Bus Stop
March 2009
“The Gallery Players’ production does everything right…Do yourself a favor, pull off to the side of the road and take a break at this Bus Stop.”
The Neighborbee Blog
Thoroughly Modern Millie
January-February 2009
“Director Neal J. Freeman orchestrates the scene transitions with a seamless fluidity that puts the original overproduced Broadway production to shame.”
nytheatre.com“Catching a performance of Thoroughly Modern Millie is quite possibly the most fun thing you can do with your clothes on in Park Slope this month. From start to finish, this musical does not disappoint.”
The Brooklyn Paper
A Tuna Christmas
December 2008
“A Tuna Christmas is like the perfect holiday gift: not expensive, not overblown, but well thought out and presented with a great deal of affection.”
EDGE New York
Like You Like It
October-November 2008
“Grab your Metrocards, because this season’s best new musical isn’t on the Great White Way — it’s in Brooklyn!”
Backstage“Like You Like It is a fun filled show and is perfect for when you want something Shakespeare but with an 80’s beat and a teenage vibe. Everything about the show is delightful, from the cast to the music to the source material.”
offoffonline.com“[This] is one of those productions where you find yourself actually
laughing out loud without realizing it. The cast members, singing without microphones, belt out the numbers and put on a performance as grand as if they were in a much bigger theater, both in size and scale. I got so mixed up in their drama that I lost all sense of being anywhere but in Arden Mall.
The Brooklyn Paper
The Underpants
September 2008
“Sometimes, all you’re really in the mood for is a good, hearty laugh…The Gallery Players’ new production of The Underpants is just that kind of fun…The Underpants [is] a delight, a great value, and, most of all, the perfect respite from the seriousness of real life.
The Brooklyn Paper
The Wild Party
January 2008
“A hypnotic and intoxicating party in which to lose yourself. Composer Andrew Lippa sat across the aisle from me during the performance I attended, and judging from his reactions to the show, both he – and the responsive audience – are happy to have this Wild Party back in the city.”
offoffonline.com
The Santaland Diaries
December 2007
“Santaland is a bracing tonic for anyone who’s had enough of Scrooge and It’s a Wonderful Life….The Santaland Diaries is another feather in The Gallery Players’ cap. They continue to produce fine work at their comfortable Park Slope home, and have emerged as a perennially reliable company. Check them
out and see why.”
nytheatre.com
Yank! A New Musical
October-November 2007
“The old-fashioned musical is neither dying nor in need of saving…
if you love Golden Age-style musical romances, you can still find
them – if you know where to look. Right now, that place is Brooklyn,
where The Gallery Players….[Yank! is] a touching and oh-so-tuneful look at a side of World War II we seldom see…”
TalkinBroadway.com“Yank! is one of the most heartening theatrical experiences in years….The choreography of this show is brilliant….The show never apologizes for its honesty…at the end of Yank! the audience (including me) was on its feet.”
The Brooklyn Paper“Joseph and David Zellnik serve up a beautifully composed, entertaining slice of our secret history. But because they tell this coming out story with such rich historical and psychological detail, Yank! engages fundamental questions of love, citizenship and cultural belonging, beyond the obvious audience of lesbians and gay men….Yank! is poised to become a musical of real stature.”
nytheatre.com
Six Degrees of Separation
September 2007
“The Gallery Players’ quick-paced production is top-notch—as theatergoers have come to expect from this company. From the first moments of this play, I knew the production would be successful.”
