Los Angeles Times - Somewhat Recommended
"...Or it could, except that this revival, despite its visual beauty (a lovely spare set by Melissa Ficociello and breathtaking lighting by Elizabeth Harper) and Michael Michetti's technically competent direction, has a curious emotional flatness."
LA Weekly - Recommended
"...Frank Galati's much-admired 1988 adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath is being presented by classical rep company A Noise Within, in a staging by Michael Michetti that's so evocative, so enveloped in musicality (a quintet of live musicians wanders the stage) and acted with such tender restraint, Steinbeck's empathy and wisdom provide both a cautionary tale and balm on the wounds of our current political folly."
Backstage - Recommended
"...A Noise Within's stellar production of Frank Galati's 1990 Tony Award–winning stage adaptation honors the novel's messages, bringing the work to the stage in a way that is sincere, memorable, and deeply relevant."
Edge - Recommended
"...The show runs for approximately three hours so make sure you buckle up! You're in for one heck of a ride, but in the end "The Grapes of Wrath" is definitely worth the trip."
Stage and Cinema - Recommended
"...A Noise Within's production is agonizing but beautifully realized; it is an excellent example of how a classic text ought to be presented. They are indebted to Michael Michetti who weaves all the elements together in an exquisite fashion and serves Steinbeck's celebrated work with a riveting immediacy and inventive flair that does indeed rip you to rags."
Stage Scene LA - Recommended
"...For a textbook example of how to turn an epic, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel into a Tony-winning play, and then make it one of the most powerful-and breathtakingly theatrical-productions around town, head on over to Pasadena to catch the gritty magic that director Michael Michetti has conjured up at A Noise Within."
StageHappenings.com - Somewhat Recommended
"...ANW has given us a flawed but valid production to see and cherish for our own selfish reasons."
Examiner - Recommended
"...If you can bear remembering the pains of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, this production is well worth seeing during our own economic hard times. Perhaps it will inspire random acts of kindness."
LA Stage Times - Somewhat Recommended
"...Any condensed version of an epic novel runs the risk that the characters are boiled down to a few superficial strokes, and Galati's script doesn't entirely escape this quality. However, the actors fill in some of the details wordlessly."
On Stage Los Angeles - Somewhat Recommended
"...Of late, A Noise Within has had a penchant for making their audiences endure overly long productions and this one is no exception. Had the lumbering set changes and monumental gaps as characters come and go been filled with energy, it might have been possible to come in in under two hours instead of the current two hours and forty minutes. Even a sad story needs the fundamental essence of good staging. Energy."
LA Progressive - Recommended
"...With imaginative mise-en-scene, sets, props and an integrated use of live music, A Noise Within's production brings the Homeric, heroic odyssey of the Joad family from Oklahoma to California vividly, memorably alive."
Culture Spot LA - Recommended
"...For all its period quaintness, "The Grapes of Wrath" is a compelling story that has withstood the test of time. A Noise Within's production does the Pultizer Prize-winning novel justice with its toe-tapping, good-time vibe seasoned with menacing undertones. The elegance of the venue is the cherry on top."
The Stage Struck Review - Not Recommended
"...In short, go see this powerful piece. Go early, if you can, to hear a live concert of folk songs and protest songs of the era, sung by the cast's collection of musicians."
