Mandy Patinkin Reviews

Les Taylor from Nashville, Tennessee

LET DOWN

I have loved Mandy's work for years. The show was disappointing... after the first number. By the half way point I was wishing to leave but kept thinking he could turn it around. He seemed tired and in need of rest and voice therapy. I was upset that I had ventured out on a rainy night and spent over $100.00 on this. Not worth going....

Alan Weiss from East Greenwich, RI

WHAT IS THE YIDDISH FOR "ENOUGH ALREADY"?

We saw Hamilton well before the Tony awards. We went because we loved Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights, which was brilliant. Thirty minutes before the curtain at Hamilton, people were already screaming and whooping. They were determined to love what they were about to see. And, Hamilton was outstanding, though it’s not in my personal top ten musicals. It’s not Fiddler on the Roof. This was the attitude last evening at the Zeiterion Theater in New Bedford, MA where Manny Patinkin was in the midst of a seven-city Being Alive tour (with the exquisite Adam Ben-David on piano). This was a star-struck, middle-aged crowd in a sold-out theater ready to love whatever they were to see. And, incredibly, a lot of them did. I think the world of Patinkin, from portraying Che, and Sunday in the Park with George, to Homeland. (He would have taken over for Josh Grobin in The Great Comet of 1812 except for a huge protest about using the understudy instead, with the result that the play closed and everyone was thrown out of work.) He’s done television, movies, the stage, recordings—he’s a great talent. But last night he just hammed it up. His “ad libs” were obviously scripted, and his “schtick” was for him, not the audience. He sang several songs in Yiddish, which was nice for a small portion of the audience, but was more for his demonstrating that he could do it. (Are Somewhere Over the Rainbow and White Christmas really the appropriate pieces for a Yiddish rendition?!) He pretended to be drinking vodka, which I thought went out with Sinatra and the old Rat Pack (though that was Jack Daniels). The show was self-absorbed and idiosyncratic. For example, he sang A- Tisket, A-Tasket and then segued into more contemporary work, but not too contemporary. He made the obligatory political comments aimed at a typically progressive crowd typical of Massachusetts, and talked of closing “palaces” by the country, gesturing around the theater, where artists can meet the audience. The Zeiterion Theater is a well-run operation with a skilled board and enthusiastic volunteers, but a “palace” the theater is not. It’s a rather pedestrian theater that could use a lot of work. He pandered to the New England crowd by crowing he couldn't stand New York. Then why accept so much work there? Critics have loved this tour though a great many members of the audience have not, as evidenced in reviews posted on line in several places. Frankly, Patinkin seemed weary. If there were an intermission, we would have left, but we were in middle seats which I thought were a great location otherwise. He said he couldn’t believe he was being paid to do this. Neither can I.

Terry from New York, New York

WTF?

I have no idea what was going on last night. To say that we were disappointed is an understatement. $75 a ticket to watch a man literally have a nervous break down on stage? Me and my mom did get the church giggles which made for an enjoyable evening but I have no idea what that was supposed to be

from Sarasota, Florida

PAINFUL

I have loved Mandy Patinkin for years. His voice is just not there anymore and the songs were unrecognizable. He brought 3 obnoxious kids on stage at the end who hammed it up and fell flat. . It just didn’t work, from start to finish. I was really rooting for him but by the end I was just sad and a little angry,

Susan from Sarasota, Florida

MANDY PATANKIN

Hated this show. Wanted to like it especially when several people were hooting and hollaring in the audiance with some kind of joy. I wondered why. hos song choices were awful..a mixed bag that were discordant. He had a cloth he used to wipe his head, then used it to wash down something on the floor, than used it on his head again. Disguisting. Hated the show. Piano player is fantastic. Mandy should retire..show was sad, boring. Lacking in luster.not entertaining. Sorry

Broadway fan Catherine from New York, New York

SELF SERVING AND UNFORTUNATE

Mr. Patinkin is an amazing talent. At the Rahway Arts Center the selections were not meaningful and the choices were very self serving I do n ot need to hear him curse or talk about how much vodka he consumes- not funny. This is NOT stand up! When we pay to hear HIM- we DO NOT pay to hear his son and wife _ they are not the talent - I have seem Mandy in concert 4 times and this was the last time.

Graham Emmanuel from Sarasota, Florida

WE WAS CONNED

It has all been said by others here. He was offensive. I went home feeling I had been conned. Looked like he came straight from sleeping in his shabby clothes all night. Poorly presented and off key. In a class with Bob Dylan and Van Morison when it comes to contempt for his audience. What a sad man.

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