DEATH OF A SALESMAN 2026 Reviews

carolinaguy said: "So many reviews are specifically lionizing the direction. Wonder if Mantello is on the way to his third Tony."

I think so.

DTLI Consensus: Perhaps one of the most moving Salesman stagings you’ll ever see.

13 positive (including the NYT), 2 negative, 1 mixed.

https://didtheylikeit.com/shows/death-of-a-salesman-3/

 

The main takeaway of the reviews I have scanned thus far is universal praise for Laurie Metcalf, even from the few critics who didn’t care for the revival. (I don’t have a New York subscription so only have a summary of Sara Holdren’s review.)

Joe Mantello’s direction gets a lot of praise, although Helen Shaw says his choices leave no question about Willy’s fate from the start, which she sees as a flaw - or at least a tradeoff - in an otherwise positive review.

The cast as a whole gets their flowers. Nathan Lane has to contend with the ghosts of Willy Lomans past as well as his own reputation as a Broadway performer, which in several reviews seems to undermine what I thought was an impressive and moving acting achievement. 

 

Updated On: 4/10/26 at 12:43 AM

Shaw is taking advantage of the New York Times archives, which features two raves about the original production by Brooks Atkinson within a few days, as well as a piece by Miller which isn’t technically about Death of a Salesman but about what makes a good tragedy and why it shouldn’t be limited to kings and gods.

This is a smart choice, especially when evaluating a revival and the different directorial choices made by Joe Mantello.

Ensemble1728379893 said: "

Joe Mantello’s direction gets a lot of praise, although Helen Shaw says his choices leave no question about Willy’s fate from the start, which she sees as a flaw - or at least a tradeoff- in an otherwise positive review."

The title of the play is "Death of a Salesman""

 

Which she specifically addresses in the review by quoting Miller himself:

"But in his essay, Miller is clear that Willy’s defeat must not be a foregone conclusion. Whatever the title might tell you about the outcome, “the possibility of victory must be there in tragedy,” Miller wrote. We should believe the guy can make it, every time."

With these reviews and word of mouth, Metcalf will win in either category they place her in. 

86 on Broadway Scorecard, critical gold. 

“Lane electrifies in Mantello's stark, stripped-down revival that finds fresh urgency in Miller's classic, though some critics find the stylized approach emotionally distancing. Metcalf's Linda earns particular praise.”

https://broadwayscorecard.com/show/death-of-a-salesman

There was much discussion in the previews thread about the time this revival is set in (crucially, while the last few revivals specified the 1940s in the Playbill, this one does not). I liked this bit in Holdren's review:

https://www.vulture.com/article/theater-review-lane-metcalf-death-of-a-salesman.html

"The dirt scattered across Mantello’s stage is both garden and grave: It’s Willy’s tiny plot of land, where he’s hoped to grow carrots and peas and big, heroic American men, and where he’ll end up being buried. Atop it sits another super-significant object, one that’s even on the posters outside — the salesman’s car, symbol of mobility, forward and upward. The vehicle blinds us with its headlights as it pulls slowly into the playing space, and its shrouded interior allows for the appearance and disappearance of actors as if in a magician’s puff of smoke. Crucially, it’s not the Studebaker Willy really drives in his late middle age, but the red Chevy he used to own, a dream car for a dream play. At least, that’s the implication — maybe, as this deep dive points out, it’s a Ford, seemingly from the ’60s, not the ’40s, but such anachronism feels in keeping with the production’s slippery approach to time: Willy’s odious boss Howard, played with toxic smarm by John Drea, looks like a contemporary tech bro. He’s a messenger from a future of maximized efficiency and shareholder value, complete with thermal vest and Starbucks-style to-go cup."

CarlosAlberto said: "I'm with Chris Peterson"

 

Cool -- and once again Peterson shows us all what a sanctimonious blowhard he is.

I do have a right to voice my opinion on a public internet forum - and I did. Sorry, not sorry you're triggered. 

east side story said: "I wondered how long it would take before someone said the “T” word, which is more applicable to the folks bemoaning Rudin’s continued success. Have a great weekend, though!"

You've spent today mocking people in two different threads for having principles. Who knew that not wanting one's money to support a bad person was worthy of such derision? Or is it simply the fact that they're saying so?