DEATH OF A SALESMAN 2026 Previews- Page 2

[AC126748]

Posted: 3/7/26 at 5:03pm

I'd imagine the production will petition to have Metcalf considered as a featured actress, which is in keeping with how the role has been classified before and would allow her to avoid competing against herself in LITTLE BEAR RIDGE ROAD.

[TheWindAndTheRain]

Posted: 3/8/26 at 12:07am

I was at tonight’s second preview (ran about 2:55), and I quite adored this. 

I went into it expecting to love both lead performances, but also knowing that structurally, this was Willy’s story. That being said, while Nathan Lane is truly brilliant, Laurie Metcalf walks away with the show. Her Linda is stoic, terrified, loving, and cold all at once. The “Attention must be paid” scene was electric. 

But again, Lane is doing some career-best work here, and his chemistry with Metcalf is terrific. The balance does not feel thrown off, but this production almost makes a case for the play being a two-hander, though I do believe Metcalf will be nominated (and win) as Featured Actress. 
 

Christopher Abbott started off a little pensive to me, but definitely grew as the night went on, and ended up faring very well in his onstage sparring with Lane. Ben Ahlers was a terrific Happy, and definitely made up for Abbott’s lack of spark in their first scene. I also want to shout out the always-terrific K. Todd Freeman, who absolutely nails his handful of scenes as Charley. 
 

The physical production was gorgeous, particularly the lighting and the score. Mantello is truly the best director of actors working right now. For a second preview of a famously long play, the pacing was impressively tight. I definitely want to see this again later in the run when the performances have sharpened, but I anticipate this will be a major hit. 

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 3/8/26 at 12:22am

Saw this tonight (second preview) and thought it was absolutely wonderful, brought me to tears multiple times.  For seating, I won a lottery ticket on the left side of orchestra and it was marked as partial view but if I had not known that, I wouldn't have thought it would be.  The pillars in the set do obstruct certain entrances/exits, but I've certainly had more egregious views for a full view ticket in other shows, and I really didn't feel like I missed anything.

I thought Nathan Lane was really incredible.  He embodied the character in such a way where you could understand how he might have once been charming enough for all the stories he told to be true, but he also brings a layered depth to it where you can see there's part of him that sees through the illusion and another part that all too desperately clings onto it even stronger for it.  I found it physically hard to watch the scene right before intermission because of that and because I knew what was left to unfold in the second act.  He brings just enough of his Nathan Lane-ness when needed, but otherwise managed to fully disappear into the role for me.

Laurie Metcalf as well is as good as you'd expect her to be, especially with the "attention must be paid" speech.  I did have a little trouble seeing them as a couple as I think they lacked a sense of the physical chemistry, but her line delivery when talking about Willy and her defense of him were enough to convince me.  The one major quibble I had with the show is that I'm not sure her last scene fully landed for me, but I also have faith that she'll find her way to it as previews go on.

For the kids, I thought Ben Ahlers fared better than Christopher Abbott, though the latter really grew into it by act 2.  My opinion might've also been stymied because in his first big act 1 speech, I was seeing his back the whole time, but his last confrontation with Willy felt quite powerful.  Having younger versions of the kids added a nice touch, and I thought they were utilized quite well in the staging.

I also thought the music was used very judiciously and I could also see it getting a score nom if any play gets nominated for score this year.  The staging is very downstage center, and while simple, the production does feel like it managed to fill the giant Winter Garden stage, which I had my doubts about.

I had loved the last revival (my first time seeing it), but the play really hit different for me this time knowing what was to come.  I also found it interesting to consider how the current job market has also changed, with tradespeople being more in demand and able to command fairly high salaries and how that plays in contrast to Willy's beliefs about what kind of jobs to aspire to.  Assuming the ticket prices don't skyrocket, I'd love to revisit this again after previews once the cast settles in more, but as of now it is already a very very good show.

[helvizz]

Posted: 3/8/26 at 1:24am

I too was there tonight (3rd preview if there was a matinee today, and I think there was) and I loved this production as a whole.

