back to top

back to top

“Lillian Hellman’s prequel to 'The Little Foxes' convincingly explains how the monstrous Regina Hubbard Giddens... got that way... An intense, highly enjoyable production… the performances are impeccably forceful.”

“Hellman's dialogue... crackle[s] with wit- the melodrama increasingly reads as camp and very enjoyably so- and the actors manage to wring both sympathy and humor from their despicable characters. Lavinia [is] brilliantly played by Elizabeth Norment.”

“Dan Wackerman's production, on a spacious, effective set by Joseph Spirito, handles this demanding script effectively... That the play seems intense rather than overdone or crude indicates how well its spirit has been caught: Its sheer nastiness, its open negativity convey an almost tonic exhilaration. The acting, overall, is solid... Howard, forceful yet varied, almost mercurial, as the patriarch, comes off best; Norment and Curtis second him particularly well.”

“A terrific production of a terrific play… see if you can take your eyes off Dan Wackerman's production...  one of the best theatrical events of the decade.”

“If you want an evening of pure entertainment in the theater head over to the Peccadillo Theater Company’s production of Another Part of the Forest and delight... Director Dan Wackerman has put together a cast of outstanding actors, perfectly suited to their roles in what may be the most enjoyable show currently running in New York.”

“Delectable…served up with zest…filled with a number of terrific performances.”

“An accomplished production of a significant play…Thanks again to Peccadillo for rescuing yet another gem from obscurity.”

“... a corker of a melodrama filled with colorful dialogue and well plotted one-upsmanship throughout. Fluidly directed by Dan Wackerman... For those who know and admire The Little Foxes this will be a particular treat.”

“The Peccadillo Theatre Company... has come roaring back with a superb production of Lillian Hellman’s Another Part of the Forest... Peccadillo’s production, beautifully directed by Dan Wackerman, makes a fine case for this play as a forgotten American classic, and the actors are just wonderful. Sherman Howard is appalling (and I mean that in a good way) as the vile Marcus, and Matthew Floyd Miller is brilliantly devious as Benjamin."

“... a taut, compelling drama brought vividly to life by The Peccadillo Theater Company under the direction of Dan Wackerman. Filled with Hellman's trademark stings and arrows... it's delicious fun to watch the carnage unfold. It's smartly cast and crisply performed, and when you're done with the Hubbards you'll be grateful your family isn't as dysfunctional as theirs!"

back to top

“Singularly captivating. Zero Hour is a success. Brochu is the spitting image of the bearish Mostel, down to the strands of hair barely covering his head. His wildly expressive gestures are particularly spot on. It brings Mostel back to life, just the way his fans want him.”

“It all flows and provides plenty of big laughs as well as hushed drama. After a while, you stop caring whether a particular line is Brochu’s or Mostel’s; all you know is that you’ve been privy to the work of a great comedian.”

“We owe Jim Brochu a debt of gratitude for Zero Hour, an extraordinary act of reincarnation that restores the outsize actor to us in all of his daunting dimensions. From the moment that Brochu spins around to face the audience, he is a Hirschfeld drawing come to pulsing life! You can’t help being swept up in the tornado of energy as Brochu’s star turn conjures forth a Zero larger than life and death.”

“Frequently funny and always engaging, Brochu evokes the kind of prickle on the back of the neck usually delivered by David Lynch movies.”

“The rumors of Zero Mostel's death have apparently been greatly exaggerated. Jim Brochu recalls his subject so uncannily in looks, voice and anarchic spirit that one immediately wants to see him in revivals of "Forum" and "Fiddler." Thirty-two years after Mostel's untimely death, it's a pleasure to have him back on the boards.”

“Very funny. Brochu's living restoration has brought Mostel's larger-than-life personality back into the spotlight for a laugh-filled, much-welcomed presentation."

back to top

“The Peccadillo Theater, under the direction of Dan Wackerman, is known for burnishing forgotten gems. Johnny On A Spot would seem to be well with-in their aera of expertise ... with a brilliant comic turn by Margery Beddow, as a Southern cathouse madam, this revival of Charles MacArthur’s 1942 political farce follows a Southern governor’s well-oiled run for senate, a campaign that continues merrily on long after the illustrious governor drops dead. He gets elected anyway, despite his lack of a pulse. Viewers of the recent Republican Convention may experience a jolt of deja vu.”

