8 / 10
...had Michelle Williams made her Broadway debut in 'Blackbird' instead of 'Cabaret,' she'd have been hailed as a major new stage star, because what she pulls off in David Harrower's 2005 drama is shattering...By play's end, 80 minutes later, both actors look drained. You'll be shocked, yet strangely elated -- the sign of powerful theater.
7 / 10
Michelle Williams's girlish and haunted face is so eloquent in 'Blackbird,' you might wish you had binoculars for a closer look...Williams's Broadway debut, in 'Cabaret,' was so wispy she practically disappeared, but now she's commanding. She's believable and shattering as this damaged young woman. Daniels, ideally cast as an average guy-next-door, is her match. He convinces as a man on the edge, a shifty bird on a wire. The play itself isn't quite as successful...it takes time to settle into believable rhythms...Still, 'Blackbird' is taut, twisty and provocative. There's value in works that make your mind fly to uncomfortable places and send out cries you can't unhear.
| 2007 | Off-Broadway |
Original Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
| 2025 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Jeff Daniels |
| 2016 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Michelle Williams |
| 2016 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play | David Harrower |
| 2016 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Play | Michelle Williams |
| 2016 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play (Broadway or off-Broadway) | Blackbird |
| 2016 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | Jeff Daniels |
| 2016 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play | Michelle Williams |
| 2016 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Blackbird |
