Review Roundup: LIFE OF PI National Tour

Performances are now underway for the US tour of LIFE OF PI, Lolita Chakrabarti’s stage adaptation of Yann Martel’s best-selling novel. The tour opened at the Hippodrome Theatre at the France Merrick Performing Arts Center in Baltimore, Maryland on December 10th, 2024. Read the reviews so far here!

Based on one of the best-loved works of fiction – winner of the International Booker Prize (formerly Man Booker Prize) which has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide – LIFE OF PI is a breath-taking theatrical adaptation of an epic journey of endurance and hope.

Leading the production is powerhouse actor Taha Mandviwala as Pi, supported by a dynamic company including Jessica Angleskhan, Alan Ariano, Pragun Bhardwaj, Ben Durocher, Emmanuel Elpenord, Shiloh Goodin, Anna Leigh Gortner, Austin Wong Harper, Rishi Jaiswal, Toussaint Jeanlouis, Mi Kang, Intae Kim, Sharayu Mahale, Sinclair Mitchell, Maya Rangulu, Betsy Rosen, Anna Vomáčka, Sorab Wadia & Savidu Geevaratne.

LIFE OF PI is originally Directed by Max Webster, with the Tour Directed by Ashley Brooke Monroe, Set and Costume Design by Olivier and Tony Award winner Tim Hatley. The production features Puppet Design by Olivier Award winners Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, with Puppetry and Movement Direction by Finn Caldwell, supported by the Global Associate Puppetry and Movement Direction of Scarlet Wilderink with US Associate Puppetry and Movement Direction by Jon Hoche and US Assistant Puppetry and Movement Direction by Betsy Rosen.  Lighting Design is by Tony Award winner Tim Lutkin and Tim Deiling, Sound Design by Tony Award Winner Carolyn Downing, Video and Animation Design by Olivier and Tony Award winner Andrzej Goulding, Hair and Wig Design by David Brian Brown, Original Music Composed by Andrew T. Mackay, Dramaturgy by Jack Bradley, and Casting by Duncan Stewart and Patrick Maravilla with ARC Casting.

Timoth David Copney, BroadwayWorld: The Life of Pi production at the Hippodrome is a triumph. While the story stretches credulity, the craftsmanship is outstanding. Max Webster’s direction, clearly informed by his background in Shakespeare and opera, gives the play an impressive scope. The tight pacing and inventive use of set pieces—from the complexity of a sinking ship to the simplicity of rippling paper evoking the sea—are focused and effective. Audiences often underestimate the director’s vision, but Webster expertly draws out the intended emotional responses in every scene.

Herb Merrick, MD Theatre Guide: The puppets represent all shapes and sizes of animals. Rod puppets are used for the butterflies, the fish, and a giant sea turtle (the choreography of an entire school of fish swimming was amazing). Smaller animals (birds, a baby orangutan, and a goat) are manipulated by an ensemble member without rods or strings. Larger animals (hyena, zebra, and tiger) use actors inside and outside the puppets. The actors also supply the animals’ vocal sounds. The puppets are so well-crafted, mobile, and lifelike that you hardly notice the ensemble puppeteers in plain sight.

Dara Homer, BroadwayWorld: Springing onto the lifeboat with chilling ferocity, Richard Parker offers a stunning showcase of the puppet design by Finn Caldwell and Nick Barnes. Parker is operated by three puppeteers at a time, with two executing his motions from the inside out. In every subtle tail twitch and gently groomed ear, he has at least three humans’ worth of expressiveness. This magnificent puppet offers a different version of Richard Parker than the one captured in Ang Lee’s excellent film adaptation of Life of Pi: this feline feels more distant from our hero, scarier, and funnier. For this story within a story, the uncanny mysteriousness works.

Jeannette Mulherin, MD Theatre Guide: The production is spellbinding. Notable performances include Pi’s Father (Sorab Wadia) who deftly communicates the weariness and concern driving him to protect his family from danger, and the Cook (Ben Durocher) who exudes cruelty and eventually, inhuman savagery. The demanding Mr. Okamoto (Alan Ariano) who is investigating the shipwreck and Lulu Chen (Mi Kang), an empathetic Canadian diplomat maintain a precarious equilibrium as Pi recounts his fantastical tale. Finally, Savidu Geevaratne portrays a curious and enthusiastic Pi whose grace and athleticism interact seamlessly with the magnificent puppeteers breathing life into the zoo animals.

