DEATH OF A SALESMAN Reviews

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 10/9/22 at 10:03am

Miranda Cromwell directs the work, which follows a traveling salesman and his family who are caught up in the madness of the all-too-often unreachable "American Dream." It debuted on Broadway in 1949 and won six Tony Awards for its premiere run.

Joining Pierce and Clarke in the cast are Khris Davis as Biff, McKinley Belcher III as Happy, and Tony winner André De Shields as Ben, with Blake DeLong as Howard/Stanley, Lynn Hawley as The Woman/Jenny, Grace Porter as Letta/Jazz Singer, Kevin Ramessar as Musician, Stephen Stocking as Bernard, Chelsea Lee Williams as Miss Forsythe, and Delaney Williams as Charley. Melvin Abston, Jerome Preston Bates, Brandon E. Burton, Maya Jackson, Lisa Strum, Chris Thorn, and Shona Tucker serve as understudies.

Comprising the creative team are Olivier-winning and Tony-nominated scenic and co-costume designer Anna Fleischle, co-costume designer Sarita Fellows, Tony-nominated lighting designer Jen Schriever, Tony-nominated sound designer Mikaal Sulaiman, composer Femi Temowo, hair designer Nikiya Mathis, and music coordinator John Miller. Casting is by Erica A. Hart and Daniel Swee.

[BETTY22]

Posted: 10/9/22 at 10:24am

It will be interesting to see the response to the songs they have added.

I'm not sure Mr. Miller needed any help....but even sooooooooooooo

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 10/9/22 at 10:31am

As someone who'd never read or seen Salesman before yesterday, I thought Wendell Pierce's performance was electrifying, and definitely what kept me most engaged throughout the afternoon.

Updated On: 10/9/22 at 10:31 AM

[KevinKlawitter]

Posted: 10/9/22 at 9:03pm

Positive review from AMNY 

Mixed-negative from New York Theatre 

That New York Theatre review is... eh. A white guy complaining that a Black Willy Loman is historically inaccurate? And that having worked under a white boss undercuts the themes of racism at play?

Mixed from New York Stage Review 

Then there’s the sensitive matter that the Lomans are all played by Black actors. Nothing wrong with that in this age of color-blind casting, but the fact that most of the other actors are Caucasian adds a subtext that Miller obviously never intended. When Willy asks his boss Howard (Blake DeLong) if he can work at the home office rather than go on the road, the young man humiliates him in a manner far harsher than the way the scene is customarily played, making it hard for us not to think that racial prejudice factors into his hostility. Perfectly credible, but nothing to do with the play as written.

Congratulations, you've discovered the point of the revival.

 

Updated On: 10/9/22 at 09:03 PM

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 10/9/22 at 9:07pm

https://variety.com/2022/legit/reviews/death-of-a-salesman-review-broadway-wendell-pierce-1235397256/

"Groundbreaking Broadway Revival Packs a Mighty Punch"

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 10/9/22 at 9:15pm

Critic's Pick from Jesse Green:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/09/theater/review-death-of-a-salesman.html

"The latest Broadway revival, which opened on Sunday at the Hudson Theater, goes wider, a notably rich and mostly successful approach. For the first time in a major New York production, the Lomans are played by Black actors. Wendell Pierce, as Willy, is wrenching as he flails and fails to avoid his fate instead of slumping into it from the start. And Sharon D Clarke, as Linda, is so paradoxically shattering in her stoicism that she turns what is usually portrayed as unshakable loyalty into a kind of heedless comorbidity."

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 10/9/22 at 9:24pm

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2022-10-09/death-of-a-salesman-broadway-2022-review-wendell-pierce

"This historic production of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman,” which opened Sunday at the Hudson Theatre, ultimately registers the full seismic shock of this modern American classic. But it takes a while for the tremors to be felt in a staging that sacrifices precision for fluidity."

[JasonC3]

Posted: 10/9/22 at 9:25pm

Rave from Talkin' Broadway:

"Throughout, Wendell Pierce and Sharon D Clarke are giving extraordinary performances in a play that runs over three hours and that never lets up. The rest of the cast is also excellent, as are the creative elements: Anna Fleischle's minimalist and abstract set design; the costumes created by Fleischle and her co-designer Sarita Fellows (André De Shields in silvery white is a knockout); and the underlay of blues music composed by Femi Temowo. All in all, you are unlikely ever to see a finer production of Death of a Salesman than this one."

