Review Roundup: AN ACT OF GOD Opens on Broadway - All the Reviews!

The new Broadway comedy An Act of God, starring Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Jim Parsons, began performances on May 7 and officially opens tonight, May 28, 2015 at Studio 54 (254 West 54th Street).

Joining Parsons will be two-time Tony Award nominee Christopher Fitzgerald (Finian's Rainbow, Young Frankenstein) as "Michael" and Tim Kazurinsky ("SNL", Police Academy) as "Gabriel". An Act of God is written by God, transcribed by 13-time Emmy Award winner David Javerbaum and directed by Tony Award winner Joe Mantello.

The King of the Universe is tackling His greatest challenge yet: Broadway. This spring, God takes the form of four-time Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Jim Parsons in An Act of God, a 90-minute comedy where the Almighty and His devoted Angels answer some of the deepest questions that have plagued mankind since Creation. He's finally arrived to set the record straight... and He's not holding back!

Let's see what the critics had to say...

Charles Ishwerood, The New York Times: How funny is the guy? He's Jon Stewart funny, plus Stephen Colbert funny. (Mr. Javerbaum has written for both.) More obviously, it might be said that Mr. Parsons as Mr. Javerbaum's tell-it-like-it-is God is, yes, divinely funny...Verily I could quote every other line from Mr. Javerbaum's annotation of the Scriptures and gather a chuckle, so deliriously funny is he as a sort of amateur theologian and stand-up comedy genius rolled into one...With his sly smile and his sparkly eyes, [Parsons] delivers the zingers with an easy grace, giving a nice silky consistency to shtick that, in more aggressive hands, might grow oppressive. He handles the pseudo-biblical language as if it comes as naturally to him as the nerd-speak he spouts on television, looking down upon us with an air of benevolent affection, like a really caring therapist, but one who prefers to talk about himself.

Mark Kennedy, Associated Press: Summer on Broadway is when the weakest of authors somehow find a home. This year, it's apparently God. The play, with one strange song at the end, is a chance for the Almighty to set the record straight - like that he doesn't hate gays and he can't help anyone sing better - and update his 10 Commandments...Javerbaum is obviously pretty good at droll, bite-sized humor. No so much with a 90-minute play. This one seems more like a lounge act cooked up by someone who thinks his Facebook updates are totally hilarious...Parsons...is game playing a sort of overworked divine bystander with anger management issues, forever exasperated at humans and their endless stupidity...One bright spot is Fitzgerald as the Angel Gabriel, who peppers God with questions about heavenly inconsistencies and the nature of evil. Their tension is really the only thing that keeps this lame thing even slightly going. It truly needs divine intervention.

Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter: Jim Parsons would not be the first person to come to mind for the role of God. But the actor proves a surprisingly authoritative Supreme Being in David Javerbaum's hilarious comedy An Act of God...The script by Javerbaum...is both outrageously irreverent and deeply thoughtful in its exploration of religious issues. The Book of Mormon seems almost restrained by comparison...Although Kazurinsky and Fitzgerald provide terrific deadpan comic support, this is essentially a one-person show, and Parsons runs with it. Displaying the expert comic timing and delivery that's won him numerous television awards, the actor here delivers a tour-de-force turn in which he fully commands the stage for 90 minutes...Being a comedy sketch stretched out to feature length, An Act of God inevitably has its longueurs. But there's no denying that this wickedly clever evening is both thought-provoking and anarchic fun.

Marilyn Stasio, Variety: Scott Pask's celestial set, which consists of a white stairway leading up to what looks like the inside of a big blue egg cup, doesn't have much to say for itself, and Hugh Vanstone's lighting design is your basic white-on-white. The real source of light here is Parsons, who was most recently on Broadway in "Harvey" and seems to genuinely enjoy doing stage work, God bless him. The sheer absurdity of the situation makes the offbeat humor tailor-made for Parsons, a master of the deadpan stare and droll comic delivery...Javerbaum undeniably knows his territory. But he doesn't strike his true vein of gold here until he allows the Lord God to introduce His all-new-and-vastly-improved Ten Commandments...Parsons is such a personable performer that he can hold the floor pretty much on his own, dazzling us with his chatty charm.