nytheatre.com
10th Annual Black Box New Play Festival
June 2007
“…a mash-up of Noel Coward, Philip Barry, and Alan Ball….[Bury Him by Joe Lauinger] is a comedy of manners and a farce in a way, but it’s incredibly contemporary….It also has some emotional moments that are totally real and believable….this is a very—there really is no other phrase—gosh-darned enjoyable show, thanks (in no small part) to the cast and Alexa Polmer’s simultaneously believable and cartoonish direction.” nytheatre.com
Victor/Victoria
April-May 2007
“With Victor/Victoria, The Gallery Players once again proves that they are one of New York City’s musical theatre bright spots….The pride of Park Slope delivers a hugely ambitious production that…provides everything a theatergoer could ask of a musical comedy….The most important question, at least from an audience standpoint, might be: does Victor/Victoria need Julie Andrews? I’m happy to report that the answer is a resounding no. Christine Paterson plays the title role here, and she is a genuine triple threat. Paterson handles all the demands of her role—which includes a lot of dancing, dry humor, and Andrews’s signature high C—with impressive ease….every member of the entire cast looks like they’re having a ball on stage.” nytheatre.com
“The musical version of the film [Victor/Victoria] is being presented with panache by the stalwart Gallery Players in its first New York revival since the original Broadway run ended almost exactly 10 years ago. Ostensibly about the complexities of love, the current production reveals the show more as a celebration of friendship. The juice, abundantly provided here by a cast with ample energy and style, comes from the connection and conflict between pals….John Blaylock’s droll manner as Toddy provides a perfect foil to Christine Paterson’s dulcet voice and sincere enthusiasm as Victoria….The real star in this production, though, is the company of actors and dancers that plays supporting roles as various Parisian types and moves with agility and zest while doing the can-can and the Charleston or taking swings and dodging chairs in the slapstick fight scenes. Each actor’s eyes are alive with enjoyment and a sense of fun…” The Brooklyn Papers
Violet
February-March 2007
“A healing journey….The Gallery Players in Park Slope, Brooklyn, led the audience on a beautifully sung and touching pilgrimage…” Staten Island Advance
“One of the things I admire most about The Gallery Players is their commitment to bringing contemporary musicals back to the New York stage for a second viewing….I’m grateful to have had a chance to see [Violet] at long last; if you didn’t catch it during its brief run a decade ago (and only about 5,000 people did), then take advantage of this opportunity….The Gallery Players takes a risk putting a lesser-known musical like this on the boards, and they deserve to be rewarded for it. Fans of musical theatre especially won’t want to miss this rare revival of Violet.” nytheatre.com
“Violet is a road-trip of a show about a girl in search of herself, and The Gallery Players have mounted a fine,…affecting production. That it’s as moving as it is comes from some excellent acting in parts large and small, but mostly by Rhyn McLemore as the title character, a girl who has to be bold and straightforward at the same time she’s on her quixotic quest….With minimal scenery, good lighting and costumes, and a four person band that sounded much more extensive, The Gallery Players are celebrating their 40th anniversary with another high achievement.” Off-Off Broadway Review
Dedication or The Stuff of Dreams
January 2007
“The Gallery Players continue to present some of the most consistently high-quality Off-Off Broadway theatre in the city….Director Heather Siobhan Curran makes good use of David Ogle’s well designed, multi-level set. Costumes, lights and sound (Amy Elizabeth Bravo, G. Benjamin Swope, and Megan Henninger, respectively) are all up to The Gallery Players’ usual high standards.” Off-Off Broadway Review
Torch Song Trilogy
November-December 2006
“Harvey Fierstein’s gay-and-proud Torch Song Trilogy returns to its Brooklyn roots in an engaging, witty, and ultimately heart-warming production….One kvells with delight as Rudetsky, known to many as Sirius Satellite Radio host and author of the book “The Q Guide to Broadway,†spars with flair.” QonStage.com
Urinetown
October-November 2006
“Perfect from start to finish.” Off-Off Online
The Actor’s Nightmare and Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You
September 2006
“As is expected from The Gallery Players, this was a solid production….Sister Mary…lands several solid punches.” Off-Off Broadway Review
Once on this Island
May 2006
“With their exuberant rendition of this musical, The
Gallery Players have staged yet another admirable revival.
The energetic performances fairly explode from the stage,
and director and choreographer Steven Smeltzer’s
interpretation is a dazzling celebration of the art and
power of storytelling.” Off-Off Online
Take Me Out
April 2006
“Sadly, you can’t TiVo Broadway shows…but
there is another option — and it can be found in, of
all places, Park Slope, Brooklyn…The Gallery Players
have developed a reputation for reviving commercial
hits…solidly entertaining.” The New York
Times
“Gallery Players hits one out of the park with their
production of Take Me Out….Seriously, I saw the
original Take Me Out twice—once off-Broadway and once
on—and in neither case was the play presented with
the clarity and emotional heft of this production. Director
Tom Wojtunik and his terrific ensemble cast have done an
expert job with Richard Greenberg’s ambitious and
occasionally unwieldy script….as they have done
frequently in the past, Gallery Players has managed with
this Take Me Out to take a contemporary
classic-in-the-making and really let audiences see it for
what it is, with purity and simplicity.”
