DOG DAY AFTERNOON Previews- Page 3

[willep]

Posted: 3/13/26 at 11:12am

Ah, yeah, the song. Honestly, I felt like Guadalupe was one of the characters that added nothing to the story and felt weird and out of place the entire time, not just with the song.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 3/13/26 at 11:19am

The entire role should be cut immediately lol

[quizking101]

Posted: 3/13/26 at 12:05pm

willep said: "Ah, yeah, the song. Honestly, I felt like Guadalupe was one of the characters that added nothing to the story and felt weird and out of place the entire time, not just with the song."

Agreed. Honestly, jettisoning her entirely would be a very good thing. I feel bad saying that since it’s not her fault that’s she’s given absolutely no substantive material.

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 3/13/26 at 12:50pm

I saw the rehearsal photos and was like "Who has a guitar in a bank?"

[inception]

Posted: 3/13/26 at 12:55pm

I find if I'm going to write something long on my phone, that it is best to draft in the notes app & then copy & paste here

quizking101 said: "I wrote out a whole review about tonight and this craptacular interface erased it after I tried to post it.

More tomorrow, but in a word…WOOF 😳

"

 

[quizking101]

Posted: 3/13/26 at 12:58pm

inception said: "I find if I'm going to write something long on my phone, that it is best to draft in the notes app & then copy & paste here

quizking101 said: "I wrote out a whole review about tonight and this craptacular interface erased it after I tried to post it.

More tomorrow, but in a word…WOOF 😳

"

That’s what I did for my second iteration. Last night, the stream of consciousness was full force and so I didn’t think to do that because I was thinking and writing at a clip.

 

[willep]

Posted: 3/13/26 at 1:15pm

Fordham2015 said: "I saw the rehearsal photos and was like "Who has a guitar in a bank?""

But actually...watching it I wondered where she got a guitar from.

[quizking101]

Posted: 3/13/26 at 4:02pm

I rewatched the film again just now for comparison (It’s free with ads on Tubi) and…yeah, I’m more convinced that doing a stage adaptation of this film/story was more of a botch job than the robbery at the center of it.

The one thing I noticed is that, aside from the claustrophobia and quietly tense air in the bank at all times, there is always the sense of chaos surrounding the situation - that the crime eventually becomes a spectacle for the locals, who interact far more with cheers and anger and the like, Inflaming certain moments in the story try and get the crowd on Sonny’s side, and that was not present at all. Sure, they use the “Attica, Attica” moment (in hindsight, without context), but Pacino’s Sonny is very much a man who partially gets his high off of the crowd making things harder for the cops. Onstage, without a visible crowd (or even sound effects), and an audience that is more likely going to be quiet, Sonny’s attempts to whip the “crowd” into a frenzy in his favor falls horribly flat.

Also, Cazale as Sal had much more of an arc in the movie than onstage. Pacino showboats, but you never forget the quietly looming presence of Cazale. As I mentioned before, Moss-Bachrach unfortunately gets lost in the background more often then not.

[joevitus]

Posted: 3/15/26 at 12:44am

There's a lot of dark humor in the film--which is not not the same as calling it a comedy or claiming that the situation is played for laughs. But given the humor, I'm not surprised the play took up that aspect of it, since the claustrophobic naturalism of the movie--which created much of the tension and anxiety--would be impossible to replicate on a Broadway stage. Sounds like a mishmash in which some talented people get to shine. 

[TheOtherOne2]

Posted: 3/25/26 at 7:57am

I saw it last night so I'm answering a few questions some of you have posted.

Did you enjoy the show overall? Yes, though I'm a big fan of the film and I'm not sure how much  that played into the experience.  Would I have liked it more if I hadn't seen the film?  Did I like it more because I had seen it, and my attachment to the characters stemmed from that?  I'm not entirely sure.

How far does it stray from the movie? Not much at all story-wise.  In terms of tone, much of the first act is played for laughs.  The second act is not.

Any idea what the approximate run time is right now? Under 2 1/2 hours, counting the intermission. 

Does Sonny get the audience to join in on the Attica! Attica! cheer?  Yes indeed.

For anyone who’s seen the show -- is there any gunfire in it? If so, is it just a sound effect, or do you actually see/hear a gun being fired? Yes, no and yes.  The helicopters are louder and the pre-show and intermission music are louder than them.

"Who has a guitar in a bank?"  A good question, and it's satisfactorily answered early in Act One.

As I mentioned before, Moss-Bachrach unfortunately gets lost in the background more often than not.  Not a question, but I'll add that he is one smoldering presence. 

Updated On: 3/25/26 at 07:57 AM

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 3/25/26 at 9:03am

Per Michael Paulson of the NYT, there's drama brewing behind the scenes at the Wilson:

"Stress became so intense that [Guirgis] was prohibited from entering the August Wilson Theater for three days over the last week... The show’s producing team told [him] that he was no longer welcome at rehearsals after tempers flared on Friday between Guirgis and Mark Kaufman."

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/25/theater/dog-day-afternoon-broadway-stephen-adly-guirgis.html

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 3/25/26 at 9:04am

'Dog Day' Drama: Playwright Briefly Left Out of Rehearsals (gift link)

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/25/theater/dog-day-afternoon-broadway-stephen-adly-guirgis.html?unlocked_article_code=1.V1A.n6No.3DkMCkZ2SsZr&smid=url-share

[broadwayfan_7214]

Posted: 3/25/26 at 9:17am

Updated On: 3/25/26 at 09:17 AM

[DaveyG]

Posted: 3/25/26 at 9:47am

broadwayfan_7214 said: "Guirgis and I used to be friendly. A few weeks ago he went on an unhinged, anti-Semitic rant on my page and insulted me and other people in the comments. Cursing, insults, etc. Sorry to hear this issue is bleeding into work too."