David Cote, Time Out NY: There aren't many lies you can tell about God that organized religion hasn't told already: He is loving; He rewards the faithful; He is a He; and the biggest crock of all -- that He exists. And yet comedy writer David Javerbaum...finds new ways to make the Supreme Being his sock puppet in An Act of God, this summer's blithely blasphemous occupant at Studio 54. In this divine visitation from the Unmoved Mover, the always charming Jim Parsons will make a disbeliever out of you...Still, Javerbaum's radical rewrite of the Ten Commandments-the evening is structured around God's introduction of revised laws -- is clever and even refreshingly positive, insisting on the separation of church and state and encouraging us to believe in ourselves, not some elderly white guy in the sky.

Linda Winer, Newsday: If you're going to cast the embodiment of the Almighty, the King of the Universe, the Alpha and Omega, the Omniscient and the Omnipotent, it makes awfully good -- really, quite heavenly -- sense to go with Jim Parsons...those not amused by light-fingered, big-hearted blasphemy may assume they will not be amused by the 90-minute summertime entertainment that officially kicked off the new Broadway season...Basically, God is on Broadway to rewrite at least some of the Ten Commandments, which now include "Thou shalt not tell others whom to fornicate." Nobody is too holy to avoid the occasional easy target...But the material -- some framed as questions from the audience -- takes on a satisfying number of Big Issues, including a brilliantly skewed explanation of evolution. Parsons...has been delightfully directed by Joe Mantello...Although the performance requires a hellish amount of memorization, Parsons appears to be making all this "godding" up with his usual Texas drawl and his disarming, crooked smile.

Elysa Gardner, USA Today: ...Javerbaum's satire can become rather too obvious. There are digs at Justin Bieber, Sarah Palin and the Kardashian clan. Act's title character is also problematic; Javerbaum's God is a comic tyrant, albeit one who can wax earnest and tender, and who ultimately advocates humanism. The tonal shifts are, if not earth-shattering, certainly jarring. Parsons and director Joe Mantello emerge as the show's saving graces. An affable actor and wry, nimble comedian, Parsons manages to deliver even Javerbaum's snarkier and more self-righteous lines with minimal smugness. Under Mantello's witty, playful direction, he establishes an easy, knowing rapport with the audience -- and with Christopher Fitzgerald and Saturday Night Live alumnus Tim Kazurinsky, who respectively play Michael and the meeker Gabriel. Javerbaum provides some genuinely funny and incisive lines...Here, as in the best moments of An Act of God, the joke is at least partly on us.

Robert Kahn, NBC New York: "An Act of God" is a 90-minute diversion, as often amusing as it is trifling...Parsons's God is like Sheldon Cooper after a few double espressos -- snide and sarcastic, and now with the power to turn you into a pillar of salt...If you follow Javerbaum's Twitter account...The material here is uniformly in keeping with that vibe. Parsons nails the material when it's fresh (a Holocaust one-liner is the most daring thing in the play) and rises above it when it's mediocre (a ringing cell phone gag is cringe-worthy, as is a story about "Adam and Steve")...God is assisted by two archangels...They share a breezy chemistry with their boss, especially poor Fitzgerald, whose curiosity about the mysterious ways in which the Lord works may prove his undoing...The ending is tacked on and hokey, in spite of nifty effects. There was no easy way Javerbaum was going to tidily wrap this holy stand-up routine, and I wish he hadn't tried. Neither heavenly nor hellish, "An Act of God" is primarily for fans of Jim Parsons. They are justifiably legion, and they will get their share of "bazingas" out of his work here.

Matt Windman, AM New York: Jim Parsons is essentially playing Sheldon Cooper...playing God. It's a very funny, very promising concept, but not much of a play or even a stand-up routine...By offering a live version of his inimitable persona on "The Big Bang Theory," Parsons provides Broadway audiences the same sort of kick as Larry David, who is playing a slight variation of his "Curb Your Enthusiasm" character in the hit comedy "Fish in the Dark." Even at 90 minutes, "An Act of God" is long-winded and full of unoriginal jabs at common targets. There may be a play to be drawn out of Javerbaum's work, but "An Act of God" is not it.