“Any play that includes the cry ‘Politics isn’t women’s business!’ is certainly of the moment. The fact that Johnny On A Spot is set on the eve of a senatorial election and scandal is involved makes it even more topical. Charles MacArthur’s spirited satire of Southern politics first saw the light in 1942, but it seems that politicians and scandal form a twosome that still insists on going steady ... The production is from the estimable Peccadillo Theater Company ... this agressively physical farce has enough spin to make you dizzy. Such turns as a prison inmate who finds God, a severe case of rigor mortis, and swooping birds of prey help keep the plot revolving until final curtain ... Ably supported by the attractive [Ellen] Zolezzi, [Carter] Roy adroitly drives the play’s engine, serving as the linchpin of the production. The crazy comedic style demanded by the proceedings is indeed a small gem.”

“The best script on my week’s itinerary, produced by the company from which I expect most, was Charles MacArthur’s 1942 farce, Johnny On A Spot, a sublimely cynical (and divinely up-to-date) study of crooked electorial shenanigans down South.”

“Fans of door-slamming farce or theater history will find much to appreciate. As always, Peccadillo doesn’t skimp on bodies. The 2-hour, 20-minute romp features 16 actors. Mark Manley as pliant Judge Webster and Ellen Zolezzi as the governor’s honest secretary are standouts. The actors are in splendid pastel costumes by Gail Cooper-Hecht, on a regal set by Joseph Spirito.”

“The cast’s performances range from good to excellent, demonstrating the precision line delivery, fearless goofiness, and over-the-top physicality needed to make screwball comedy work. As Barbara Webster, the cunningly ditsy and lovelorn niece of a corrupt judge, Laura Daniel shows off each of these attributes to perfect comic effect, crafting the play’s standout performance. Ellen Zolezzi, who portrays Julie Glynn, Governor Upjohn’s sarcastic, though loyal secretary devastatingly deadpans her way through Johnny On A Spot... Director Dan Wackerman keeps everything properly manic and, not to be undervalued, coherent.

Although Wackerman’s direction is solid, he is most impressive as the Peccadillo’s artistic director. It takes admirable integrity to execute a production that broadens your audience’s historical appreciation of theater, while also risking the alienation of this audience in the process. Of course Wackerman could have excised a few characters and some dialogue, sanitizing Johnny On A Spot and thus avoiding potential controversy, but his choice was braver. Wackerman respected his audience’s intelligence, allowing it to judge for itself MacArthur’s strengths and faults.”

“... Margery Beddow [gives a] wonderful portrayal of Pearl LaMonte, the late governor’s girlfriend and proprietor of the establishment where he met his untimely demise ... In addition to Beddow, other standouts in the show include [Dale] Carman as Doc, (who gets the final laugh of the play), and Wayne Henry as Pepi Pisano, a bodyguard for the Governor. Also worthy of mention are [Mark] Manley as Judge Webster and Robert O’Gorman as the Commissioner of Public Works ... The set by Joseph Spirito is lovely, giving the feeling of opulence required for the Governor’s offices, while Gail Cooper-Hecht’s costumes nicely evoke the period depicted.”

back to top

[Morning Star] “is warm-hearted and sentimental but with a pinch of spice that keeps the plot’s melodramas and bromides from cloying. The set (designed by Joseph Spirito) is attractive and the dialogue ... has a tartness to it... Under the able direction of Dan Wackerman, the Peccadillo Theater Company brings a rough-edged spunk to the working class roles.”

[Morning Star] “is involving... driven by rapid entrances and exits, slammed doors, tirades, sudden needs for air and life-shattering external events. Director Dan Wackerman doesn’t get in the way of the locomotive, but lets if rip through the theater. [Susan] Greenhill, in a role created by Molly Picon, makes for an endearingly human center of the saga ... Like a good Jewish mother [Syliva] Regan knew enough not to let her actors or the audience leave hungry.”

“... audiences in the market for unassuming old-style entertainment with juicy characters and plenty of schmaltz are likely to find Morning Star mighty pleasing.”

