OTHELLO Reviews- Page 2

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 3/24/25 at 2:20am

Had been trying to find this one earlier.

Daily Beast

Denzel Washington’s ‘Othello’ on Broadway Isn’t Worth Its $900 Ticket Prices

MAJOR LETDOWN

After all the blaring headlines around “Othello” on Broadway—Denzel! Jake! Tickets near a thousand dollars!—how strange that the production itself is so lacking in execution.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/othello-on-broadway-denzel-washington-and-jake-gyllenhaals-tragic-misfire/

"Instead of insightful interpretation—or even the pleasure of watching the dual and dueling star power of Washington and Gyllenhaal up close on stage—this is a bizarrely underpowered production that rarely rises to compelling drama. When it does it’s thanks to Gyllenhaal, and co-stars Kimber Elayne Sprawl (as Emelia, Iago’s wife) and Andrew Burnap (Cassio, Othello’s lieutenant)."

...

"Like much in this production, the presentation of the final scene feels rushed and ill-conceived. This is not a terrible production of Othello, but even a workmanlike rendering of a classic Shakespearean play needs a blueprint for itself, a setting that makes sense, a distinctive reason to be—and a cast collectively making coherent sense of its conception. The real tragedy of this Othello may be reserved for those who spend a thousand dollars to see it."
 

Updated On: 3/24/25 at 02:20 AM

[steven22]

Posted: 3/24/25 at 9:37am

Trying to decide whether or not to sell my tickets for next Saturday….

[Wick3]

Posted: 3/24/25 at 10:17am

I noticed ticket prices for orchestra center in May decreased to $421. Still expensive. Looks like the production got a healthy advance so I think this production will still recoup despite the reviews.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/24/25 at 10:19am

Wouldn’t it be nice if these reviews made producers stop and think “Maybe if we’re going to change Broadway forever, making a lot of it totally inaccessible to a huge portion of theater-goers by gauging them on prices now, perhaps we could also make sure what we’re charging a months rent for is…good?” 

Won’t happen, but wouldn’t it be nice?

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 3/24/25 at 10:28am

The producers are, unfortunately, too busy diving into their advance ticket sales money like Scrooge McDuck

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 3/24/25 at 10:31am

Jordan Catalano said: "Wouldn’t it be nice if these reviews made producers stop and think “Maybe if we’re going to change Broadway forever, making a lot of it totally inaccessible to a huge portion of theater-goers by gauging them on prices now, perhaps we could also make sure what we’re charging a months rent for is…good?”

Won’t happen, but wouldn’t it be nice?"

Unpopular opinion here, but its hard for me to blame the producers that the production isnt all that good. They hired two of the best and most popular movie stars in the world, stacked the cast with Broadway excellence (Burnap, Sprawl), and most importantly, handed it all over to Kenny Leon. Once they did all that, its hard to see them (a) expecting anything other than quality work (which it seems they did not get), let alone (b) get involved in the actual rehearsal enough to course-correct.

What we CAN blame producers for, and what I wish the Bway community demanded of them, is forcing them to enable access to theater for less than $$$$/ticket. Seems they could rush/lottery/set aside a chunk of seats on the margins/rear for $100/pop and still make the millions they are going to make anyway.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/24/25 at 10:40am

I don’t think it’s an unpopular opinion at all, Piccolo. It’s a nuanced discussion with a lot of issues that I just want rolled up into one in what I said. But this season seems to maybe be breaking through into the mainstream discussion of “these prices are wrong”. And of course there’s a lot of people still celebrating the weekly grosses that a certain show grossed 3 million dollars because tickets are priced so high and isn’t that great for Broadway? Again - a larger discussion with a lot of pieces and arguments (both ways). I

’ll just say I’m glad the reviews singled out a certain actor from this production that deserves the reviews he almost uniformly received last night. That actor will remain nameless of course because I’d hate to show any sort of favoritism, that’s not something I’d EVER do. 

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 3/24/25 at 10:44am

I think it’s a combination of things. Hiring talented people (Washington, Gyllenhaal, and Leon—I am one of the few on this board who has enjoyed his work in the past), doesn’t mean much if you’re not starting from the right place.

 

I have not yet seen this show and likely will not get to (I still would like to in spite of bad reviews, but not for the prices offered), but everything I’ve seen/read/heard about this show feels not like an inspired moment front a producer of realizing this particular play and these particular set of stars with this director would have some sort of unique synergy to make a piece of art that feels timely and relevant AND makes money.

 

Instead, it feels a bit like they brainstormed some famous people to reach out to, got Denzel on board and then shoehorned in the rest. Let’s do a play with Denzel—which one? Who knows? Othello’s relevant now because of race stuff right? Maybe that. Who’s a director we know who might deal with that stuff? Kenny Leon. Do we have any specific concept or ideas about why we’re doing this play? No, but we’ll figure it out, this already seems like too good of an idea to not try and make it work. 

