McNeal
1 hour and 40 minutes, no intermission
McNeal - 2024 Broadway History , Info & More
Vivian Beaumont Theatre (Broadway)
150 West 65th St. at Broadway New York, NY 10023
Good writers borrow, great writers steal. Jacob McNeal (Robert Downey Jr.) is a great writer, one of our greatest, a perpetual candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature. But McNeal also has an estranged son, a new novel, old axes to grind and an unhealthy fascination with Artificial Intelligence. Pulitzer Prize-winner Ayad Akhtar’s new play is a startling and wickedly smart examination of the inescapable humanity – and increasing inhumanity – of the stories we tell.
McNeal - 2024 - Broadway Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR McNeal
'McNeal' review: Robert Downey Jr.’s new Broadway play is an endurance test
3 / 10
“McNeal” commits the cardinal sin of wasting Broadway treasures Andrea Martin and Ruthie Ann Miles, who pop in briefly as Jacob’s frenzied agent and concerned doctor, respectively. More ironically, it’s exactly the type of play that Downey’s smug title character would claim to deplore: all empty provocations and not an ounce of soul.
'McNeal' review — Robert Downey Jr. brings real acting chops to an AI-centric play
6 / 10
In Ayad Akhtar’s crisply staged yet dramatically muddy play, McNeal, Oscar winner Robert Downey Jr. summons every ounce of his innate swagger and smugness as a misogynistic author who’s just found himself the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature. In his Broadway debut, Downey steps up; he’s sure-footed and magnetic. The play itself, less so.
Category
McNeal History
Other Productions of McNeal
| 2024 | Broadway |
Lincoln Center Theater Broadway Premiere Producion Broadway |
McNeal - 2024 Broadway Awards and Nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Projection and Video Design | Jake Barton |
| 2025 | Drama League Awards | DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCE | Robert Downey, Jr. |
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