nytheatre.com
“While the Gallery Players’s theater may be located a
few subway stops deep into Brooklyn, their production of
Richard Greenberg’s Tony Award-winning play Take Me Out
seems not too far away from Broadway. The main reason for
the play’s success is simple: each member of the 11-man
cast gives a truly exceptional performance….The
clever direction, impeccable production values, and
first-rate acting by the Gallery Players make this show a
genuine must-see.” Off-Off Online
“I’ll try to refrain from the sports puns, but
in all seriousness The Gallery Players of Park Slope have
staged a huge hit. With Tom Wojtunik’s seemingly
effortless direction, a well-rounded cast and a resourceful
set design, the romance, drama and humor of Take Me Out
feels intimate and alive.” The Brooklyn
Eagle
Side Show
February/March 2006
“The Gallery Players presented Side Show with obvious love
and professionalism. The story is clearly told and there
are many moving moments. The musical values are excellent
and the choreography sparkles with inventiveness. My
gratitude to all involved for their care and
dedication.” Bill Russell, lyricist and bookwriter of
Side Show
“The show biz scenes all fizz and sparkle with
exuberance and style. [Director Matt] Schicker and
[choreographer Joe] Barros have made the show’s opening
into a discomfiting voyeur’s paradise, with a menacing Boss
(played with brio by Greg Horton) exhorting us to “Come
Look at the Freaks” while a disquietingly authentic-seeming
side show slithers and snakes around him. Schicker has put
two authentic “freaks” on stage….It all makes for a
dazzling opening.” nytheatre.com
“The Gallery Players production was a much more
rewarding show than to be expected based on the failed
Broadway run. For a big musical produced on a shoestring,
this was a terrific event, especially as it served to
showcase a great group of young talent.”
Off-Off Broadway Review
The Marriage of Bette and Boo
November/December 2005
“Director Heather Siobhan Curran locates the essence
of Durang’s potent blend of tragedy and comedy, coaching
fine performances from her cast. Erin Kate Howard’s Bette
is the heart of this production, and she deftly captures
the character’s sweetness, determination, grit, and
fragility.” Off-Off Online
The Laramie Project
September/October 2006
“The Laramie Project is arguably one of the most
influential plays of the last decade….I highly
recommend the Gallery Players’ production of this important
and moving play…. Director Neal Freeman does an
outstanding job staging a play that can be quite
challenging; his direction of the controlled chaos of the
media frenzy is particularly striking.”
nytheatre.com
The Full Monty
May 2006
“It’s a lovely production and I’m very happy with it.
[The Gallery Players] provide a true service for that
community, and they’re lucky to have them. I’ve seen at
least 50% of their things, and I’m always impressed.”
Terrence McNally in an interview with The Daily
News
“The Gallery Players put on a show whose authenticity
and entertainment value were equal to that of the Broadway
production.” André De Shields
“So how does Terrence McNally and David Yazbek’s
Broadway musical based on the popular 1997 film stand up in
its “first New York revival”? The answer is very well
indeed…. There’s more warmth here than on
Broadway…. At the conclusion of the company’s first
performance, book writer McNally was beaming. If you make
the short journey to Park Slope, chances are you will be,
too.” Back Stage
“Everything about this spunky, scrappy mounting
exceeds the overblown original—the performances are
sharper, the songs are funnier and sweeter, the laughs are
happier, and the energy and high spirits are genuine,
outsized, and infectious. Director Matt Schicker has, to
his great credit, located the joyful life-affirming center
of this show, and every moment of his superb staging
supports The Full Monty’s singular defining idea: that life
is hard and short and so may as well be enjoyed and
celebrated, every chance we get…. The Full Monty is
the best theatre bargain in town right now; it’s also one
of the no-holds-barred best times to be found among any
musical, at any price, on Broadway or way, way off.”
nytheatre.com
“In recent years, The Gallery Players of Brooklyn
have offered top-notch stagings of such disparate shows as
The Most Happy Fella, Chess, and Hair, so I’m not at all
surprised that they’re now doing such an excellent job with
The Full Monty. As directed by Matt Schicker and
choreographed by Dax Valdes, with musical direction by Ken
Legum, this is a damn fine production of a show that would
have lasted much longer on Broadway if it hadn’t had The
Producers to contend with….The guys that Schicker,
Valdes, and Legum have cast as the unemployed steel mill
workers who put on a strip show to raise cash are loaded
with talent.” TheaterMania.com
“How lucky McNally and Yazbek are that it is The
Gallery Players behind this revival. Their capable cast,
impressive production values, and upbeat direction have
made this a genuine boon to the Off-Off-Broadway community.