 

There are big stars who do great work on stage because it comes from an inspired place, and then there’s picking those stars to do something without any degree of specificity as to why this and why now, and I can’t help but feel that THAT is indeed the producer’s fault,

 

And still, they will have the last laugh. Why put effort or thought into it beyond that when you’re making money anyway?

[Kad]

Posted: 3/24/25 at 11:05am

Washington's Broadway projects have essentially just been ticking off the Great Roles of the Canon you'd expect an actor of his stature to play, so of course he'd play Othello.

[Bwaygurl2]

Posted: 3/24/25 at 11:10am

The Iceman Cometh, Othello, and Lear are the bucket list roles for Washington. He's crossed off the first two. Rudin had planned to produce a Lear for him (film or stage); we'll see if he gets around to that one. 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 3/24/25 at 11:39am

Jordan Catalano said: "’ll just say I’m glad the reviews singled out a certain actor from this production that deserves the reviews he almost uniformly received last night. That actor will remain nameless of coursebecause I’d hate to show any sort of favoritism, that’s not something I’d EVER do."

Yes, we all knew those Andrew Burnap notices would mean a lot to you.

"the tremendous Burnap, who brings pathos and magnetism to the caddish Cassio" - USA Today

"very fine work by Andrew Burnap" - Hollywood Reporter

"Andrew Burnap as Cassio and Anthony Michael Lopez as Roderigo, both of whom are excellent" - The Wrap

"As Cassio, the handsome lieutenant that Othello has promoted above Iago, Andrew Burnap makes the most solid effort to put something behind the words" - Vulture

"Andrew Burnap (a Tony winner for “The Inheritance”) gives one of the evening’s best performances, revealing Cassio’s natural nobility of spirit and loyalty." - WSJ

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 3/24/25 at 2:59pm

Once again, Sara Holdren has managed to perfectly articulate all of the scattershot thoughts in my brain. 

"....Leon seems unsure of what to do with his actors besides have them walk straight downstage-center and stand next to each other to conduct a scene. Eye contact is in bizarrely low supply; even more scarce is any sense of urgency or enthusiasm."

[MezzA101]

Posted: 3/24/25 at 5:12pm

'Othello' Director, Denzel Washington Are Discussing a Film Adaptation

 

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/arts/othello-director-denzel-washington-talk-potential-film-1236170912/

[MezzA101]

Posted: 3/24/25 at 5:14pm

Jamie Lee Curtis Calls Godson Jake Gyllenhaal 'Breathtaking' on Broadway

 

https://people.com/jamie-lee-curtis-says-godson-jake-gyllenhaal-is-breathtaking-in-othello-broadway-11702069

[MezzA101]

Posted: 3/24/25 at 5:22pm

So, Is Othello Worth Nearly a Thousand Bucks a Ticket? | Vanity Fair

By Richard Kawson

https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/story/othello-broadway-review

Strangely, director Kenny Leon seems mostly unaware of, or unconcerned about, all that expectation. He directs this Othello with a lackadaisical straightforwardness, telling the story of a Venetian general’s descent into murderous jealousy with a casual shrug of the shoulders. The sets, by Derek McLane, are the stuff of well-funded college theater: moving columns painted to look like stone, a center platform that occasionally rises up from the stage to table or bed height, a stray bench or chair here and there. Until the second half demands more moodiness, Natasha Katz’s lighting is bright and flat. Leon has his actors stand around onstage in basic triangles; it’s rare that anyone sits or otherwise creates different levels.

There’s little stage picture to soak up here, not much mind paid to spectacle, or, really, any kind of visual grace at all. And yet, Leon isn’t exactly doing the kind of fancy minimalism so frequently favored in classical revivals these days. His production—perfunctorily set in “the near future”—is instead caught in a no-man’s-land of idealessness, a lack of perspective and insight that is echoed by a rote interpretation of the text. This is not an Othello that is trying to unearth some new facet of an endlessly studied work; it is not making any noticeable political allusions or turning long-held assumptions on their head. It’s just Othello, done with the wooden competence of a read-through.

It seems that Leon is relying on his two leads to bring the fire—to give this pricey production some purpose. Indeed, it is a thrill to see Washington first stride onto the stage, bringing with him a sense of almost royal occasion. If Washington is, at 70, perhaps a bit less steady on his feet than he used to be, his innate star presence is nonetheless intact. But, much like he did in Joel Coen’s film The Tragedy of Macbeth, Washington here chooses to play things at a simmer so low it’s barely perceptible. As the story darkens, with Othello becoming increasingly convinced that his wife Desdemona (a bland Molly Osborne) has been unfaithful to him, some more oomph is required. We ought to feel the mounting rage and anguish that will carry us to the play’s brutal, bloody climax. In these tortured moments, though, Washington gets lost in the words, his line readings so idiosyncratically syncopated that they strain legibility. It’s an odd take on the character—or, perhaps, no kind of take at all.