Bob Ashby, DC Theater Arts: Under Max Webster’s direction, the play — save for the hospital scenes — is in constant motion, with flowing, intricate movement by Pi, members of the ensemble, and puppeteers. There are a lot of plot points compressed into Chakrabarti’s relatively compact script. Along with Webster’s rapid pace, this results in parts of the play feeling rushed, sometimes at the expense of nuance.

Roy Berko, BroadwayWorld: The cast is excellent. Taha Mandviwala is masterful as Pi. His physicality, emotional immersion and total believability is awing.

Joey Morona, Cleveland.com: Somehow, despite the odds, the cast and crew behind the inaugural tour of the 2023 Tony-winning production pull it off. Now at Playhouse Square’s Connor Palace through Jan. 26, this visually stunning, impressively staged and thought-provoking night of theater is one you won’t soon forget.

Greg Kerestan, BroadwayWorld: Max Webster's production is an immense visual spectacle, with dozens of actors working as human beings, animal puppeteers, performing visual and scenic effects by hand, and more. It's like Lion King taken to a new level, and all performed without any attempt to hide the human element. These puppeteers are the true star of the show- to the extent that they get the final bow, both in their "tiger" configuration and then as single humans. The show must be seen to be believed; even if the script were weaker (it's very clever and full of heart, as anything based on Yann Martel's writing should be) this show would still be worth looking at.

Taylor Clemons, BroadwayWorld: The cast is led by Taha Mandviwala as Pi, and I must say, his is one of the most astounding performances I’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing. The emotional complexity and the physical stamina required for the role are quite vast. As the central character of the show, he carries it like a seasoned professional – absolutely flawless.

Rick Pender, City Beat: Lolita Chakrabarti’s play Life of Pi, based on a 2001 novel by Yann Martel (that was also made into a 2012 movie), is a remarkable piece of stagecraft using remarkable puppetry to portray an astonishing array of animals, most particularly a Royal Bengal tiger, but including butterflies, a giraffe, a goat, a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, monkeys and meerkats. A touring production of this award-winning production is currently onstage at downtown Cincinnati’s Aronoff Center for the Arts, presented by Broadway in Cincinnati.

Christopher Verleger, BroadwayWorld: The stage and lighting design of the production are wondrously spectacular and exciting, with vibrant colors, persuasive imagery, and pulsating sound effects that perfectly depict the turmoil and uncertainty of his predicament. As Pi describes the timeline of past events, the visual transformation from hospital bed to time spent afloat is seamless and exquisite, ranging from serene, star-filled night skies to drab, ominous storm clouds.

Ken Abrams, What's Up Newp: Great theater can take you away for a couple of hours, immersing you in a story as your connection to the narrative deepens. Life of Pi, playing at the Providence Performing Arts Center through Sunday, February 16, does just that. It’s a powerful, captivating, and unforgettable tale, filled with fascinating characters, both human and animal.

Katherine Kiessling, Times Union: Under the deft manipulation of an ensemble of puppeteers, each finds spectacular — and often grisly — life in their movements, from the sinuous, stalking slink of the tiger to the spastic twitch of the poor goat chosen to be the zoo animal’s lunch. Whenever they and the rest of the production are forced to retreat into the confines of reality, Lolita Chakrabarti’s script sputters. It, like Pi, is eager to avoid the gruesome truth of the teen’s survival in favor of of the fantastical.

Bill Kellert, Nippertown: The production, currently appearing at Proctors is at once interesting and terrifying, beautiful and spartan. Andrzej Goulding's video and animation design combined with Tim Lutkin and Tim Deiling's lighting and Carolyn Caldwell's sound designs create enticing spaces in which the play takes place. From the zoo and the Indian marketplace to the storm tossed time onboard ship to the open spaces of the sea you will be literally swept away with the rain, the tides and the terror of Pi's life in the boat he calls home.

J. Peter Bergman, The Berkshire Edge: The company of more than 20 players are choreographed throughout the play so that we always feel that sense of being lost at sea as inescapable. Whether in the hospital, lost at sea, or island bound, Pi is in constant motion, unceasingly active for over two hours. The actor’s melodrama leaves him no options. Combined with the superb puppetry of the tiger, the show is mesmerizing, and this is abetted by the set and lighting. It is impossible to ignore the complex relationships in the story and on the stage that make this show unique. It is almost like being absorbed in a difficult dream, one you remember, don’t understand, and can’t easily shake.

DC Felton, BroadwayWorld: 'Life of Pi' is a stunning theatrical adaptation of Yann Martel's beloved novel, reminding us to look at the stories we are telling or being told and decide what is true and what we want to be true. This is done on stage through the transformative set, the life-like puppets, and the phenomenal performances.

