ECLIPSED Reviews

Limelight Mike seems to be out tonight, so I shall be taking over.

Tonight is the opening night of the Broadway production of Danai Gurira's Eclipsed starring Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o and directed by Liesl Tommy!

Post the reviews right here!

Looks like we have another contender for Best Play...

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Review-Roundup-Lupita-Nyongo-Led-ECLIPSED-Opens-on-Broadway-UPDATING-LIVE-20160306

Is there a rush or lottery?

Who for supporting?

Personally I think Armand and Sengbloh have the best chance out of the supporting women (I saw Sengbloh's replacement at the Public, so I'm just going based off of the role itself). I think their biggest competition now is probably the Noises Off ladies, Megan Hilty in particular, if I had to wager a guess.

Updated On: 3/7/16 at 10:57 AM

I'd think Ardmand (#3) for the "flashier" role, but Sengbloh (#1) had a more moving arc.

The Hilty role has always been nominated (and with one win)--so that would appear to be a "lock"

^ If my memory serves me correctly, there are some gunshots in the show, but they are not super startling by any means.

Via @ReviewEquations:

{ [ Moving Production +( Warlords of BookOfMormon) - Missionaries ] x 68% Ruined - Musical } + Bill Clinton = Eclipsed 4 TONY

I saw Eclipsed on Tuesday night and really loved it. I was riveted throughout and moved to tears in the second act. Ms. Nyong'o is making quite a splash in her Broadway debut - I thought her performance was stellar and I'd expect to see her in the thick of the lead actress Tony race. I couldn't believe how young she looked - much different from the show artwork and from her Lancome ad on the back of the Playbill.



Personally I found Ms. Sengbloh's performance as #1 to be the most powerul of the supporting actresses and I also think she'll be in the Tony picture.



I sat in the second row which is always a little too close for my taste, but here I was thrilled to be able to see so much detail! They often play close to the edge of the stage and I was just feet away from the actresses at times. You could see the tiny details in the set, the "sweat" on the actresses, and their very real tears. In a play with this heavy drama, I recommend the close seats.



Though the actresses have been in the roles for a while, through The Public and Broadway previews, you can tell they are still moved by the work every night. The last scene is very emotional but all of them still had very real tears in their eyes and real emotion on their faces through the curtain call. It was amazing to see the impact the story and experience of telling it has on them.

I saw this tonight and really don't get all the hype. The performances are incredible - with Lupita being the weakest - but the actual script I didn't find it all that interesting or involving. Wife #1/#3 were the best. The staging was fine, but parts felt a little forced.

Lupita just has such a shrill voice, and I just felt like I was watching someone "act" as opposed to the others who just felt like full-formed people.

Saw this tonight and was really moved by it. No, the writing isn't spectacular- the play is somewhat unfocused and felt a little overly long- but it's powerful stuff, alternately gripping and incredibly sad. It's a topic that I honestly wasn't too aware of beforehand, and I'm glad that the issues at stake in this play are getting such a prominent platform on Broadway. Plus, after curtain call, the actors ask for quiet and talk about the schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram last year and have the audience invoke the names of two of the girls taken. Given that a major theme of the play is the power of names, it was a really effective way to end the night.

The acting on display is really stunning. I was surprised to see Lupita Nyong'o's role characterized as a Leading Role, as the focus is pretty equally on all of the women. Still, she's very good, especially in the second act. All of the women are really excellent- Pascale Armand (who I loved last year in An Octoroon), Zainab Jah, and Akosua Busia- but for my money, Saycon Sengbloh walks away with the show. Her arc as Wife #1 is absolutely heartbreaking, and she plays it perfectly.

All the other elements of the production are also very well done- I was especially impressed with Jen Schriever's lighting design. Liesl Tommy also did great work with her direction. Sadly, the house (or at least the mezz) was pretty empty tonight. It's heavy stuff, but it should really be seen, and I encourage people to go soon, especially since the run ends the week after the Tonys. Plus, in a year where diversity on Broadway has been a big talking point, it's fantastic that this play came to Broadway written and directed by and starring women of color.