Here’s What the Critics Are Saying About Bill Burr’s Broadway Debut
When the stunt casting (let’s call it what it is) was announced for the Broadway revival of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross, one name stood out as an outlier. Two of the stars, Kieran Culkin and Bob Odenkirk, weren’t known for their theater prowess, but both had delivered award-worthy turns in Succession and Better Call Saul. Heck, Culkin is coming off Emmy and Oscar wins. Hard to question the acting credentials with these guys.
But the third name, comedian Bill Burr, was another matter. Up until now, Burr’s most famous acting credit might be a two-episode stint on The Mandalorian. Could the guy who did the voice work in Grand Theft Auto IV master the Broadway stage? The reviews are in, and by most accounts, Burr delivered. Here’s what the critics have to say…
The Associated Press: “Burr — perhaps the least expected to shine on theater’s biggest stage — almost steals the show, perfect for the volcanic Dave Moss, a twitchy ball of fury unleashing f-bombs at a machine-gun rate, which seems in synch with Burr’s diatribes about modern culture. He turns out to be the most comfortable with Mamet’s tricky dialogue.”
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Hollywood Reporter: “Another knockout debut … making uproarious music out of Moss’ strings of expletives. It’s no surprise that the seasoned comic has flawless timing.”
Deadline: “Then there’s Dave Moss, the perfectly cast stand-up comic Bill Burr, the most bullying of the gang of bullies willing to go above and beyond even the unethical tactics his colleagues use to climb the chart.”
The Guardian: “This is a cast heavy with comic experience — Burr seems to juice some extra laughs just by obviously being Bill Burr, still working in his stand-up-rant rhythms.”
New York Magazine: “Burr plays Moss with a comedian’s ear for rhythm, setting up each blunt force blow and devious jab like so many cans to be shot off a fence. It works — there’s not much soul in Dave Moss to go digging for.”
Variety: “Bill Burr’s Dave Moss, a schemer whose manipulations set the plot in motion, puts forward his plans in light and unaffected I-was-just-wondering patter, perhaps drawn from Burr’s own professional background as a comedian.”
USA Today: “If coffee’s for closers only, then Bill Burr deserves a double espresso. The irreverent stand-up comic sets off fireworks in Glengarry Glen Ross. … Making his Broadway debut, Burr is a cyclone as the fast-talking, double-dealing Dave Moss.”
TheaterMania: “Burr is the most comfortable of the three (leads) with Mamet-speak, embodying Moss’ seething resentment with threatening force.”
Entertainment Weekly: “It’s common knowledge that Burr and cursing go hand-in-hand, so it makes sense that his take on Moss is filled to the brim with unbridled rage and an arsenal of insults at the ready. While his performance is perhaps the most one-dimensional, he successfully launches each and every attack against his coworkers with viper-like precision, picking them apart and leaving no scraps behind.”
Of course, no one can earn a perfect score. The New York Times was one of the few outlets panning Burr's performance, declaring that the comic was "working too hard at being sweaty and nervous.”
