Othello: The Remix NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (92)
See it if You want to be entertained with skilled writing and twist on the classic. They are geniuses!
Don't see it if You really don't like hip hop.
See it if Absolutely brilliant. I have been a fan of the writers since their Bombity days and this show exceeded my expectations. Excellent show!!!!
Don't see it if You don't like hip hop or a modern take on a classic. But you;d be wrong!!
See it if You want to see a very funny hip-hop version of Othello with great acting, dancing, rapping,with great music, that was so enjoyable
Don't see it if You don't like rapping,but even then it's still a great show for anyone
See it if You want a clever, energetic retake on a classic work
Don't see it if You're a Shakespeare purist
See it if saw Othello just for who was in the cast. saw the remix because of John Leguizamo. first time I enjoyed and totally understood Othello
Don't see it if if u are not into rap
See it if know Shakespeare's OTHELLO. Some of the plot flies by (in this 80 min version). If you want to support hip-hop theater (other than HAMILTON)
Don't see it if don't like hip-hop. It's charm'll be lost on haters.
See it if Loved this version of Othello. If you want fresh, funny, fast moving ...head on over!!
Don't see it if If you like classic takes on Shakespeare.
See it if you enjoy new interpretations of classic works through music. A brilliant way at looking at Othello in a contemporary way.
Don't see it if you hate rap music
Critic Reviews (24)
"Clever and exuberantly performed...The music pulses with life, and the cascading rhymes of the lyrics are often inspired. My only qualm is that the rhythms vary so rarely that a certain monotony sets in…Still, diversions keep coming, even when the tragedy reaches its climax…'Othello: The Remix' will probably not reduce you to tears or leave you in stunned silence. But it’s a tickling refreshment to leave a production of this dark tale with a smile on your face."
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"The Q Brothers have transformed the bloody tragedy into a rip-roaring, rapped one-act rich with dizzying rhymes...The quartet plays all the characters, tackling quick changes as deftly as tongue-twisting text against DJ Supernova’s slick beats. Yet only Pringle attempts to find the gravitas in the tale...The show is clever and exhilarating, but also a missed opportunity—as if the creators were looking at the green-eyed monster through rose-colored glasses."
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"The songs are of mixed quality, with a couple of showstoppers, but no real bad tunes. The choreography is not taken very seriously, but it is played more for laughs...The acting and rapping are more than up to the project. I was particularly pleased with Gregory James Qaiyum (aka GQ) as Iago...The main merit in this production is the way it is likely to attract a new generation to the theatre, and more specifically to Shakespeare."
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"You might think that the technique applied to those Shakespearian comedies—full of clever updates and snarky rhymes—would underserve a great tragedy, but somehow it doesn’t; though full of laughs, this 'Othello' finds sufficient resonance in its new setting to merit the effort...Of course, this treatment can’t achieve the full pathos of the original verse; still, it is never less than inventive and even instructive in finding cognates for Shakespeare’s poetry."
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"Desdemona appears only as a pillow on a bed, and the other roles are taken by these four actors. The rapping incorporates enough of Shakespeare’s language to give the show a surprising heft and consistency, and the compression is at once hilarious and respectful. Most important, GQ’s Iago is more recognizable as an amoral force hellbent on destruction...The show is co-produced by John Leguizamo, and it’s rich."
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"They lean into the comedic side of the tragedy throughout the show, and everyone looks like they’re having a blast. Their jubilation is infectious...Though some of the jokes are repetitive or go on a bit too long, the play’s quick run time keeps this from becoming a real issue. What’s slightly more concerning is Desdemona...She’s just a disembodied vocal solo piped through the speakers...Quibbles aside, 'Othello: The Remix' is a thoroughly entertaining way to spend an evening."
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"A fun and lively hip-hop retelling of Shakespeare's tragedy of racism and revenge...While 'Othello: The Remix' is certainly all in good fun, the two instances when the guys play female characters come off more as easy gags compared with the more fleshed out males. But the 80-minute romp is a high-energy kick, making a strong case for the elevated language rap to be a modern equivalent of Shakespeare's poetic verse."
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"If the authors' intricately rhymed verse is slickly effective in conveying the whirlwind pace of intrigue, the authors can't do much to invest action with much meaning…We never see Desdemona at all...Without seeing Othello together with the woman he loves, we can't appreciate what he loses when his faith in her is shattered…What finally cancels out the possibility of true emotional engagement is the sheer relentlessness of the verse."
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