[Wackerman has] “assembled a pleasant cast to tread set designer Joseph Spirito’s cheerfully cluttered boards... Standouts include newcomer Darcy Yellin as Fanny, Steve Sterner as the amorous tenant Aaron and Susan Greenhill as Becky... Wackerman hits the jokes hard, but he also emphasizes the play’s sentimentality, sending audience members, and even the occasional critic, scrabbling in their bags for tissues.”

“Director Dan Wackerman... clearly has a strong affection and feel for these vintage plays... he has elicited good work from the performers, who manage to convey a truthful feel for the period...”

“The evening is loaded with vitality... The Peccadillo Theater Company’s revival of Morning Star vigorously twinkles.”

“... the production uses the family dynamic to great advantage... Wackerman’s use of the set (excellently designed by Joseph Spirito) is masterful... [Morning Star] crackles with wit, energy, and genuine pathos...”

back to top

“The Peccadillo Theater Company has its very entertaining production of the 1930’s comedy Room Service revved up to warp speed … Only professionals, like the ones at work here, can maintain a frenetic pace while remaining completely in control. Only total committment ... can sell such empty-headed stuff. The Marx Brothers apparently didn’t bring that to their 1938 film version ... but the Peccadillo cast does. Scott Evans makes a fine young innocent from Oswego ... and Dale Carman as the hotel’s beleagured manager looks as if steam might shoot out of his ears at any moment. The most admirable performance of the bunch, though, comes from Fred Burman... he turns a throwaway moment... into a show-stopping bit of comedy... credit Dan Wackerman, the director, with knowing how to make sure key lines and plot turns aren’t lost in the blur.”

“Peccadillo Theatre presents a suave and cunning revival of the 1937 show-biz farce… under the able direction of Dan Wackerman, the thirties gags receive the proper period accents, making for some colorful and outrageous antics.”

“Peccadillo's two 2005 offerings, Counsellor-at-Law and Ladies of the Corridor, both had Off Broadway commercial transfers. Room Service, which probably generates more laughs than any nonmusical in town, seems a candidate to do the same.”

“The Peccadillo Theater Company production [of Room Service], staged by their gifted artistic director, Dan Wackerman gets things gloriously right. Every outmoded period costume, wacky intonation, breakneck manuveur is on target; Both the times and the timing are cannily captured... The leads are flawless... Room Service is nearly 70 years old, but in this youthful production it capers as frolicsomely as the sassiest pup.”

“I'd be hard-pressed to imagine a funnier, more loving production than the Peccadillo Theater Company's. Director Dan Wackerman drives a polished, smooth-running machine at full speed, steady even when it looks as though the wheels might come off. With such seamless ensemble work, it's a disservice to single out a performer."

“Farce is the trickiest of theatrical genres to pull off -- it requires on-the-nose timing and cocksure bravado -- but this production, directed with zany aplomb by Dan Wackerman, is funny enough to take your mind off anything short of a death sentence.”

“Probably the best opportunity New Yorkers will get this summer to really laugh—that gleeful, guffawing kind of laughter. For this comic vehicle is sturdily built and… under Dan Wackerman’s rapid-transit direction, the play is given a rollicking revival that would make the authors, John Murray and Allen Boretz, smile. It’s also remarkably well cast, and when the cast begins singing “Abide With Me,” it’s the icing on a delicious comic cake.”

“Director Dan Wackerman has baked a nearly perfect theatrical soufflé. Wackerman previously proved his mastery of this period two years ago with his outstanding revival of Elmer Rice's Counsellor-at-Law. All that any ticket buyer looking for a good time needs to know is that with Room Service, Wackerman has done it again.”

“This is absolutely as good as it gets.”

“I dare you to find a funnier two hours in town than this gem of a production.”

back to top

“Frothy! ... The Talk of the Town draws from a sizable reservoir of snappy remarks... A singing and dancing anthology.”

“Ginny Redington and Tom Dawes's well-crafted period-style songs are genuinely clever, and the classic quips briskly deployed throughout, still crackle.”

[The Talk of the Town is] “a marvelous original musical... Everything about the show is remarkable, starting with the casting... Redington and Dawes have gone beyond the brittle comedy for which the Algonquin-ites are so fondly remembered to suggest that the lives beneath the brittle surface were full of frustration... The show has been sensitively directed by Dan Wackerman and elegantly choreographed by Mercedes Ellington. It captures the spirit of New York at a particularly dazzling moment.”

