BEHANDING IN SPOKANE Reviews

Today is Thursday, March 4th, marking the official opening of the world-premiere Broadway production of Martin McDonagh's "A Behanding in Spokane". A welcomed return to to the stage for lead Christopher Walken, who is joined by Zoe Kazan, Anthony Mackie and Sam Rockwel. Preview performances began on February 15th, housed at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (236 W. 45th Street).

"The title is just the starting point," begin press notes. "Take a man searching for his missing hand (Walken), two con artists out to make a few hundred bucks (Mackie and Kazan), and an overly curious hotel clerk (Rockwell), and the rest is up for grabs. 'A Behanding in Spokane' is Martin McDonagh's hilariously black comedy, a world premiere which marks McDonagh's first American-set play."

The production is a strictly limited 16-week engagement.
Performances are slated through Sunday, June the 6th.

Break lega, all!

My best to all involved,
- M

Updated On: 3/5/10 at 03:53 AM

NY TIMES is up again at El Paso Inc.
Brantley gives RAVE to Walken, NEGATIVE on McDonaghâ??s Play.


NY TIMES Review

Updated On: 3/5/10 at 07:51 PM

David Sheward for BACKSTAGE is Mixed to Negative for the play, and he likes Walken.


BACKSTAGE Review

Updated On: 3/5/10 at 07:58 PM

Of course, the always on his own Mr. Teachout from the Wall Street Journal gives it a RAVE and thinks its the best play he's since since writing for the WSJ.


ps...I'd really love to know what this man smokes and where I could get some.

WALL STREET JOURNAL Review

Updated On: 3/5/10 at 08:06 PM

Slant Magazine (Lauren Wissot) is NEGATIVE, with a rave for Rockwell:

"A Behanding in Spokane is enfant terrible Martin McDonagh's first play to be set in America, and stars Christopher Walken, the one celebrity who would seem the perfect fit for the Tarantino-of-the-stage's mix of startling menace and hilarious absurdity. But the multiple Tony-nominated and Academy Award-winning Irishman's latest projectâ??despite the presence of always finely tuned Walken and a nothing less than revelatory Sam Rockwellâ??is minor McDonagh. And that's being generous. Without those two tent-pole presences holding it up, Behanding would fold like a cheap house of cards....

The saving grace, of course, is Rockwell's snooping desk clerk Mervyn. Though song-and-dance man Walken, with his offbeat cadence, speaks with a musicality suited to McDonagh's Irish roots, it's Rockwell who is actually the performer perfectly molded to fit a McDonagh play. Even more so than Walken, Rockwell grounds the over-the-top hijinks of Behanding with his transparent vulnerability....

At its core, Behanding is a one-trick pony punchline, an extended SNL skit. The sight gags are laugh-out-loud, but the piece itself isn't rooted in any deep organic place. The saddest thing about Behanding is that it lacks the playwright's unique gift for the poignantly funny. Sure, McDonagh is still pushing the envelopeâ??but to where?"

Slant review

Updated On: 3/5/10 at 10:03 PM

TheaterMania is mostly negative, with positive notices for the cast members.

"Christopher Walken has built a career of playing characters who look as if they're capable of doing almost anything with no remorse whatsoever. And audiences love him for it. They're also going to love him -- vociferously -- in Martin McDonagh's new play, A Behanding in Spokane, now at Broadway's Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.

They may not love the play, however. Under John Crowley's direction, the work is little more than a not very resonant, occasionally macabre sketch that lapses and regains momentum."

TheaterMania review

Updated On: 3/5/10 at 10:16 PM

The more I think about this show, the less I like it and the more I like Walken. Brantley hit the nail on the head with a lot of his comments.

I saw the show tonight and I have to say...it is one of the weirdest plays I've ever seen. I'm not entirely sure what to think, other than I really loved Walken and Zoe Cazan. The play itself is wildly uneven. An interesting evening, though not something I would rush back and see again.

Page is normal for me too, Jane.

I still want to see this badly. Seems like the critiques wouldn't bother me as much as they do for some.

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Reading these reviews, I totally see their points, but I still totally unabashedly love the play. And I don't mean to play devil's advocate, but I really think Brantley is more mixed than negative.

He says he loves watching the play's leading performance and calls the play itself "erratically entertaining."

Clearly not a positive review, but those sentiments seem to tip the balance towards "mixed" at the least.

The play is not McDonagh's strongest, sure, but it is an incredibly entertaining night out and easily the funniest thing on Broadway right now. Also, Walken is brilliant.

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Though I'm sure it would be a rave there hasn't been a Word of Mouth Review yet

and my screen is stretched too

StageGrade gives it a "C." That's not great.

I wonder how this will fare with Tony nominations.