Oh, Hello On Broadway Reviews
The New York Times- Highly Recommended
"Stupendously entertaining...There are lots of bad puns on tuna and even more jokes that qualify as politically incorrect...Consider that as a trigger warning, if you must, but I find it hard to imagine anyone's taking offense. That's because, like most good theater, 'Oh, Hello' exhales the transporting joy of actors becoming someone else so completely and infectiously that on some level we become them as well and adopt whatever warped worldview they're selling us."
NY Daily News- Somewhat Recommended
"Gil and George have written a play, and it's aswirl with jokes and jabs at actors, stage hokum and overripe clichés. The crotchety geezers bat that around for a while, then launch into NY and personal history...The trio's chat roams from babies and being Jewish to flexing biceps...There are moments that had me in stitches, but the show's so shapeless and shaggy that it doesn't add up to much."
Hollywood Reporter- Recommended
"The funniest show in town...Don't go looking for much of a plot in this stand-up comedy routine dressed up as theater...The evening is structurally ragged, composed of tenuously related blackout sketches, improvised bits, and an interview segment featuring a different special guest at every show...Not all the jokes land...The show could use some pruning. But it hardly matters when the jokes come this fast and furious."
Vulture- Somewhat Recommended
"The jokes are excellent...It's the kind of nonsensical set-up that leaves the writers maximum latitude as to what they can build, but it also limits how strongly they can build it. The result is both delightful and shaggy, pointed and unmemorable. Most of the delight and pointedness come from the exemplary verbal polish of the scripted material...The 90-minute evening is already a mite too long, and if it weren't for a few stand-alone bits, 'Oh, Hello' might be too soggy to enjoy."
NY1- Highly Recommended
"A Comedy Central cult act created by Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, Gil and George are curmudgeonly wannabe artists still waiting for their big break...Directed with a keen sense of the absurd by the brilliant Alex Timbers, 'Oh, Hello' is extremely funny stuff, veering from satirical wit to wackadoodle zaniness. Kroll and Mulaney have honed these grotesques for years and 90 minutes is almost too little time in their creepy company."
Variety- Somewhat Recommended
"Sloppy, silly, occasionally inspired...'Oh, Hello' might not be the show to win over new enthusiasts...There's no defining theme to the show, and the humor is all over the map. The core component of their act is pure character comedy...Is the material of this show really that uneven, or is the production still evolving? With the duo's improv skills and their packed houses, 'Oh, Hello' could develop into a production format that would be all its own—and genuinely original."
New York Post- Recommended
"Our long national downer is over. 'Oh, Hello' has finally put an end to entertainment's interminable War on Fun. The smart, 95-minute two-hander created by and starring comedians Nick Kroll and John Mulaney dares to be hilarious, without a nanosecond of deeper meaning...Directed with chutzpah by Alex Timbers, the show — which, at 95 minutes, is a bit too much of a good thing — is completely un-PC, infectiously energetic and packed with winning zingers."
Entertainment Weekly- Somewhat Recommended
"Kroll and Mulaney wrote the script, in addition to starring, and they're very funny performers. Their show is less funny, unfortunately, unless you're already a dedicated fan...The script is full of genuine laughs...The play is directed by the playful and inventive Alex Timbers, who keeps the business humming along nicely...The entire effort feels surprisingly unambitious, with no real story, no attempt to welcome new audiences, no truly great comic moments. It's a sketch, drawn out."
Newsday- Not Recommended
"What's 'Oh, Hello on Broadway' doing on Broadway? You may well ask. Depending on your threshold for the shaggy ridiculous, you may well keep asking yourself during much of the wildly uneven 95 minutes...The show bungees around with absurd, occasional cleverness, with dated references to Blue Man Group and softball observations about theater cliches....Timbers encourages a breathless pace that suggests we are not meant to ponder too long on any of the foolishness."
amNY- Recommended
"Intended for aging, oddball, scruffy, cranky, culturally (if not authentically) Jewish New Yorkers—and anyone else who identifies with or appreciates the same demographic...There is a wisp of a story line and even a dream ballet, but 'Oh, Hello' is primarily a vehicle for the duo to kvetch and kvell about everything under the sun and long nostalgically for the bygone days of New York in the 1970s...'Oh, Hello' is 95 minutes of politically incorrect, gleefully silly fun."