“What a pleasure for a critic to be able to like a show not only from top to bottom, but also from side to side... [The show is] called The Talk of the Town, and that’s what it should be... you’d swear it is [the actual members of the Algonquin Roundtable] you see and hear, so very much like their prototypes are the splendid singing actors who impersonate -- no, embody them. The lyrics are cunning... and the music matches the words. It manages to be clever, melancholy, sentimental, biting, and heart-wrenching... And the book [is] a canny gleaning of these funny folks’ best witticisms ... the way Dan Wackerman has directed, and Mercedes Ellington moved around, the actors brings out every scintilla of their talent at its most scintillating.”

“Dan Wackerman’s direction makes the most of [the Oak Room] space, and his cast -- including the tart Kristin Maloney as Parker, the suave Jarod Bradshow as Benchley, and the flavorful Donna Coney Island as Ferber -- acts well and sings even better.”

“Impersonation of the famous is never easy, but this production under Dan Wackerman’s crisp direction is remarkably well cast ... Biering’s Kaufman and Tweardy’s Sherwood look and sound just right.”

[Chris Weikel] “displays all the effervescence and comic timing I’ve known him for and also proves himself every bit Maloney’s equal in delving into his character’ more tender side... The score... is marvelously understated, and their lyrics are nearly as clever as all those famous quotes -- no small feat! ... old fashioned New York elegance is still alive -- and still fun!”

“What Fresh Musical is This? Sure to become a favorite among connoisseurs of scathing Manhattan wit. It's hard to imagine another musical within a thousand mile radius of the Algonquin's Rose Room which can match The Talk of the Town for cleverness, sophistication and period tunefulness. We need stuff like this on Broadway.”

“A tuneful score that captures the group's buoyant highs as well as the inevitable lows with lyrics that honor the characters' spirit and wit.” [Selected as one of the Best of 2004]

“Delightfully entertaining. Whimsical! Naughty! Crisply directed. A captivating cast. The music captures the spirit of the Round Table as deftly as do the spoken words. This playfully glowing gem deserves a long and healthy life of its own after this run.”

“If you love good musical-comedy theater, get thee to Richardson's Eisemann Center...Peccadillo's production, with an all-Equity cast and spiffy musical accompaniment by Mark Janas, is a pure delight...The lyrics are especially winning, in a Stephen Sondheim by way of Meredith Wilson by way of Forbidden Broadway tone...The cast also excels, particularly Kristin Maloney as the arch but lovelorn Dorothy Parker. Her Act 2 number, The Faces That We Wear, could easily be a pop hit..."

“--what we got at the Eisemann tonight was a thoroughly enjoyable and witty musical review...The performers have been living these characters for some time and are, across the board, excellent actors and singers.

back to top

"Entertainment in abundace radiates from the sparkling new production of the old Elmer Rice drama, Counsellor-At-Law... Admirably carpentered and briskly paced ... throbs with New York life and brims with touchstones of another time... [Counsellor-At-Law is] given rich life by the Tony Award winning John Rubinstein (Children of a Lesser God) at the head of a splendid cast of 20 ... Under the direction of Dan Wackerman, Simon is a loveably imperfect up-from-the-streets victor in the race to capture the American Dream... The play and the players make the audience care.”

"[A] “revelation... Rice’s large-scale piece... turns out to be nearly as fine in its brash way as the half dozen best American plays... Using 20 actors in 23 roles... Wackerman not only kept the traffic orderly and the pace breakneck, but built at least half a dozen performances of major substance. The show belongs to its title character; John Rubinstein, pacing and growling, evoked the jut-jawed bulldog tenacity of late-period Cagney. High among his most able supporters were Mary Carver, as his mother, Lanie MacEwan, as the ultimate faithful secretary... and Tara Sands... as the office’s frenetic receptionist... That Wackerman... could not only bring off Rice’s busy mosaic, but also give it a contemporary vividness without trashing its period tone, suggests that he has both love and respect for our predecessors...”

