DON'T DRESS FOR DINNER Reviews

[LimelightMike]

Post 'em here!

[egghumor]

From Terry Teachout for The Wall Street Journal:

Were I ever to teach a course in how to stage farce, I'd show a video of the Roundabout Theatre Company's production of "Don't Dress for Dinner" so that my students would know what not to do. Written by Marc Camoletti, the author of "Boeing-Boeing," the seven-door farce mounted to diverting effect by the Roundabout four years ago, "Don't Dress for Dinner" is a comparably complicated comedy about a pair of married philanderers (Adam James and Patricia Kalember), the people with whom they cheat (Jennifer Tilly and Ben Daniels), and a French cook of the utmost avariciousness (Spencer Kayden, who was so good in "Urinetown"). When done well, it's a hoot, but John Tillinger, the director, has made the amateurish mistake of encouraging his actors to troll aggressively for laughs instead of letting the situation generate them. Only Ms. Kayden resists the temptation to overegg the pudding, turning in a poker-faced performance that deserves to be remembered at Tony time. Everybody else, especially Mr. James, carries on like Cary Grant in "Arsenic and Old Lace," which is the quickest possible way to kill a farce stone dead.

[tazber]

Ouch.

I find that Treachout gives great reviews to regional theater productions almost every week, but rare is the NY show that he likes.

I'm not saying his criticisms are wrong, but I wonder if some of these local productions he loves transferred to Bway if he would still rave.

[egghumor]

Interesting observation, tazber. I'll start paying more attention to Mr. Teachout. If his reviews of DON'T DRESS FOR DINNER and LEAP OF FAITH are indicative (and they probably are) then this season ends with a very loud thud!

[srg129]

Funny didn't After Eight say just a few days ago that the WSJ is one of the only "decent" reviewers out there...quite ironic...lol

http://broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.php?thread=1044290&boardid=0&page=2#ixzz1tBs6hHUR

[After Eight]

^

Decent doesn't mean infallible.

He's the best of a bad lot.

[srg129]

Backstage is negative:

http://www.backstage.com/bso/reviews-ny-theatre-broadway/ny-review-don-t-dress-for-dinner-1006895352.story

[egghumor]

The promotional video clip of the show is indeed, cringe-worthy.

[srg129]

Time Out New York is negative:

http://www.timeout.com/newyork/comedy/dont-dress-for-dinner

[srg129]

The AP is negative:

http://www.greenwichtime.com/entertainment/article/Review-Don-t-Dress-for-Dinner-is-limp-farce-3513789.php

[srg129]

The Hollywood Reporter is mixed:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/dont-dress-dinner-theater-review-316689

[srg129]

Entertainment Weekly is mixed-to-positive: (Grade B)

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20364394_20589973,00.html

[srg129]

Variety is positive:

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117947452

[srg129]

Newsday is negative: (With a good review of Spencer Kayden)

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/theater/don-t-dress-for-dinner-a-low-farce-1.3681950

[srg129]

The NY Times (Isherwood) is negative: (Likes Kayden Spencer though)

http://theater.nytimes.com/2012/04/27/theater/reviews/dont-dress-for-dinner-at-american-airlines-theater.html

[srg129]

NY Mag (Vulture) is very negative:

http://www.vulture.com/2012/04/dont-bother-with-dont-dress-for-dinner.html

[srg129]

Theatermania is positive:

http://www.theatermania.com/broadway/reviews/04-2012/dont-dress-for-dinner_54049.html

[chanel]

Villagevoice.com

The show "will surely be regarded as Guvnor's bastard child, but it's a guiltily pleasurable sex farce that can be idiotically funny."

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/dailymusto/2012/04/dont_dress_for.php

[TulitaPepsi]

Delighted for Kayden. She's the only aspect of the show that all the critics love.

[dramamama611]

(Tulita -- long time no see!)


I seemed to enjoy the show MORE than the critics, but I don't disagree with them. They seem to get it right about two shows tonight - even if more harsh than my own thoughts.

And I couldn't agree more about Kayden -- she was delightful.

[egghumor]

I feel bad for Ben Daniels who was (I thought) superb in his previous Broadway appearance, but from the video clip and the lack of any praise from the critics, this seems to have become such an unfortunate follow-up outing for him. Looking forward to seeing his next New York stage venture...

[SondheimFan5]

Good to see Kayden is back with raves! It certainly took long enough, her performance was so brilliant in the original Urinetown.

[themysteriousgrowl]

After Eight is positive with delightfully oblivious hypocrisy and reverse-elitism.

What a refreshing, therapeutic change from the miserable whiners and sewer-mouthed cruds we enounter on our stages today.

Pedants, snots and party poops would do best to avoid it.

[Patash]

When I saw this show in London a number of years ago, I was wowed. It was one of the funniest, best done farces ever! Since then I've seen a regional theatre production and a community theatre production of the play and both also wowed me. I almost thought this was a hard-to-miss. All it takes is a director who really understands farce, and some talented actors who know how to deliver. Apparently one or both of those elements is dramatically missing from this production.

As a side note, I find Don't Dress for Dinner a much better written play with better jokes than Boeing, Boeing. Just goes to show what brilliant acting and a good director can do with an inferior script.

[henrikegerman]

Patash, the Times also said that the play is much better constructed than Boeing, at least arguably. And reading of the plot I can see why. Warchus and Rylance (and, when I saw it, the outlandishly funny Missy Pyle; I'll never forget her and Rylance squabbling about Aix - AIIIIIIIIIXXXXX!) miraculously made Boeing a master class in how to turn a sow's ear (at least one of fairly good pedigree) into a silk purse.

[Mister Matt]

I'm pretty surprised by the reviews. I thought the show was great fun in Chicago and assumed Spencer would walk away with a Tony.