NorthJersey- Somewhat Recommended
"They're smart and very funny–at times. But, over 95 minutes, there is also a fair share of clunkers, bottom-drawer lines...And in a show as loosely constructed as this, without a strong through line to carry interest past bumpy moments, the evening rises and falls joke by joke...For the person who comes to the theater innocent of knowledge of Kroll and Mulaney, their extended sketch of a show will likely depend on how he or she responds to a pair of cantankerous elder citizens."
Washington Post- Recommended
"Their unlikely showbiz ascension is exactly the outcome we deserve — those of us who don't mind a few lung-punishing laughing jags of an evening, in the theater...Comedians John Mulaney and Nick Kroll hold a theater crowd in their loony spell for a giddy, galloping 90 minutes...Their brand of comedy is a winning melange of all the brows: low, middle and high...Terrific bits of observational comedy — and more successful, I think, than an interlude halfway through."
Time Out New York- Recommended
"'Oh, Hello on Broadway,' directed by goofy-smart prince Alex Timbers, stretches the shtick to 95 minutes of metatheatrical horseplay...The internal logic gets foggy, but 'Oh, Hello' is really about watching Kroll and Mulaney do high-level tag-team comedy, in the great tradition of Mike Nichols and Elaine May and Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner. If some of the tuna seems a bit canned, both comedians are superb improvisers...They make mustiness new, and they're a New York City must."
The Wrap- Not Recommended
"The big problem with 'Oh, Hello' is that Mulaney doesn't deliver. He's neither the classic straight man who sets up the zany alpha male (Kroll) nor is he an even mildly amusing caricature in his own right...Promises to be much raunchier and offensive than it ever delivers...Often resembles a 'Pee-wee's Playhouse' for the post-millennial crowd. No surprise, it's directed by Alex Timbers, who brought 'The Pee-wee Herman Show' to Broadway a few seasons ago and has never recovered."
Financial Times- Recommended
"A gleefully misanthropic sketch show...The laughter here often hinges on the feeling that we probably shouldn't be finding any of this quite so funny...But when that banter knowingly sends up its own bigotry, then we may guffaw as well as groan...That blend of arcane local colour, highbrow repartee and toilet humour makes for an improbably enjoyable evening. 'Oh, Hello' may just consist of two evil old men gassing on stage for 90 plotless minutes, but you'll love them by the end."
The Guardian- Recommended
"This show is messy, puerile, crass, and wildly indulgent...It is also uproariously, stomach-achingly funny...The show probably shouldn't work as well as it does. Kroll and Mulaney don't always play the characters consistently (when it seems like too much effort, they just play themselves) and they crack themselves up habitually. But the pleasure they take in the exercise is obvious and infectious...The writing, though variable, has more than its share of semi-precious gems."
CurtainUp - Somewhat Recommended
"For Kroll and Mulaney's many fans, 'Oh, Hello' is a winner...If the jokes overshadow the plot, that will suit them just fine...Anyone who, like me, comes to the Lyceum as Kroll-Mulaney virgins, will have a harder time getting into their brand of wacky, often in-your-face humor. Still, the very genuine chemistry between these guys does give a dash of charm to their shticky trajectory...I can't say that 'Oh, Hello' ever quite escaped its improv-sketch comedy roots for me."
Talkin Broadway- Recommended
"The entire 100-minute evening is pointless, and evinces no socially or theatrically redeeming value I could detect. And yet I loved every single second of it...Despite its innumerable failings, it is insanely hilarious. And, considering that it never for a moment wants to be anything else, and that everything everyone involved does with it is in pursuit of that goal and no other, it unfurls with the unshakable confidence of a no-holds-barred success—and, in turn, becomes one."
