The Hairy Ape
Closed 1h 30m
The Hairy Ape
86

The Hairy Ape NYC Reviews and Tickets

86%
(288 Ratings)
Positive
95%
Mixed
4%
Negative
1%
Members say
Great staging, Great acting, Ambitious, Absorbing, Intense

About the Show

Park Avenue Armory and the Old Vic present O’Neill's expressionist drama, a searing social commentary on the divide between the rich and poor in the industrial age. Starring Emmy winner and Tony nominee Bobby Cannavale.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (288)

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282 Reviews | 182 Followers
100
Masterful, Must see, Profound, Great staging, Great acting

See it if You want to experience a once in a lifetime event with masterful acting, staging, visuals. Very impactful. Bobby Cannavale rocks!

Don't see it if You want a light hearted, simple and straightforward show. Read more

96 Reviews | 32 Followers
100
Ambitious, Great acting, Great staging, Masterful, Relevant

See it if You are a fan of obscure O'Neill and if you like inventive amazing groundbreaking theatre. Bobby Cannavale is spectacular. What a show!

Don't see it if You like a basic show. This is avant garde theatre and not for everyone.

290 Reviews | 92 Followers
100
Absorbing, Exquisite, Great acting, Great staging, Masterful

See it if SEE IT....Really SEE IT....

Don't see it if If you want light and fluffy...SEE IT!!!

77 Reviews | 8 Followers
99
Great acting, Must see, Thought-provoking, Great staging, Clever

See it if you love cutting edge theater, unique staging, incredible acting

Don't see it if You're at all not able to grasp deep layered ideas, if you always want something completely light

156 Reviews | 62 Followers
98
Must see, Masterful, Profound, Riveting, Relevant

See it if You want to see a brilliant and contemporary realization of a rarely performed O'Neill classic. Cannavale and his ensemble and set - bravo!

Don't see it if you enjoy enjoy musicals.

256 Reviews | 86 Followers
98
Ape in perfect shape

See it if you enjoy great acting in a cavern with stadium seating. Cannavale, Costabile and crew keep coal coming. Scalding hot production will amaze.

Don't see it if Hard plastic seats biggest issue. Sprawling venue itself a zoo to navigate. Scrape $30 for Ape. Visually lavish and provocative. Read more

97 Reviews | 16 Followers
97
Great staging, Brechtian, Well acted, Well directed, Intelligent

See it if you like to think when you go to the theatre and want to see a play staged in a fabulous place

Don't see it if you need linear storytelling, vapid musicals, traditional bourgeois staging Read more

109 Reviews | 30 Followers
97
Absorbing, Delightful, Enchanting, Great acting, Great staging

See it if You want to see great theater. The set is amazing, the acting is amazing and the story is amazing.

Don't see it if If you are anti-union and against workers rights which the unions protect . Read more

Critic Reviews (25)

Entertainment Weekly
April 3rd, 2017

"The cognitive dissonance between a work of art and a setting that inherently encapsulates the disparities at its heart is a jarring but ultimately effective tool...Director Jones also helmed a 2015 production, and the newly added American actors benefit from his intimate knowledge of the material...Cannavale brings an animalistic physicality to the central role...O’Neill’s cutting critique of American social and economic structures couldn’t be more relevant."
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AM New York
April 2nd, 2017

"Never again are we likely to see such a massive, thoroughly designed, technically complex staging of an early 20th century expressionist play as the stunning production of O’Neill’s tragedy...Everything about it is huge: the venue, the mechanized set design, the scale of the performances and the main character’s agony and desperation...Cannavale gives a raw, layered and highly physical performance...The ensemble reinforces the play’s otherworldly style through synchronized movement."
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Theatermania
March 31st, 2017

“Director Richard Jones gets to the essence of the playwright's intention by giving this expressionist work a staging that is both clear and confrontational…In this nightmarish realm, Cannavale is the only actor who seems convincingly human: O'Neill's salty prose feels at home in his mouth...We also feel implicated in his downfall thanks to Jones, who pulls no punches in this gorgeous and forceful revival…This revival could not have arrived at a better moment.”
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CurtainUp
April 13th, 2017

"A brilliantly staged and vibrantly performed production...There's plenty to keep you enthralled as you watch those eight scenes unfold in this stunning production...Though O'Neill's dialect is a challenging mouthful, Cannavale ably tames it, and at the same time meets the role's ape-like physical demands...It all adds up to his being an intensely heartbreaking, often gasp-inducing stage presence...The rest of the cast is also superb...A not-to-be-missed theatrical outing of this season."
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Theatre is Easy
April 9th, 2017

“A spectacular revival of Eugene O'Neill's masterpiece about identity and class struggle is stylized to the nines, yet misses the opportunity to be searing social commentary…Cannavale convincingly portrays the earnest hothead…Jones's interpretation of the text is a playwright's wildest dream coming true…It's difficult to recount all the good things about this production. However the lack of diversity onstage diminishes the play's potential for searing social commentary.”
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Theater Pizzazz
April 2nd, 2017

"Rarely does a production explode upon the theatre scene like O’Neill’s 'The Hairy Ape,' now receiving an extraordinary revival...It’s a sensational set, bringing an appropriately gargantuan scale to O’Neill’s tragic tale...The setting is vast, and the spectacle is breathtaking...This special combination of directorial vision, design brilliance, star power, and seamless ensemble work has brought forth a unique revival...The stunning images evoked here will long be remembered."
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Front Mezz Junkies
April 22nd, 2017

“An exceptional revival…O’Neill has never felt so unique and powerful...Cannavale seems to be born to play this prototype to all the brutes that Cannavale seems to play…It’s a miraculous use of space…The environmental production is a non-stop wonderland of visuals and metaphors…These are the unique moments that we theatre junkies live for…It’s a challenging and miraculous in-your-face spectacle, filled with beauty, intelligence, and exploration, with a layer of judgment.”
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Times Square Chronicles
April 1st, 2017

"Jones’ brutal, cinematic and stunning visuals and sublime acting make this production a must-see. This is the theatrical event of the season...Cannavale’s feral encompassing performance is mesmerizing...Cannavale embodies Yank in his brutish emotional journey to perfection; the rest of the cast supports him to the fullest...This show, though artistic in every way. will punch you in the gut and leave you feeling changed. It is impossible to not be moved by this piece."
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