Jeremy Gerard, Deadline: Under the smooth, even convivial direction of Joe Mantello, Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) lounges on Scott Pask's immaculate, vaguely Mount Sinai-ishe set, attended by favorite, bewinged angels Gabriel (Tim Kazurinsky) and Michael (Christopher Fitzgerald), the former given to mischief and the latter more subservient. Much of the humor seems familiar...A lot more seems phoned in...Some of it could be described as edgy, though to my mind it was merely tasteless, not to say pandering ("People say, 'Why did you let the Holocaust happen?' Well, no Holocaust ... no Cabaret.")...Parsons delivers all this polished patter expertly, with a dry sense of the absurd, which makes most of the show mildly entertaining. But if you want to meet the Deity on the edge...spend the money...on tickets to Fun Home or Hand To God.

Joe Dziemianowicz, New York Daily News: Put Jim Parsons behind the wheel of a Broadway star vehicle, and he'll drive like it's a Rolls-Royce. Even if it's really a Ford Fusion Hybrid. So it is with the "An Act of God," a new mixed-bag comedy about the Man Upstairs in which He cops to having "wrath-management issues." The play by David Javerbaum has laugh-management issues. Some of it is divinely, if blasphemously, inspired. Some is sorta tired. Unevenness isn't next to godliness. But Parsons is an ace comic act. He does deadpan and flashes the stink eye like nobody's business, so the show is fun and entertaining...The best material is out of left field and edgy. Like when God says that "Jesus was a middle child, and acted like it. He is the second of My three children: Zach, Jesus, and Kathy." Nobody saw that coming. But it lifted the show to cloud nine.

Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Post: If you're going to spend an hour and a half listening to a mildly irreverent riff on the Bible, it might as well be with Jim Parsons...Parsons is the reason why this extended skit made it onto the Great White Way. God, however, is below his skill level. Parsons is charming as a supreme being who's relaxed, cocky and at times a little testy. But this play is merely a glorified Top 10 list in which God gives us his revised Commandments -- a natural format for playwright David Javerbaum...Parsons is at his best when God's at his worst. When Michael wonders why the Almighty doesn't always reward the good or punish the evil, the deity gets cranky: "I totally hear what you're saying," he says. "I just prefer mysterious ways, all right?"...At least Parsons got God out of his system. Here's hoping he'll apply his considerable talents again to interesting humans.

Jesse Green, Vulture: Parsons...sells the hell out of what is basically a 90-minute monologue...If you've followed the tweets...you'll know the flavor: sarcastic, clever, and, miles beneath the surface, deeply serious. Parsons, whose tonal control is as fine as that of a dimmer switch, handles all this with the insouciance of a young George Burns (to name one of his God-playing predecessors), moving with complete ease between camp and dudgeon, mockery and message...The jokes keep landing -- nearly one per sentence -- and if they occasionally achieve a rat-a-tat quality that tends to raise smiles while suppressing laughter, they are always, at least, smart...But Javerbaum, and his director, Joe Mantello, are too theatrically savvy to leave it at that. Another note, slowly introduced among the zingers and rim shots, eventually becomes dominant, and this one, while still funny, is darker and potentially more theologically challenging than mere spoofs of Bible stories. It's the note of divine self-criticism: God, reviewing his infinite life so far, has begun to question not just his actions...but also his very nature.

Peter Marks, The Washington Post: The advantages wielded by "An Act of God" and its astute director, Joe Mantello, are some of Javerbaum's stinging one-liners and the winningly dry-witted Parsons, who does just fine playing a deity with an attitude. Parsons's gift for withering contempt is ideal for the playwright's conception of a haughty heavenly father with communion-wafer-thin patience for an assortment of human frailties...Javerbaum has some clever points regarding the narcissism of humankind and how this might have figured in God's creation of us in his own image...There's something about the weary vigilance Parsons projects that gives compelling freshness to this kind of standard-issue Biblical demystification.

