MCNEAL Reviews

9P embargo lift…

Updated On: 9/30/24 at 04:20 PM

Variety is negative

Deadline is mixed positive, particularly for Robert Downey, Jr

C+ from EW

The Wrap is negative on the play, positive on Downey

Updated On: 9/30/24 at 09:10 PM

blaxx said: "These are terrible, if not a bloodbath."

Which is irrelevant because the run is almost entirely sold out.

I really hope this doesn’t dissuade Downey from doing another show at some point.

DTLI Consensus: Ironic as it seems, Robert Downey Jr. makes his Broadway debut in a play mostly devoid of heart — and real drama.

7 negative (including the NYT), 5 mixed, 1 positive.

https://didtheylikeit.com/shows/mcneal/

blaxx said: "gibsons2 said: "blaxx said: "These are terrible, if not a bloodbath."

Which is irrelevant because the run is almost entirely sold out."

The show being awful is irrelevant because it is sold out? OK."

I didn't think it was awful. Those few critics and their opinions don't matter because the audience will be there no matter what.

Falsettolands said: "gibsons2 said: "blaxx said: "gibsons2 said: "blaxx said: "These are terrible, if not a bloodbath."

Which is irrelevant because the run is almost entirely sold out."

The show being awful is irrelevant because it is sold out? OK."

I didn't think it was awful. Those few critics and their opinions don't matter because the audience will be there no matter what."

That's not really the goal or point of theatrical criticism. A sold out run does not invalidate the insightful and honest experiences of dozens of industry professionals. Of course their opinions matter: plays close, their reviews live on the internet for eternity."

Well we usually equate a show's success (whether or not it was a hit) with whether it recouped, and this one sure seems to be on the track to do so regardless of reviews.

I can't tell if you're being purposely obtuse or not. I'm not saying reviews don't matter or that critics should review a show based on how much money it'll make. I read gibsons2's comment as saying reviews were irrelevant to the producers who are certainly making a pretty penny off the show, or to the audience who just want to see RDJ no matter what. Of course reviews can still matter to people who wish to discuss the actual quality of the play being presented but that's a different topic of conversation.

NYT: Robert Downey Jr. Is a Novelist With a Novel Muse



https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/30/theater/mcneal-review-ai-robert-downey-jr.html?unlocked_article_code=1.O04.QuIw.xc_fmhQP0kwj

Is stubhub the best place to resell? Trying to decide whether to dump my November member ticket & see something better? Do they email the tickets a week ahead? But what might be better that I'm not already seeing? My other options haven't started previews & I would just be going off of out of town reports: Wonderful World, Swept Away, Death Becomes Her, Maybe Happy Ending, or We Live in Cairo of-bwy. Even if I keep my McNeal ticket, I still have time during my visit to see one of those 5 choices. I bought the McNeal ticket for the novelty if seeing RDj, but if the play stinks I don't want to waste my time.

I'm intrigued by the shortcomings of the play, in particular its weakness as a piece of satisfying theatrical storytelling, independent of its topicality, which admittedly serves the cultural moment. I'm a big admirer of Disgraced, the Pulitzer winner that put this playwright on the map. Yet its brilliance - its central character daringly conceived and shaped as counterpoint in a post-9/11 world - is almost independent its plot machinery. Which is contrived and doesn't bear close scrutiny: the major turn in the story is the result of two unlikely actions, partners of different couples abruptly leaving a dinner party to buy champagne - to allow the other two character to have an intimate scene about their covert relationship - and then the partners' return, a convenient walk-in on a perfectly timed kiss. The subsequent violent behavior that ensues is so genuinely powerful we almost forget the level of contrivance - which is both the stuff of soap opera and implausible on this particular night and in this setting. Reading this new play's reviews - many of which find the plot strained and unbelievable - I can't help but remember Disgraced and how the disturbing and well-articulated portrait of its deeply troubled protagonist glossed over its manipulated story elements. Akhtar's gifts are considerable, but it's ever true that sleight of hand in plotting is required to sell even the most relevant sociopolitical issues.

Yes, reviews do ultimately matter especially for a production at a nonprofit theater. I am sure that LCT would prefer a sold out show to empty seats, especially as it is going through a difficult time. But LCT has other cultural pressures it has to respond to over the long run and they can’t afford a reputation as a nonprofit that consistently presents stars in mediocre new plays and productions.

I liked the play more than most but I agree it is not a good or strong one. But it did hold my interest and I enjoyed its thematic twists and turns.

Updated On: 10/1/24 at 12:04 PM