Cititour.com- Somewhat Recommended
"The theater in-jokes are a hoot...But this is hardly a highbrow affair. Some of the more hilarious moments involve Gil's risque relationship with a racoon...Their humor might not be the best fit for Broadway. Some of it seems too subtle and New Yorker-y for mass tourist appeal. 'Oh, Hello on Broadway' may be most appreciated by folks who've already been introduced to this odd couple. For those just meeting them, it's an awfully long first date."
TheaterMania- Recommended
"Audiences will laugh uproariously at their clownish behavior...Under the direction of Alex Timbers, the jokes are sharper, the flow more efficient, and the design considerably more extravagant...Each performance features a different guest, giving Kroll and Mulaney an opportunity to improvise and riff—and they're often funnier doing that than when they're delivering scripted material...'Oh, Hello' turns out to be a bottomless well of funny."
TheaterScene.net- Somewhat Recommended
"Scott Pask's set for the zany 'Oh, Hello on Broadway,' a ten-minute skit run amok, is the wittiest element in this two-man show created by Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, mining material they've been working on for the past few years."
Theatre Is Easy- Highly Recommended
"The two comedians have created a full meal out of what started as a sketch...Kroll and Mulaney are great fun to watch, and their affection for each other and the characters is evident...There's no staleness or boredom despite them having portrayed the grumps for over a decade. Alex Timbers uses a light touch, letting his funnymen and their antics loose...Kroll and Mulaney have crafted a tasty sensation for the new Broadway season."
Epoch Times- Highly Recommended
"The result is nothing short of hilarious, with no intention other than to make you laugh out loud. Kroll and Mulaney are in tip-top form here...The actors know exactly which buttons to push for maximum effect while never really going over the top or staying on any particular subject for too long...Filled with jokes and bits that are often politically incorrect and also occasionally unprintable, 'Oh, Hello on Broadway' is a supremely enjoyable and satisfying experience."
Huffington Post- Highly Recommended
"Strap yourself into the roller coaster and ride along for ninety-five minutes of hilarious insanity or insane hilarity, take your pick...The scenery—designed by Scott Pask—is full of jokes, including some real belly laughs...Alex Timbers directs; or perhaps we should say he successfully manages to keep up with his actors (who seem to be unrestrainedly improvising along the way)...It starts out funny and moves past hysterical to sublime."
Broadway Blog- Recommended
"Gil and George's language constantly subverts expectations as ordinary remarks take extraordinary turns. There are simple malapropisms, like saying ‘home page' for ‘homage,' while many words are mispronounced by accenting the wrong syllable. Where Gil and George are concerned, the Marx Brothers can't be far behind, although without this show's scatological and raunchy humor. Even the Marxes never had a love affair with a raccoon, though, much less impregnated one."
Theater Pizzazz- Recommended
"You better be ready to laugh. A lot...These stars want, and you better believe they get, their spotlights. Director Alex Timbers keeps things tight, an accomplishment given the seemingly rambling delivery of the elderly leads...While you could call 'Oh, Hello on Broadway' sophomoric, to do so misses the point. There is a sophistication beneath its frat house mentality that keeps it sharp...It observes and skewers pop culture with laser-like precision and sets up jokes with skill and care."
DC Theatre Scene- Not Recommended
"I was surprised at how little I laughed...Not quite a real play with a plot, but also not quite a series of comedy sketches. It's reminiscent of 'Wayne's World,' but without the narrative consistency, and 'The Pee-Wee Herman Show' but without the colorfully inventive design...It's 100 anarchic minutes of shtick and weirdness and one-liners and scenes that mock the idea of scenes....Much of 'Oh Hello' struck me as inside jokes that everybody in the audience seemed to get except me."
Front Row Center- Recommended
"There is the barest thread of a story line here and these two give it a nod every once in awhile...Mostly they wander off the reservation and tell stories or offer observations on everything from Lenny Kravitz‘s private parts to a childhood friendship with Robert Durst...About halfway through this show you realize you are never going to catch up so you let go of the reins and hang on for the ride. You realize that you have spent the better part of the past 70 minutes laughing."