Overall it's very well directed, specially the memory scenes (I loved the lighting in those scenes). Laurie Metcalf absolutely shines as Linda and her monologue in the first act was heartbreaking. Nathan Lane is excellent as well. Happy is the smaller role between the brothers, but I felt the actor really made him believable. Biff, however, wasn't as good as he could've been. Having said that, his final confrontation scene with his father was very good. Maybe I too had warmed up to him by then? But I did find his acting choices weird at the beginning.

The one quibble I have with this production (and maybe show?) was the staging of ... the death of the salesman. It's been a few years since I read it and I'd never seen it live, but I thought it wasn't emotional at all. I'm going to describe it in the spoiler section below. Can anyone please comment if it's usually like this?

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Willy just got in the car, backed it up, that garage door closed so we no longer see him, the lights go out, and when they come back again it's his funeral. No sound effects, screams, dialogue, nothing.

Also there were a few sound issues tonight. That's to be expected, but it's better to know about this upfront because the Winter Garden is big, so if you're in the last row of the mezzanine, it might be a little difficult to hear the actors. Tonight's most affected performer was Nathan Lane, unfortunately.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 3/8/26 at 8:15am

I was there for the second preview last night as well, and I’ll be the contrarian: I thought it was… fine.

First and foremost, the production is struggling with a spatial identity crisis. Chloe Lamford’s set is a sprawling, infernal garage that takes up every inch of the Winter Garden stage and fly space, but Joe Mantello has staged almost everything around a tiny table downstage center. The result? A play that feels stagnant and small in a space that demands more activation.

The actors feel like they're all in different plays: Ben Ahlers is very good as Happy, but the role is nothing to write home about. Christopher Abbott is underplaying Biff to the point of detachment (though his big act two breakdown was palpably affecting). Laurie Metcalf is giving us flashes of brilliance, but no cohesive character. Is she the steel spine of the family, or a frantic mess? It changes by the minute. And the final scene lacked the gut punch I was expecting.

Nathan Lane, however, is the reason to see this. He’s playing Willy not as a tragic hero, but as the quintessential small man: angry, entitled, and desperately resentful. It’s a surprisingly relevant portrait of a man who can’t see that he’s lost the plot.

There’s potential here for a finely-acted revival once the necessary calibrations are made, but right now, the production hasn’t quite grown into its own shoes.

Updated On: 3/8/26 at 08:15 AM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/8/26 at 8:47am

Interesting that after all the talk of investors abandoning Rudin pre-cancellation he’s got 15 co-producers here. 

[theatergoer3]

Posted: 3/8/26 at 11:45am

I caught this last night as well.

Started at 8:05 and I checked my phone at 10:56 after bows. 

Disclaimer: Had not read or seen a production of Salesman before

 

I thought it was tremendous. Mantello's direction and the use of 

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Young Hap and Young Biff was haunting. Especially the image towards the end of Act 1 of Biff in his football uniform as Willy is going on about his future. 

The memory scenes and Willy's "delusions" are a clear higlight of the play for me. 

It's definitely getting slowly drowned in wet cement for three hours but I think Mantello directs it very well. I did feel the length but it's not bad for a play like this. 

Some of the play itself feels a bit dated or a bit old. But then other parts of it feel as crushing as ever.

The set is definitely not what I would've expected but it fits the rundown and empty wateland tone.

Score is also quite effective and would love to have to listen to separately. 

Lane is doing some outstanding and heartbreaking work (especially in act 2), loved Laurie Metcalf ("Attention Must Be Paid" lands like a sledgehammer), liked Abbott as he got deeper into the character and loved his final scene. Ahlers is great as well. 

I think this will be very buzzy and probably get even sharper as previews go on. Would love to return later in the run to see how the performances have grown. 

Updated On: 3/8/26 at 11:45 AM

[Bryce 2]

Posted: 3/8/26 at 1:21pm

This is a very silly question, but if there isn't merch available now then is it safe to assume there will not be any for the entire run? Was secretly hoping for an "attention must be paid" hat

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/8/26 at 1:47pm

Bryce 2 said: "This is a very silly question, but if there isn't merch available now then is it safe to assume there will not be any for the entire run? Was secretly hoping for an "attention must be paid" hat"

I recall Rudin being particular about merch in the past and for some of his shows it wasn't sold until post-opening. (No idea why.) But someone else can correct me on that as I almost never buy it!

