New York City Center's reimagined revival of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's Pal Joey opened November 1 with a gala performance at the Manhattan venue, and the reviews are coming in. Performances will continue through November 5. Tony Goldwyn and Savion Glover are co-directing, with Glover choreographing. See what critics are saying below.
Leading the cast are Ephraim Sykes as Joey Evans, Loretta Devine as Lucille Wallace, Elizabeth Stanley as Vera Simpson, Brooks Ashmanskas as Melvin Snyder, Jeb Brown as Tony, and Aisha Jackson as Linda English.
Glover is also performing in the production's ensemble, alongside Krystina M. Burton, Taylor Marie Daniel, Marshall L. Davis Jr., Dormeisha, Leandra Ellis-Gaston, Jarvis B. Manning Jr., Jodeci Milhouse, Natonia Monét, Brittany Nicole Parks, and Allysa Shorte. Rounding out the company are covers Mary Antonini, Rory Shirley, and Darius Wright.
The New York Times (Jesse Green)*
TheaterPizzazz (Brian Scott Lipton)
*This review requires creating a free account or a paid subscription.
Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.
The new take on the 1940 musical features a new book by Richard LaGravenese and Daniel "Koa" Beaty, based on John O'Hara's original book adapted from his novel. In the works since at least 2021 when it was announced that Glover and Goldwyn were working with LaGravenese on a new Broadway-bound revival, this new version reportedly reimagines its title character as a Black jazz singer trying to make it on the Chicago nightclub circuit, and newly interpolates Rodgers and Hart songs from other works, including “Where or When,” “The Lady Is a Tramp,” “It Never Entered My Mind,” “My Heart Stood Still,” “Falling in Love With Love,” and “There’s a Small Hotel.”
Daryl Waters leads the music team for the revival as music supervisor, arranger, and orchestrator, with Alvin Hough Jr. serving as music director. Glover has also been credited with "additional arranged orchestrology." Kimberlee Wertz is music coordinator, with Jason Liebson serving as score coordinator. Josh Clayton is director of music administration and score restoration.
The production features scenic design by Derek McLane, costume design by Emilio Sosa, lighting design by Jon Goldman, sound design by Peter Fitzgerald and Alex Neumann, and hair, wig, and makeup design by J. Jared Janas. Beverly Jenkins is production stage manager, and casting is by Tara Rubin Casting's Peter Van Dam.
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Ephraim Sykes, Elizabeth Stanley, and company of Pal Joey
Loretta Devine and company of Pal Joey
Ephraim Sykes and Aisha Jackson in Pal Joey
Ephraim Sykes and company of Pal Joey
Ephraim Sykes and company of Pal Joey
Ephraim Sykes and company of Pal Joey
Jeb Brown and Elizabeth Stanley in Pal Joey
Loretta Devine in Pal Joey
Elizabeth Stanley, Aisha Jackson, Ephraim Sykes, and company of Pal Joey
Aisha Jackson in Pal Joey
Elizabeth Stanley in Pal Joey
Brooks Ashmanskas in Pal Joey
Elizabeth Stanley and Ephraim Sykes in Pal Joey
Jeb Brown and Loretta Devine in Pal Joey