It’s perhaps a bleak irony that Gyllenhaal, as the master of lies pouring poison into Othello’s ear, registers so much more potently. He finds a credible human being in all of Iago’s grim and calculating poetry, making Shakespearean dialogue lucid and almost contemporary. Gyllenhaal plays the canon’s most enduring villain as an embittered pretty boy with a nice wristwatch (the subtlest and best touch in Dede Ayite’s simple costume design), the kind of sociable, put-together guy whose smart presentation masks a YouTube history of videos about the longhouse and benevolent fascism. He’s slimy and scary and the most vivid aspect of the whole production.

 

I suppose it’s not too hard to make Iago pop; he’s the bigger character, after all, and a well written villain role does a lot of the work for an actor. Washington’s task was trickier and came loaded with the burdens of expectation and cultural context. If only Leon had worked with Washington to really suss out a specific, compelling Othello, rather than letting the actor noodle around in his bag of tricks and figuring that was enough. This Othello will ride its pedigree into profitability, no doubt. But I’d guess that it otherwise won’t be spoken about much in the years to come. The production may mostly be remembered for how expensive it was to see. Meanwhile, you could fly to the real Venice next month for just over $1,000—and you won’t have to put your phone in a neoprene pouch for the duration of your trip.

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 3/24/25 at 5:34pm

$49 student rush launches tomorrow.

[MezzA101]

Posted: 3/25/25 at 6:00am

Visiting Jake Gyllenhaal in His Othello Dressing Room

 

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/inside-jake-gyllenhaals-atmospheric-othello-dressing-room

[dramamama611]

Posted: 3/25/25 at 8:24am

The reviews are spot on; I  liked it, but didn't love it. Gyllenhaal made my "reasonably"  priced ticket well worth it. (Under $200)

 

I play around with a numerical version of reviews based on Did They Like It ratings (I'm retired now, so I do useless stuff.) Hard to believe that Romeo +Juliet actually fared better than Othello, another show that financially succeeded strictly due to star power (albeit not as strong as the stars in Othello.) At least in Othello, they were numerous actors who understood what they were saying. Both shows let down by their directors' concepts, too. 

[KevinKlawitter]

Posted: 3/25/25 at 12:20pm

Kenny Leon confirms he and Denzel are discussing a film adaptation of Othello; hope Jake Gyllenhaal reprises the role of Iago

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 3/25/25 at 7:37pm

''Seems they could rush/lottery/set aside a chunk of seats on the margins/rear for $100/pop and still make the millions they are going to make anyway.''

Call me a cynic, but if ''Othello'' did that, scalpers still would find a way to gobble up those tickets and resell them for $$$$. ... Meantime, on the heels of yesterday's news that ''Othello'' now offers $49 student rush, comes the news that the show's partnerships with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the New York City Department of Education will bring 2,000 local students to see the Broadway show.

[BroadwayBen]

Posted: 3/27/25 at 1:41pm

Seems like a pretty mean thing to do to school kids...And some sort of cover for the gross prices...."Look Over Here..." 

[gibsons2]

Posted: 3/27/25 at 1:57pm

BroadwayBen said: "Seems like a pretty mean thing to do to school kids...And some sort of cover for the gross prices...."Look Over Here...""

Some of you can never be pleased. Othello breaks the record for the weekly gross by a play - disgusting! $49 lottery and student rush tickets - poor school kids. Are you ok?

 

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 3/27/25 at 3:36pm

BroadwayBen said: "Seems like a pretty mean thing to do to school kids...And some sort of cover for the gross prices...."Look Over Here...""

Why would that be a mean thing to do?  Regardless of reviews I think some of them would be quite excited about seeing two movie stars on stage for free.  Sure it might be cloud cover for the extreme ticket prices, but at least they're doing something with the excess of cash they have rolling in.

[MezzA101]

Posted: 3/28/25 at 10:56am

An Overpriced “Othello” Goes Splat on Broadway

 

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/04/07/othello-theatre-review-broadway

[gibsons2]

Posted: 3/28/25 at 11:10am

MezzA101 said: "An Overpriced “Othello” Goes Splat on Broadway



https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/04/07/othello-theatre-review-broadway"

Wow, another worthless opinion nobody asked for. The play is sold out because people were willing to pay the price.

Still waiting for similar fake outrage articles on Good Night and Good Luck and Glengarry and their ticket prices.

Updated On: 3/28/25 at 11:10 AM