"In this polished revival of Elmer Rice’s 1939 drama, the Tony-winning actor John Rubinstein gives a dynamic performance as a Jewish society lawyer in a profession dominated by white-shoe Wasps... With an elegant monochrome set (featuring a stunning nineteen-thirties skyline) by Chris Jones. Directed by Dan Wackerman.”

"... a sterling revival of an American classic, with a solid cast headed by force of nature John Rubinstein ... heads of institutions who traffic in big-scale revivals ... should study how director Dan Wackerman makes the most of limited resources by casting smartly and sticking to the spirit and letter of the work. Counsellor-At-Law is that rarity among revivals -- an authentic newly found treasure. Rubinstein ... drives Rice’s play as if it were a vintage Mercedes... The production is handsomely designed and although it clocks in at three hours, there’s nary a longeur.”

[A] “spectacular revival of Elmer Rice’s 1931 Counsellor-At-Law... the casting here is impeccable... Wackerman has turned a sprawling, potentially cumbersome play into a compelling, hugely entertaining evening of theater ... Lanie MacEwan is unusually powerful as Simon’s super-devoted secretary... Robert O’Gorman has a brilliant scene where holds the audience on the edge of its seats with uproarious comedy... Most important, Rubinstein captures all the complexity of Simon and makes his hunger for success oddly, painfully moving... Amy Bradshaw’s costumes are perfection.”

“... director Dan Wackerman bring[s] the piece to sparking vitality through direction that emphasizes the strength of Rice’s plot and encourages outstanding performances from his cast members. The ensemble cast features great performances, especially David Lavine, a young communist brutalized by police, and Beth Glover as Simon’s newly acquired trophy (and gentile) wife, but the real gem in this production lies in the performance of Rubinstein as Simon.”

“Entertaining... [Rubinstein is] electric [and has] unquenchable energy!”

“It’s the kind of play -- and the kind of production -- that you long to see on Broadway!”

“I’ve grown accustomed to being totally delighted by Peccadillo... Dan Wackerman has a golden knack... this one is a solid, solid winner!”

back to top

[Jane is] “sparkingly directed by Dan Wackerman with a great sense of comedic pace and eye for telling gesture. The play is packed with sharp one-liners that expose the reverberant shallowness of the characters social world... Mort Kroos ... and Roland Johnson... create a comic snap on a par with the script at its best.”

“... Jane proves to have held up remarkably well--blessed with charm, grace, and wit.... [The actors] were great fun to watch and listen to in the leading roles. Much of the needed ambiance was created by Chris Jones’ lovely setting...”

“[A] splendid revival... [a] delectable 1952 comedy about some WASPs living in London in the late ‘30s. All of the characters... are so amusingly upper crust...”

“Given the state of contemporary theatre economics, it is companies such as the Peccadillo... that have earned and deserve the support of the theatre-going public.”

back to top

“... As unyielding and coruscating a portrait of women before feminism as I have ever seen. Leading a cast of 14, Susan Jeffries is heart-breaking in the rapture of love with a younger man, and in Jo Anne Cunningham’s Connie, you see the vulnerability in the tough career woman... It’s difficult to keep an audience laughing when wisecracks are all that hold you back from the abyss, but under Dan Wackerman’s direction, The Peccadillo’s production never falters.”

[The Ladies of the Corridor] is “a remarkable 1953 play… Peggy Cowles gives a gripping performance as a genteel matron who blackmails her middle-aged son... Patricia Randell is riveting as an alcoholic wife who fled her philandering husband, and Susan Jeffries is painful to watch, but excellent, as a widow who ruins a romance with a much younger man--well played by Kelly AuCoin... Directed with Mankiewicz flair by Dan Wackerman.”

“The ladies are all marvelous with Libby George hat-pin sharp as a Southern fried kleptomaniac.”

“Parker’s trademark acerbic wit is evident throughout this well-acted revival.”

“Artistic Director Dan Wackerman… has done a solid job with this drama. His cast is impeccable and he has allowed the play to stand on its own merits without any intrusive directorial touches. The Eisenhower era is beautifully evoked…”

“[Peggy Cowles as Grace Nichols...] “has a Victorian elegance, and her face is a fine-tuned canvas that conveys each emotional pitch to perfection. Chris Jones’ somber set and Amy C. Bradshaw’s costumes define the period to perfection...”

