to deBessonet’s credit that we are never confused by all the lovers and their shifting passions...When the lights twinkle and the music plays and these sublimely talented performers speak and search and love, we are as enchanted as poor Nick Bottom.”
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"Director deBessonet has flattened everything out so that, though it all flows nicely on the surface, the play’s disturbing undercurrents are left, well, undisturbed...Ashford has a unique way of speaking her lines that seems to work for anything...The only other cast member on Ashford’s level is Burstein...He's funny and poignant and realistic and fantastical simultaneously, which is what deBessonet’s 'Dream,' despite some splendid moments, ultimately isn’t."
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"How refreshing, now, to see the romantic, magical work played where it is largely set, in an open-air nocturnal park...The comedy, as funny here as you’ll ever see it, is a perfect fit for The Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare in Central Park...The entire cast in director Lear deBessonet’s delightfully free-wheeling production is terrific, including the hilarious ‘Pyramus & Thisbe’ ensemble, but first-among-equals has to be snazzy Annaleigh Ashford."
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“Ashford truly brings the words of the Bard alive in her mastery of the language. The play within the play is always the thing in ‘Midsummer,’ and this show does not disappoint. The Mechanicals put on a stellar production of ‘Pyramus and Thisbe,’ with a bearded Danny Burstein stealing the show as a spotlight-hungry Nick Bottom…This production goes above and beyond other freebies. In fact, it's priceless.”
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