WNBC- Recommended
"The show's plot is thin...But you're not there for the plot. You're there to see Kroll and Mulaney's masterful take on Faizon and St. Geegland—two incredibly nuanced and well-rounded characters who manage to be wildly offensive and incredibly lovable at the same time. Both are equally excellent...The laughs rarely slow down in the pitch-perfect show either...Alt-comedy fans will surely love 'Oh, Hello.' But rarely do theatergoers get to see such a refreshing, relatable character study."
Times Square Chronicles- Not Recommended
"This act, by Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, consists of two curmudgeonly old men...Personally I don't get it and the emperor has NO clothes...A series of comedy sketches, where the two try to crack each other up and do most of the time. By the way, unprofessional. There is no plot, arc, nor is it funny. I laughed at maybe one joke. What you get is 100 minutes of stupidity...It's all an inside joke, that I seriously do not get! By the way, a lot of the audience does not get it either."
StageZine- Somewhat Recommended
"Whether one 'gets' the show's humor or not, one cannot ignore the fact that Mr. Kroll and Mr. Delaney have a marvelous chemistry together as a comedy team. The actors, both in their 30s, rely a bit too heavily on old-man stereotypes and insider jokes, but they get laughs regardless, and have a winning gift for improv and highbrow pratfalls. The shtick in 'Oh, Hello on Broadway' isn't for everybody, but there's enough hammy humor here to make the show an offbeat hit."
DC Metro Theater Arts- Not Recommended
"From the moment the houselights dimmed, and Kroll and Mulaney moseyed on from the wings, pandemonium reigned. They were greeted by a huge hand, and for the next 100 minutes laughter followed in waves, erupting about every four or five words...Never have I felt I was such a curmudgeon...I just didn't get it...I know I'm way out of the mainstream on this one...If you don't have any history of this original team, it might be more difficult to get at what they are doing up there."
Manhattan Digest- Recommended
"'Charmed, I'm sure,' says Gil Faizon after nearly every introduction. It's hard not to be...Kroll and Mulaney, who are in their thirties, use an intentional 'budget' elderly look as a tongue and cheek mechanism—and it works wonderfully. The plot is paper thin and the sophomoric jokes abound, but do not be fooled into thinking that this is only for frat-boys. On the contrary, Kroll and Mulaney have a knack for combining Borscht belt yuks with intelligent, existential humor."
Wolf Entertainment Guide- Somewhat Recommended
"I find Kroll and Mulaney funnier in manner and outrageousness—they are very good comics—than in much of their material. However, they often exhibit very savvy comments reflecting knowledge of theater, culture and politics...The sort of humor that will arouse laughter in some and possibly make others uncomfortable. One can say that these cut-ups are an acquired taste...Alex Timbers directs the show with a clear understanding of what makes these entertainers funny."
The Interrobang- Highly Recommended
"Every night Kroll and Mulaney pack the Lyceum Theatre and parade their shticky counterparts in front of appreciative crowds. The result is electric. Expect non-stop laughs, and I mean non-stop...That connection between artists and audience derives in part from the growth from small stage to small screen to big stage. But it also comes from the incredible chemistry between the two performers and the unexpected way in which these exaggerated septuagenarians come to life."
City Cabaret- Somewhat Recommended
"A disorganized, screwy Broadway production...As wacky as 'Oh, Hello' is, the laughs are generous, albeit with a squirmy quality with barely a hint of a theme...You get the point of all this, not that there is really any point. For 30-something Kroll and Mulaney, Comedy Central skit favorites, 'Oh, Hello' is an homage to the magic of Broadway...This free-wheeling look at our city's unique characters is over-the-top yet lovable in a repulsive, hands-off kind of way."
Broadway World- Somewhat Recommended
"The ninety-minute evening allows for bits of improvisational riffing and Kroll and Mulaney have perfected a loose chemistry that plays on a low-key level...While fans of Kroll and Mulaney will no doubt eat it up, 'Oh, Hello on Broadway' tends to lose some steam during the last half-hour...The fact that something as non-traditional and New York-centric as an evening with George St. Geegland and Gil Faizon can play the Lyceum is a welcome sign for the creative health of Gotham's theatre scene."