“... a beautiful and touching production. The lyricism of Dan Wackerman’s direction and the riveting performances by every member of the cast make this one of the best things to see on any stage right now.”

back to top

“Sheer old-fashioned stylishness... lusciously lurid... this new production [of The Shanghai Gesture]... provides an oportunity to see what all the early uproar and outrage were about... Jade Wu delivers a formidable performance... more atmospheric musical entertainment is to be found here than at Flower Drum Song. With Mother God Damn around, nights need not be dull.”

“Brian Linden gives a remarkable, attuned and nuanced performance as Ceasar-Hawkins, essentially Mother God Damn's servant... The fine Jade Wu as Mother God Damn delivers a glittering and impressive... performance, exactly as called for by the script.”

“Beautifully acted… [The Shanghai Gesture is] “handsomely presented… [by]… the estimable Peccadillo company.”

“Wackerman… [gets] a fiery performance from Jade Wu as Mother God Damn. Richard Bekins plays… Sir Guy Charteris with both the lust and the detached coldness the character requires.”

back to top

“O’Hara was known for his dialogue, and the banter [in Veronique] is swift, clever, and revealing of character. In the astute hands of both director and cast, the play moves like a streamlined train.”

“[John O’Hara’s Veronique] “paints a bright intense picture of a vanished [Greenwich] Village.”

“Veronique is being given a deft... compelling production... The play crackles with witty, expert, authentic-seeming dialogue...”

back to top

“… so passionate that it [All God’s Chillun Got Wings] brought tears to my eyes… Off Off-Broadway at it’s best.”

[All God’s Chillun Got Wings is]…”refreshingly reconceived… beautifully rendered… a gem.”

back to top

[Dawn Powell’s Jig Saw is] “… energetically directed… a competent, attractive cast.”

“Director Dan Wackerman has assembled all the elements of a first-rate revival [of Jig Saw].”

“The Peccadillo Theater Company has just opened a sparkling revival of Dawn Powell’s 1934 satire Jig Saw… this production glitters like bright snow treacherously melting in winter light. Letty is played with edgy brilliance by Susan Jeffries.”

back to top

“Smart and well-paced… Younger audiences will likely be surprised to learn it is not a new play.”

“Well-acted, fantastically danced, and beautifully designed… The audience was so pleased with it… a few members gave it a standing ovation.”

back to top

“Nicole Ravenna delivers a vivacious and energetic performance as April… Philip Levy finds a way to make the unscrupulous Hollywood huckster Harry Hubris a genuinely comic figure.”

“Congratulations to Dan Wackerman for imaginatively reviving S. J. Perelman’s rococo comedy.”

[The Beauty Part is] “… more fun than a barrel of Monkey Business.”

“One of off Off-Broadway’s most creative theatrical outfits.”

back to top

“The best of Off Off-Broadway for 1997”

“… brilliantly revived… masterly presented… The audience was completely mesmerized… [Carl] Cofield is a marvelous actor. His portrayal of Eben is unforgettable.”

“The Peccadillo Theatre Company is meticulous with details... an outstanding performance by Devora Millman...”

back to top

“Most Innovative revival for 1997”

“This great archeological discovery [In A Garden] should have had all of New York knocking at the door.”

“The directorial choice that really blew us away this season... was Wackerman’s decision to line the doorsills and window frames on the set for Phillip Barry’s meta-drawing-room-comedy In a Garden with lines and phrases from the play.”

back to top

“The play was cast extremely well, and the director was adroit in helping actors energize their roles... Gayle Kelly Landers... was outstanding.”

“Kahn has a flair for the snappy, rapid-fire dialogue of classic screwball. [Dan Wackerman]... keeps the action going at a good, brisk pace...”

back to top

“The Silver Cord is fascinating and fun… Dan Wackerman has directed with an impeccable sense of style; and the actors are beautifully and richly costumed by Susan Soetaert.”

[Peccadillo’s production of The Silver Cord] “…ropes you in… Its madness is just realism with a bit of mascara.”

“Dan Wackerman’s direction is excellent; he places and moves his actors with admirable subtley throughout.”

back to top

[Tiny Closets] “...comes to a stunning climax…. Shocking even by today’s standards. Dale Carman is sensationally good…”

back to top

back to top