Ronni Reich, The Star-Ledger: Directed by Joe Mantello, the show provides light entertainment suited to this point in the season. Javerbaum's writing is clever and quirky, and Parsons shows off impressive energy and distinctive, off-kilter charm in the 90-minute piece...This is clearly a deity who created man in his image, flaws and all -- but God's are magnified to the level of his power. Parsons is more than up to the task, with an effortless, conversational tone as he takes on Javerbaum's riffs. As with the scientist he plays on TV, complex phrases roll easily off his tongue, and he speaks with authority while maintaining an approachable quality. While the "Act" is reliably amusing, as we get to know this version of God -- one who repeatedly insists that there is something really wrong with him -- some jokes become predictable...some of the anecdotes become, well, preachy. The slanted take on familiar stories and the modern sensibility make an uplifting ending seem a little overly sweet.

Richard Ouzounian, Toronto Star: Yea, verily, I have walked through the shadow of death in the theatre world, wondering why so many shows have tended to be hellish experiences, but with An Act of God, which officially opened at Studio 54 on Thursday night, I had a revelation. All you need is someone really divine in your cast. Someone like Jim Parsons...The slightly tricky premise, of course, is that we're really not seeing Jim Parsons or Sheldon Cooper but God Himself, using the persona of the actor to speak to the masses...An Act of God takes no prisoners, pulls no punches and will provide you with an irreverent, hysterical, yet somehow provocative 90 minutes in the theatre. Joe Mantello has directed with a sleekly inventive hand; Christopher Fitzgerald and Tim Kazurinsky are a droll and deadpan pair of angels; and Javerbaum's script amuses to the very last line. But it's Parsons who makes the evening unique. It's a joy to watch him manipulate our image of him, play to what we expect and then turn it all around 180 degrees. His timing is lethal, his looks are deadlier than a cobra's and his comedy wins at every turn.

Robert Feldberg, Bergen Record: Much of the show's pleasure radiates from Parsons, who goes well beyond the constraints of the geeky, socially awkward character he plays on his sitcom to give an aggressively funny performance in the manner of an in-charge stand-up comedian - with some artful acting thrown in.

Alexandra Villarreal, Huffington Post: The play is funny, for sure. Studio 54 resounds with cackles as Parsons carries his role with the acting chops that have earned him four Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe. The script may be a little withheld, but for Broadway, it's not so sterilized as Gigi or cold and isolated as last year's Betrayal. With A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder and Something Rotten! now gracing stages on the Great White Way, wit seems to be making a comeback even in the live equivalent of big budget Blockbusters, and An Act of God is no exception. Jokes land, even if they feel forced, and Javerbaum's history with Jon Stewart sets the precedent for the show's humor.

Clark Collis, Entertainment Weekly: The problem is that, for a Broadway show, this isn't much of a Broadway show. If God really is in the house, would it have killed the Supreme Being who whipped up the Earth and sky to produce a few dancing girls, metaphorical or otherwise? God does have a couple of helpers in the literally angelic forms of Christopher Fitzgerald's audience-roaming Michael and Tim Kazurinsky's Commandment-announcing Gabriel. But this is still essentially a stand-up routine-make that a sit-down one, given the amount of time God spends lounging on a sofa on the spare, all-white set. As a theatrical spectacle, An Act of God is the anti-Wicked, which is a surprise given the shows share a director in Joe Mantello. May we suggest another commandment? Thou Shalt Not Charge Broadway Ticket Prices To See Jim Parsons Tell Jokes-no matter how beloved He mightest be.B-

Alexis Soloski, Guardian: If you'll forgive me, oh Lord of hosts, though this play is billed as a chance to ask "any questions that arise regarding the nature of existence, that I may deign to answer them and enlighten thee", as justifying the ways of God to man go, this is not exactly Paradise Lost. The main thrust: God often goes into "ethereal-hover mode" while he lets humanity roll along and while he does have a divine plan, "I'm not afraid to riff. Go with the flow." Which goes a long way toward making sense of the narwhal and several varieties of Haribo sweets.

Photo Credit: Jeremy Daniel

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