Reviews Sound Off on Broadway's Giant, Starring John Lithgow

The Mark Rosenblatt play sees Lithgow becoming children's book author Roald Dahl.

March 23, 2026 By Logan Culwell-Block

Giant officially opened on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre March 23, and the reviews are in! See what critics had to say about the production—a transfer from London's West End—below.

Directed by two-time Tony winner Nicholas Hytner, the Mark Rosenblatt–penned play stars John Lithgow as children's book author Roald Dahl. Hytner and Lithgow are both reprising their work on the Main Stem from the work's U.K. world premiere last year.

Also transferring from the West End cast are Elliot Levey, reprising his Olivier-winning performance as Dahl's Jewish publisher, Tom Maschler; Aya Cash (The Boys) as U.S. publisher Jessie Stone; and Rachael Stirling as Felicity Crosland.

They are supported by Stella Everett (Running Point) as Hallie and David Manis (To Kill a Mockingbird) as Wally, along with understudies Geoffrey Cantor (The Lehman Trilogy), Annie Hägg (Hunters), Eleanor Handley (Unforgettable), and Paul O'Brien (Six Degrees of Separation). Casting is by Daniel Swee.

READ: John Lithgow and Mark Rosenblatt Are Diving Into the Israel-Palestine Conflict, Through the Eyes of Roald Dahl

Read the reviews below.

amNY (Matt Windman)

Chicago Tribune (Chris Jones)*

Cititour NYC (Brian Scott Lipton)

Culture Sauce (Thom Geier)

Deadline (Greg Evans)

Forward (PJ Grisar)

The Jerusalem Post (Andrew Silow-Carroll)

New York Magazine/Vulture (Sara Holdren)*

New York Post (Johnny Oleksinski)

New York Theatre Guide (Joe Dziemianowicz)

The New York Times (Helen Shaw)*

TheaterMania (Zachary Stewart)

Theatrely (Juan A. Ramírez)

TimeOut New York (Adam Feldman)

Variety (Daniel D'Addario)

The Wrap (Robert Hofler)*

*This review may require creating a free account or paid subscription.

Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.

The play comes on the heels of a broader cultural conversation about Dahl's work and the prejudice that was embedded in many of his stories. In 2023, hundreds of words in Dahl's books were either altered or omitted from future printings in order to remove countless negative references to race, skin color, ethnicity, gender, disabilities, and more.

The London production earned three 2025 Olivier Awards, including Best New Play alongside Lithgow and Levey's acting wins. Read what critics had to say about the U.K. run here.

The production also features scenic and costume design by Bob Crowley, lighting design by Anna Watson, sound design by Darron L West, wig, hair, and makeup design by Campbell Young Associates, and production management by Juniper Street Productions.

Brian and Dayna Lee, Stephanie Kramer and Nicole Kramer, Josh Fiedler and Robyn Goodman, and Royal Court Theatre are producing the transfer.

Visit GiantThePlay.com.