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 10/9/22 at 9:41pm

https://deadline.com/2022/10/death-of-a-salesman-broadway-review-wendell-pierce-sharon-d-clarke-1235138627/

"Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller’s classic tragedy of the American Dream gone sour, is revitalized and given room to encompass the Black experience in director Miranda Cromwell’s intriguing production opening at the Hudson Theatre on Broadway tonight. Boasting flat-out terrific performances – Wendell Pierce as Willie Loman and the amazing Sharon D Clarke as his wife Linda – this Death of a Salesman doesn’t so much reinvent Miller’s masterpiece as open its doors to perspectives that enrich the material."

[Dave13]

Posted: 10/9/22 at 9:49pm

 

"Death of a Salesman is still the great tragedy of our time."

https://www.theatermania.com/broadway/reviews/review-arthur-miller-death-of-a-salesman-broadway_94401.html

Updated On: 10/9/22 at 09:49 PM

[blaxx]

Posted: 10/9/22 at 9:51pm

Some reviewers are just splitting hairs with this one. Having reverence for the piece doesn't mean you need to dissect the production to its core. 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 10/10/22 at 1:09am

DTLI Consensus: This new Salesman is liked, but not quite well-liked.

11 positive (including the NYT), 5 mixed.

https://didtheylikeit.com/shows/death-of-a-salesman-2/

 

Updated On: 10/10/22 at 01:09 AM

[The Other One]

Posted: 10/10/22 at 7:13am

Mixed from New York Stage Review

Then there’s the sensitive matter that the Lomans are all played by Black actors. Nothing wrong with that in this age of color-blind casting, but the fact that most of the other actors are Caucasian adds a subtext that Miller obviously never intended. When Willy asks his boss Howard (Blake DeLong) if he can work at the home office rather than go on the road, the young man humiliates him in a manner far harsher than the way the scene is customarily played, making it hard for us not to think that racial prejudice factors into his hostility. Perfectly credible, but nothing to do with the play as written.

Congratulations, you've discovered the point of the revival."

This doesn't counter anything Miller intended in the play as written.  I doubt he would have objected.

 

[BJR]

Posted: 10/10/22 at 8:35am

The Other One said: "
Mixed from New York Stage Review

Then there’s the sensitive matter that the Lomans are all played by Black actors. Nothing wrong with that in this age of color-blind casting, but the fact that most of the other actors are Caucasian adds a subtext that Miller obviously never intended. When Willy asks his boss Howard (Blake DeLong) if he can work at the home office rather than go on the road, the young man humiliates him in a manner far harsher than the way the scene is customarily played, making it hard for us not to think that racial prejudice factors into his hostility. Perfectly credible, but nothing to do with the play as written.

Congratulations, you've discovered the point of the revival."

This doesn't counter anything Miller intended in the play as written. I doubt he would have objected.

"

And especially since Loman was highlighted as a Jewish man on more than one occasion, even during Miller's lifetime. The character feeling othered is built into the piece, I'd argue. The audience is left to determine the degree, or how much is Willie's perception/depression.

[BETTY22]

Posted: 10/10/22 at 2:13pm

NEW YORK TIMES CRITIC PIX!

What more do you need to know! CONGRATS 

[KevinKlawitter]

Posted: 10/10/22 at 3:58pm

It's pretty much an obligatory question at this point, but I wonder if there's any plans for a proshot or film based on this production. Several other Broadway Salesmen have had one... several cast members of the original run reprised their role for the 1951 movie (and Lee J. Cobb &:Mildred Dunnock returned to their roles for the Broadway Theatre Archive film), Dustin Hoffman's show became an acclaimed TV movie, and Brian Dennehy's was filmed for Showtime.

Given Wendell Pierce's formidable stature as a TV actor, you'd think a network like HBO or a streaming service would be happy get a version of this while it's hot.

[chanel]

Posted: 10/11/22 at 7:52pm

Positive Village Voice review, and it slams a couple of previous productions.

https://www.villagevoice.com/2022/10/11/a-revival-of-death-of-a-salesman-successfully-sells-some-new-twists/

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 10/14/22 at 4:15pm

I'm selling one ticket to the evening performance on October 29th at 8pm. Orchestra center, row B, seat 109. I paid $175 including fees and I'm asking $125 for it. Will be sent by email (PDF) immediately upon payment. Take care, all.