He's always been wacky, but it's sad to see him go down this route. 

[massofmen]

Posted: 3/25/26 at 9:58am

Fordham2015 said: "'Dog Day' Drama: Playwright Briefly Left Out of Rehearsals (gift link)

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/25/theater/dog-day-afternoon-broadway-stephen-adly-guirgis.html?unlocked_article_code=1.V1A.n6No.3DkMCkZ2SsZr&smid=url-share"

Very interesting. Think I’m with the producers on this one. They’ve trimmed the running time and dialed back the comedy. Two positives as I see it. Can anyone confirm? Does the performance feel tighter and a bit more tense?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/25/26 at 10:03am

FWIW, I saw the show earlier this week and found it a bit of a slog overall. The set is undeniably impressive, as is the sound design, and Jessica Hecht is doing terrific work, as always. Jon Bernthal shoulders a lot of the evening’s heavy lifting and gives it his all, though he inevitably invites comparisons he can’t quite escape. Ebon Moss-Bachrach is fine, if too understated. On the whole, though, I felt a lack of chemistry among the cast that might have elevated the proceedings - something that may well improve as the run settles in.

My bigger issue is that this story, at its core, doesn’t feel built for the stage - it’s built for the screen. The film is a masterpiece. I had hoped that this promising creative team might take some thoughtful liberties with the source material to justify the translation to theater, but that doesn’t really happen here. Instead, the production leans into a mix of cheap laughs (my audience cracked up at the reveal of Leon and at several homophobic quips that I suspect aren’t meant to land as punchlines) and moments of imitation that feel more like quotation than reinterpretation. When Bernthal pleaded with the audience to shout “Attica!,” I honestly cringed for him.

I know nothing about the intricacies of the conflict between Gurgis and the producers, but the discomfort of committing to a tone was still palpable at the performance I attended. The play never quite seems to know what it wants to be, outside of a regurgitation of the most famous beats from the film.

Ultimately, it left me wishing the production had either committed to a bolder reimagining or trusted the material enough to strip it down and find a new theatrical language for it. As it stands, it feels caught somewhere in the middle - too reverent to the film to stand fully on its own, but unable to recapture what made the original so powerful. There’s certainly talent onstage and behind the scenes, but for me the piece never really comes alive in the way it needs to. 

What do I know, though? The audience ate it up. 

Updated On: 3/26/26 at 10:03 AM

[massofmen]

Posted: 3/25/26 at 10:21am

Thanks for the thoughtful, detailed response. Such a shame to read that about this production. Had high hopes that this would be a gritty, suspenseful, can’t-miss production. Will still see it, but need to dial back my expectations. 

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 3/25/26 at 11:13am

Promised myself I wouldn't spend more than rush on this. Love the film, but the playwright's and the questioned necessity of this production..... so, I nabbed a rush seat for this afternoon, so will curiously travel over to the August Wilson. Great seat too - row L, center orch.

Updated On: 3/25/26 at 11:13 AM

[blug]

Posted: 3/25/26 at 11:32am

DaveyG said: "broadwayfan_7214 said: "Guirgis and I used to be friendly. A few weeks ago he went on an unhinged, anti-Semitic rant on my page and insulted me and other people in the comments. Cursing, insults, etc. Sorry to hear this issue is bleeding into work too."

He's always been wacky, but it's sad to see him go down this route."

Examples of "wacky", please?

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 3/25/26 at 11:32am

Updated On: 3/25/26 at 11:32 AM

[Sauja]

Posted: 3/25/26 at 11:46am

willep said: "Fordham2015 said: "I saw the rehearsal photos and was like "Who has a guitar in a bank?""

But actually...watching it I wondered where she got a guitar from."

Ray Ray came in with the guitar in its case. Sonny opened it, and my sense was that either he expected a weapon OR they were going to use it to carry cash, but the guitar was in there. Which leaves unanswered questions but addresses the mechanics of how the guitar ended up in the bank. :)

[Tom-497]

Posted: 3/25/26 at 12:00pm

I saw last night's show, as well as a very early preview, and they've significantly tightened and improved (the running time is now under 2:15). 

Some specific improvements I noticed (if I recall correctly):

- the FBI agent is more believable, less of a caricature;

- they dialled back the "I'm a good person" motif, which had become very heavy handed by the end of the earlier preview;

- they got rid of the reference to "oligarchs," which didn't, to my ear, fit with the early '70s; but, at the same time, l think they may have added some effective period-specific detail to the anti-billionaire discussion;

- the good cop no longer has to literally say "dog day afternoon";

- the very late in the show song is still there, but it's somewhat better integrated, both in terms of staging and performance; at least to me, it seems like the actor is now intentionally performing it more amateurishly and off-handedly, so it feels less contrived, and more tied to her character and the story.

Unfortunately, the very bad, prolonged security guard gag is still there. If that was a source of disagreement in the production, the wrong side won.

Still, I liked the show this second time around.

[willep]

Posted: 3/25/26 at 2:55pm

Ohhhh, yeah I definitely forgot about that guitar from the beginning. Ray Ray was a part of the show that I tried to block from my memory I think.

Glad to hear they did some work during previews, though. 

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/25/26 at 3:09pm

They could (and should) have easily just cut that entire character.  A perfect example of how the show is moored to the film, even if some of those trappings don't feel necessary onstage. 

Updated On: 3/25/26 at 03:09 PM

[Braniff Forever]

Posted: 3/25/26 at 7:02pm

I agree with you. I’m tired of the no sets black box Jamie Lloyd productions! Bring back sets!