Los Angeles Times - Recommended
"...But Garcia is the secret weapon in his reworking of "Key Largo." Whether wandering around in a red robe like a debauched emperor or making an exit in the white suite of a Southern swell (the costumes by Linda Cho are all on the money), he wears Rocco's intimating demeanor like a second skin. More impressive still, Garcia make us momentarily forget the illustrious precedent of the movie by keeping us completely absorbed in the machinations of this updated moral caper."
LA Daily News - Highly Recommended
"...Like a frustrated child, Rocco rages against the storm, firing his gun and demanding the thunder stop. And we believe that we are watching a real man in a real hotel lashing back at a real storm. If entertainment takes us out of our theater seats and into a story, this is entertainment indeed."
Broadway World - Recommended
"...Thanks to the skill of Mr. Garcia to dominate the action with his presence, eye-catching, post-World War II period-perfect costumes designed by Linda Cho which certainly add lots of flash to character portrayals, and the skill of director Doug Hughes and fight choreographer Steve Rankin, the raging intensity both outside and inside the KEY LARGO Hotel will keep audiences on the edge of their seats throughout the production, even though most probably know how the story will end, given the popularity of the 1948 film"
Stage and Cinema - Somewhat Recommended
"...The evening isn't a bore by a long shot, it's just not as keyed up as it should be."
The Hollywood Reporter - Not Recommended
"...Director Hughes (Doubt) delivers uneven work from the show's opening scenes, when McCloud meets Nora and Mr. D'Alcala. The three actors stand rooted to their marks delivering lines as audience anticipation deflates. During ensemble scenes where all are present, which is most of the time, secondary castmembers, given nothing to play, stand around and watch whoever is speaking. Like the material, Hughes seems mainly concerned with modulating and shaping Garcia's performance, which he does effectively, escalating Rocco's desperation to the point of helplessness and a justified demise that suggests Garcia might put the scenery on the menu. That would be a shame since it's one of this production's most compelling achievements."
Stage Scene LA - Highly Recommended
"...The Geffen Playhouse reboots a 1948 black-and-white movie classic live in living color in Jeffrey Hatcher and Andy Garcia's rip-roaring World Premiere stage adaptation of the Bogie-&-Bacall suspense thriller Key Largo, directed with abundant flair by Tony winner Doug Hughes."
Cultural Weekly - Recommended
"...Armed with cash and a thuggish crew, Rocco finds a way to subvert justice and tries to coerce McCloud to aid his getaway. But McCloud stands his ground and calls his bluff, giving Rocco a literal run for his money. To paraphrase the Bard, the purpose of theater is to hold a mirror up to reality and reflect it back in a way that's enlightening and cathartic. The parallels in this reimagined Key Largo are self-evident to anyone who's followed the news or the tweets. Whether you find this production hits too close to home or whether you find it cathartic, the cast acquits itself admirably with conviction."
Stage Raw - Not Recommended
"...The other disappointing depiction is of the feisty D'Alcala. With McCloud functioning as the cynical anti-hero, it falls to this character to articulate all the hokey sentiments and righteous anger typical of post-World War II American pop culture, preserved in this contemporary adaptation. It's a pitfall Plana hasn't managed to escape in a disappointingly declamatory performance. He also seemed rather too vigorous and healthy for his character, a disabled man in a shuttered hotel deeply grieving his lost son."
Haines His Way - Not Recommended
"...The real star of the show is John Lee Beatty's amazingly detailed and beautifully constructed scenic design which also artfully begins to self-destruct during the hurricane. Great storm tech is also provided by Alex Hawthorn's sound design as well as Kaczorowski's lighting. Outside of its technical elements, Key Largo is missing a lot of key ingredients."
On Stage and Screen - Not Recommended
"...Overall, this substance of this production never quite manages to live up to its high-quality packaging. Perhaps gangster stories are just better off on the big screen."
On Stage Blog - Not Recommended
"...The staging by director Doug Hughes is a little dull in the beginning, as GI Frank McCloud (Danny Pino) pays a visit to the hotel to meet the widow and father of a fallen soldier, Victor D'Alcala. Victor's wife Nora (Rose McIver) lives with her blind father-in-law Mr. D'Alcala (Tony Plana) inside the hotel. It's hard to compete with Bogart and Bacall's performance in the movie, and unfortunately Pino and McIver lack the chemistry to make their scenes captivating to watch during the first Act. I was more interested in appreciating the 1940s period costumes by Linda Cho, and the weather changing outside the hotel."