Rob Hubbard, Pioneer Press: To call what a breathtakingly graceful and athletic cast offers onstage at the Orpheum ‘puppetry’ is to understate its power. The whole production feels as much a dance work as a play, the settings transforming before your eyes as the story unspools without interruption (save an intermission that comes with a gasp-inducing adrenaline rush)

Jared Fessler, BroadwayWorld: Visually, Life of Pi is a spectacle. Tim Hatley’s innovative set design transforms the stage into a vast, ever-changing ocean, while projections and lighting effects create a dreamlike, immersive atmosphere. The seamless blending of physical set pieces with dynamic digital imagery makes for a strikingly fluid storytelling approach, capturing both the beauty and danger of Pi’s journey.

Chelsea Lake Roberts, City Pulse: As the ship is sinking, everything on stage is suspended for a moment. Then comes Patel’s terrifyingly hard work of staying above the water. This story, in this time, in our place at the Wharton Center, is an opportunity to process together, to experience another perspective and reflect on our own. It is a chance to remind ourselves that smart, beautiful pieces of art are something that makes life worth living and fighting for, ferociously.

Victoria Winfield, The State News: Life of Pi’ is full of philosophical pondering and spiritual exploration in the face of great odds. Mandviwala pointed out the importance of the meaning behind this line from the play. ‘I think for me it has been a reflection on, what does it mean to live with conviction at a time where it’s very easy to become jaded and it’s very easy to become complacent with the state of affairs in our own life,’ Mandviwala said. ‘It’s a really poignant reminder about what the power of story represents in our own life, and the responsibility that I get to have as a storyteller to the people getting to see the show.'

Jon Bee, BroadwayWorld: Directed by Max Webster with Tour Direction by Ashley Brooke Monroe, the show is altogether stunning, both visually and in its portrayal of such a heart-wrenching, action-packed adventure. Tim Hatley serves as both the Scenic and Costume Designer which leaves his artistic thumbprint marked so elegantly across the stage. I was particularly impressed with the lifeboat itself in addition to its entrances and exits from scene to scene. The video and animation design by Andrzej Goulding is a great complement to Hatley's work but also stands on its own as pure theater magic.

John Wenzel, Denver Post: It’s saying something that the depictions of animal violence, desperation and death feel documentary-style, despite their highly symbolic rendering. Of course, this rightly Tony-winning Life of Pi boasts roundly strong performances, a propulsive and cinematic look, and plenty of thoughtful one-liners that interrogate faith and the choices we make to survive. But be prepared to leave the theater with an unsettled feeling, as this Life of Pi poses the question: ‘What can we do when truth is slippery, and life-changing events are mostly out of our control?’ and answers with ‘Not much.’

Tyler Hinton, BroadwayWorld: Taha Mandviwala as Pi gives a very physical performance, moving effortlessly through demanding staging, including lifts, fight choreography, and puppet interaction, all without losing his distinctive characterization and a palpable will to live.

Krista Garver, BroadwayWorld: Mandviwala’s performance is matched by the production's incredible artistry. All of the animals are puppets, manipulated with such delicacy and lifelike precision that it's easy to forget the puppeteers are even there (especially impressive since three puppeteers are required for Richard Parker alone). This reinforces the play's central theme of storytelling and the suspension of disbelief.

Linda Ferguson, Oregon ArtsWatch: Among the deep pleasures of Life of Pi are its puppetry and its visually sumptuous design. All of the puppets, which were designed by Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, are skeletal, sinewy things, allowing plenty of space for us to see the brown-clad puppeteers who manipulate them. For the April 8 show, it took three puppeteers – Shiloh Goodin, Aaron Hasell, and Betsy Rosen – to bring Richard Parker to life as he ducked his head, arched his spine or stretched his tail.

Gemma Wilson, Seattle Times: Mandviwala, an actor of spring-loaded energy, leads the charge into this show’s dreamlike world, built by a team of massively talented designers. Puppet design is by Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, scenic and costume design by Tim Hatley, video and animation design by Andrzej Goulding, lighting design by Tim Lutkin and Tim Deiling, and sound design by Carolyn Downing.

Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times: Rather than try to compete with the technological thrills of the 2012 film that earned director Ang Lee an Academy Award, this national tour of 'Life of Pi' succeeds through magical simplicity. My senses were dazzled when I first saw the show on Broadway in 2023, but my heart was completely won over at the Ahmanson Theatre.