[Mitch101]

Posted: 3/8/26 at 2:29pm

We will agree to disagree on this one. I found Lane absolutely miscast from the very start and yes, he and Metcalf are in different plays. This is a bloated attempt at making a great play important. It doesn't need help. Mantello just couldn't leave well enough alone. I believe I've seen four versions on Broadway in my lifetime and this was the worst of the four. (Dennehy was my favorite).

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 3/8/26 at 9:01pm

helvizz said: "The one quibble I have with this production (and maybe show?) was the staging of ... the death of the salesman. It's been a few years since I read it and I'dnever seen it live, but I thought it wasn't emotional at all. I'm going to describe it in the spoiler section below. Can anyone please comment if it's usually like this?

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Willy just got in the car, backed it up, that garage door closed so we no longer see him, the lights go out, and when they come back again it's his funeral. No sound effects, screams, dialogue, nothing.

"

I don’t know much about other productions, but in the last revival 

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

We heard the sound effect of the car crashing and there may have been lights flashing as well.  And I think we saw Biff and Linda hear/see the crash and their reactions to it.  I was also a little surprised there wasn’t anything more explicit in this production

 

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 3/9/26 at 2:53am

Bryce 2 said: "This is a very silly question, but if there isn't merch available now then is it safe to assume there will not be any for the entire run? Was secretly hoping for an "attention must be paid" hat"

Don't know if there will be merch on this Rudin show.  There never was on Little Bear Ridge Road but maybe for DOAS?

[quizking101]

Posted: 3/9/26 at 2:07pm

CoffeeBreak said: "Bryce 2 said: "This is a very silly question, but if there isn't merch available now then is it safe to assume there will not be any for the entire run? Was secretly hoping for an "attention must be paid" hat"

Don't know if there will be merch on this Rudin show. There never was on Little Bear Ridge Road but maybe for DOAS?"

I think Rudin shows tend to not do merch unless they have a remote chance of selling quite a bit of it. I was hoping for an LBBR windowcard and alas, nothing. It made Red Bucket a little awkward when all they had was the Playbill. They later started selling the beer cans signed by the leads.

I bought them just for the sake of being about to say I spent $100 on Laurie Metcalf’s cans.

[inception]

Posted: 3/9/26 at 3:10pm

quizking101 said: "
I bought them just for the sake of being about to say I spent $100 on Laurie Metcalf’s cans."

If there is any of her DNA on that can you could attempt to clone her.

I'm joking!

 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 3/9/26 at 3:52pm

Runtime just updated to 2:50 on the website and Telecharge.

[JayG 2]

Posted: 3/10/26 at 4:00pm

I saw Dennehy, Dustin and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The P.S.H/Mike Nichols production was breathtaking, heartbreaking and the best in my opinion. My problem, with Dennehy was he was likable. He was a Willy you would want to have a beer with. Big, gregarious man. He would be liked. Dustin was too weasely for my liking. He would annoy everyone. I'm seeing Nathan in April and thought his casting was odd, but I am a great fan of Joe Mantello's work (except for the bloated Wicked - his cash cow.) 

[Skip23]

Posted: 3/10/26 at 11:35pm

It was a workmanly production.  Not much spark (except for Metcalf, but her spark belonged in another play).

Lane is fine, I guess, for Willy, but I like a Willy who we believe was once a "force" and who has now deflated.  Lane is more like a pushy, reedy, bore who a company would be glad to let go. 

Metcalf is playing Mother Courage.  All strong, towering effectiveness.  But why does she put up with Willy who is constantly berating her?  No chemistry between the two - she would tie the plastic tube onto his face.  I like a Linda who's a bit tremulous and acquiescent.  

The two boys are also fine, but Abbott is a charisma-free Biff.  Ahlers is strong as Happy.  But maybe a bit too "happy".  Don't believe he could betray his Dad like that.

The play holds up, even with Mantello's stripped down Direction/Scenic Design.  Just would like a bit more melodrama from the proceedings.