The direction by Matt Schicker brings out the fun of this
show. Those who missed the Broadway run will do well to
catch this incarnation. In fact this production is
something all theatre-goers shouldn’t miss.”
Off-Off Broadway Review
The Complete Words of William Shakespeare (Abridged)
March/April 2005
“The Gallery Players’ production has excellent
direction by Neal Freeman and outstanding performances by
the ensemble of three actors – Alex Domeyko, Rob Seitelman
and Patrick Toon, all of whose wonderful timing is only
matched by their antic energy.” - The Brooklyn
Papers
The School for Scandal
February/March 2005
“The Gallery Players, true to their robust treatment
of the classics, present “School for Scandal” with all its
stylish trimmings – from Carrie Mossman’s simple but
eloquent set to Sarah Rizza’s elaborate costumes, complete
with 6-inch-high wigs and wired skirts…. At a time
when rich old men frequently woo and win younger women and
opinion has replaced genuine news, “The School for Scandal”
offers a curiously modern lesson. The Gallery Players prove
to be exemplary teachers.” The Brooklyn
Papers
The Spitfire Grill
January 2005
“Those who venture out to Brooklyn to see The
Spitfire Grill will be won over by its charm and
enthusiasm. And, for those who are lucky enough to have as
strong a personal reaction to it as I did, you will be
rewarded with a deep and enriching evening of
theatre.” nytheatre.com
Side Man
November/December 2004
“Like all good plays, “Side Man” has multiple layers,
and fortunately, the Gallery Players have been sensitive to
the ambiguity in the play and the ambivalence in the
author. The result is theater as it should be – thoughtful,
provocative and extremely moving.” The Brooklyn
Papers
Hair
October/November 2004
“With the Hair Archivist and two stars of beginning
productions we visited you on Saturday night. We all have
spent decades involved with Hair. Many productions have
been seen. In my case thousands of nights have been spent
watching Hair. Your production was one of the best we have
seen in a long time. The spirit, movement, and adherence to
original qualities really gave us a super evening. Thanks
you so much for reminding us of the great meaning of Hair.
We look forward to you all being members of the Hair
family. My only regret is that the show has now closed thus
we can’t turn others on.” Michael Butler,
producer of the original Broadway production of Hair and
the film version
“Hair at The Gallery Players in Brooklyn conjured
many magic moments & memories…” James Rado,
author and original star of Hair
“The Gallery Players’ production of Hair was a sweet
sense memory for this actress. Its purity was so powerful
because director/choreographer Steven Smeltzer understood,
honored, and captured Hair’s simplicity. Together
with his cast of gifted, gorgeous guys and girls (natural
beauties all) and the support of his producer, Matt
Schicker, The Gallery Players production recreated the
organic innocence, honesty, and wisdom of the original.”
- Annie Golden, star of the Broadway revival of Hair
and the film version
“…a near-Broadway caliber production that happens to be
the work of a semi-professional troupe charging $15 per
ticket…” Michael Portantiere, Theater Mania
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Winner: 2003 Off-Off Broadway Review Award for Best
Musical October/November 2003
“One of my top 3 favorite productions ever of Drood, and
the best in the last decade! I went to see The Gallery
Players’ production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood blithely
unaware that I would soon be witnessing, in Brooklyn’s Park
Slope, a production that — in wit, color, vitality,
musicality, inventiveness and passion — as endearing
as Drood on Broadway, in London, or anywhere around the
world. I attribute this to a marvelous director, a
magnificent cast (each of whom could have owned a Broadway
stage on any given day), an inventive design and production
team who squeeze a dollar out of every penny they have, and
a theatre company whose savvy audience has found The
Gallery Players to be one of New York’s secret treasures.”
Rupert Holmes, author of The Mystery of Edwin
Drood