Andrew Child, BroadwayWorld: Taha Mandviwala helms the cast and aptly carries the narrative opposite Richard Parker, a prowling, lumbering, lunging tiger puppet operated by a team of puppeteers. Puppetry and movement director Finn Caldwell is the genius who has really elevated the show, bringing a delightful cast of animals to life in surprisingly realistic and emotional ways."

Shaena Engle, WeHo Times: The production’s standout feature is its creative puppetry. Designed by Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, life-size puppets of a hyena, zebra, turtle, orangutan, and the tiger Richard Parker are operated by puppeteers that fade into the background. Eight human puppeteers in altering duties bring the tiger to life with prowls, leaps, purrs and growls. There are also large groups of fish and butterfly puppets throughout the performance.

Michael Quintos, BroadwayWorld: And in the end, this laudable stage adaptation of LIFE OF PI is deserving of praise both as a visually-stunning theatrical experience and as a deeply philosophical meditation on truth, belief, and endurance. Using the unique parameters, limitations, and possibilities of live theater to heighten its emotional and symbolic power, the play offers a spectacular bridge between Martel's original novel and the CGI-enhanced film adaptation that this stage show admirably—and, I believe, successfully—tries to mimic.

Sarah Mosqueda, Daily Pilot: When Richard Parker slinks into the room, it is difficult not to catch your breath. The Royal Bengal tiger puppet is the star of the stage production of ‘Life of Pi’ and the puppeteers who operate him — Aaron Haskell, Anna Vomacka and Anna Leigh Gortner — have mastered the feline form. They move the 35-pound puppet with realistic movements and sounds that mimic a real tiger, making you wonder how safe you are when he breathes into your lap.

Christopher Smith, The Orange County Register: A sensory dazzle, ‘Life of Pi’ is the rare non-musical on the Costa Mesa stage, a wonderfully realized mounting propelled by stage craft at its most magically absorbing. Derived in part from a 2001 novel, and the 2012 worldwide hit movie, ‘Life of Pi’ charts a 17-year-old’s perilous journey on a Japanese cargo ship with his zookeeping family. They, along with animals in tow, depart from political chaos in India for a new life in Canada. The craft sinks in a huge storm and Pi is cast into the Pacific Ocean. Good news: he gets on a 20-some-foot lifeboat. Bad news (for him, but terrific for audiences): he’s not alone. And his castaway shipmate has marvelously oversized whiskers, formidable fangs and a ravenous appetite.

Amelia Devine, BroadwayWorld: Still, none of these missteps take away from what is, at its core, exactly what Mamma Mia! promises. This is not a complicated show. It’s a schmatzy rom-com. It is pure, fizzy, and joyful, and full of familiar numbers by a truly seratonin-boosting band. By the time the final numbers roll out, with the entire audience on its feet dancing to “Mamma Mia” and “Waterloo,” audiences get the added bonus of a little ABBA cover band concert. If you need a night to smile, this production delivers. This is a short run, so grab these tickets while you can!

Lawrence Toppman, The Charlotte Ledger: In fact, the entire show has a fairy-tale quality, initially joyous and then steadily more Grimm. Like the insurance investigator, we stop asking whether Pi’s narrative is true and ask the more important question: Why is he telling it to us? The answer brings a gut punch that reminded me of William Blake’s poem “The Tyger,” a companion piece to Blake’s “The Lamb.” Blake, horrified by the “fire of thine eyes,” asks the tiger, “Did he who made the Lamb make thee?” This play answers frankly: God put all kinds of natures on Earth, sometimes in the same body. When a matter of life and death comes up, the survivors will acknowledge that truth and act accordingly.

David Taffet, Dallas Voice: This Tony Award winning show is worth seeing for the compelling story. But it’s a don’t miss for the special effects. I’m still trying to figure out how they did some of what they did on that stage last night. Oh, and a must-see for Taha’s incredible performance.

Doni Wilson, Houston Chronicle: The puppetry team (involving many but led Finn Caldwell and Nick Barnes) will make you rethink puppets forever on the stage. No wonder this play has won three Tony Awards and the Olivier Award for Best Play. You have to see it to believe it, and even what you see will make you question what you believe. That is just part of what “Life of Pi” achieves and leaves for the audience to consider long after the curtain falls.

Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star Telgram: Ultimately, “The Life of Pi” delivers a message that we never know what difficulties life will throw at us, and whatever they are we must do all we can to survive. As his father says to him early in the show, ‘Life will defend itself, no matter how small it is.’ It is a story of faith — both in oneself and a higher power and understanding that this combination can help us overcome virtually any challenge.

Average Rating: 88.4%