Los Angeles Times
- Somewhat Recommended
"...The jokes land with clockwork regularity, but "The Sunshine Boys" is only intermittently successful as a dramatic comedy. The play, in revival at the Ahmanson Theatre, has the dated feel of a vintage sitcom - one that predates even "Taxi," the series in which the production's stars, Danny DeVito and Judd Hirsch, last performed together."
LA Weekly
- Recommended
"...This is a gorgeously orchestrated and tender farce under Thea Sharrock's direction."
The Hollywood Reporter
- Recommended
"...But it turns out the laugh's on us, since this sly-footed reprise of the 1972 Neil Simon comedy about a retired vaudeville comedy team still thrashing out old grudges and resentments is anything but toothless, providing some genuine bite and letting deft actors gnarl heartily on roles which remain timeless in their loving specificity."
LA Splash
- Somewhat Recommended
"...From the opening of Act One, DeVito delivers an easiness and comfort that enable's the audience to love his egocentric aging comic sensibilities. Sometimes size does matter and, in this case, DeVito's height and physicality makes the audience forgive him and fall in love with all of his antics. With this said, his fellow actors now have to match his brilliance and, disappointingly, they do not."
StageHappenings.com
- Not Recommended
"...This is not a shabby production, befitting the financial status of the Center Theatre Group, but it had to have been a head-scratcher in the debate of producing it on such a huge stage. DeVito and Hirsch will draw audiences, especially those who loved the old sitcom, Taxi, which the two men starred in, but it's not particularly engrossing as a full and expensive night out."
Examiner
- Recommended
"...But the headliners are the ones who deliver. The production is built for funny. En-terrrr the Ahmanson, and learn the rules."
ArtsBeatLA
- Recommended
"...Despite this foible, Thea Sharrock directs the show extremely well and the entire cast gives really solid and great performances."
ArtsInLA
- Recommended
"...So there's no event and no play, really. All we can feast on is a lot of gags (the Simon specialty) and personality, and fortunately there's just enough of both in Thea Sharrock's mostly crisp staging to get us through a two-hour evening. Hirsch and DeVito possess the effortless chemistry-and more important, the crucially different performing styles-to suggest the strengths and the strains that would be operating on a comedy duo. The poignancy of their final reunion, even though the writing is puerile, is well-earned."
LA Stage Times
- Somewhat Recommended
"...With a little more imagination (and resources - but that shouldn't have been a big problem at this point in Simon's career), the sparring of Willie and Al in 1972 could have provided the framework for a more ambitious play that might have moved beyond the TV picture-frame structure that's onstage at the Ahmanson."
OC Register
- Somewhat Recommended
"...There's one overriding reason to see "The Sunshine Boys" at the Ahmanson Theatre – a reason that stands about five-foot-nothing and behaves like a bellicose fireplug, Danny DeVito."
Neon Tommy
- Somewhat Recommended
"...There's nothing specifically bad about "The Sunshine Boys." Under director Thea Sharrock, all of the individual parts are fine. Particular standouts are Cricket S. Myers' sound design, which works nicely in the Ahmanson, and Bartha ("The Hangover" movies, "Asuncion"), who plays the part of the straight man adeptly and charmingly. The individual parts just don't work together to create an impressive final product."
Frontiers
- Recommended
"...It's hard to think of anyone who can play flip sarcasm better than DeVito, and this diminutive actor has the capacity to be lovable and snarky at the same time. DeVito initially plays beautifully off of Bartha's low-key exasperation as the devoted nephew. When Hirsh eventually enters, he instantly becomes the perfect foil for DeVito. Hirsch's lanky and more dignified Lewis clashes with the ornery and self-centered imp DeVito. Their Mutt-and-Jeff duo is the oddest of couples, providing the perfect chemical catalyst for igniting hilarity."
TheaterMania
- Not Recommended
"...With the producers' need to replace the late Richard Griffiths (who starred alongside DeVito in the London premiere of this production), the casting of two television legends must have looked good on paper. Hirsch and DeVito had such chemistry for years on Taxi. Their banter brought both of them Emmy awards. In a different vehicle, that dynamic would be as bright as sunshine. But because DeVito seems incorrect as the former clown star, Neil Simon's play does not fit the bill."
Hollywood Progressive
- Somewhat Recommended
"...The problem is, other than DeVito and Hirsch's inspired casting, redolent of their offstage back story that mirrors the play's reunification theme, this production of The Sunshine Boys has little else to commend it."
Culture Vulture
- Not Recommended
"...There are some really funny bits such as when the two old guys, both professing to know exactly how the skit went, silently battle each other over furniture placement for rehearsal. The stage absolutely lights up when voluptuous Annie Abrams, the so-called doctor's nurse, vamps up the scene. But none of this can save director Thea Sharrock's slow pacing, the voluminous Ahmanson Theatre's unsuitability for intimate drama, or - let's face it - Simon's own dedication to one-liners. "The Sunshine Boys" is the stuff of forgettable reruns. Not a classic of theater."
Total Theater
- Recommended
"...With Danny DeVito and Judd Hirsch playing the cranky ex-vaudevillians who are persuaded to reunite for a TV special, Simon's 1972 comedy is in good hands."
The Stage Struck Review
- Recommended
"...The crisp direction, the evocative set, and those ever-present, tension-lifting quips which keep a tale of diminishment and bitterness from being maudlin, make for something most enjoyable to watch."
Culver City News
- Not Recommended
"...The pacing, which is akin to the movement of molasses in January in Alaska, set by director, Thea Sharrock does not help. While it is fantastic to be able to see acting legends DeVito and Hirsch live on stage, and they have the acting chops to fill a moment and command the stage, the script itself cannot support such a slow pace. Thus, despite the immense talent on stage, this production drags. The pacing at the start of the second act, which is the rehearsal of their doctor sketch, comes closest to what the pacing should be, and as such it is the most engaging part of the play. However, as soon as the rehearsal is over, the crawling progression forward continues. There is also a decided lack of polish throughout the production including dropped lines and several instances of the curtain getting caught on set pieces."
LifeInLA
- Recommended
"...All in all, this show is a winner."
LA Downtown News
- Recommended
"...Sunshine Boys will spark smiles from those who never tire of the old vaudeville-style routines, or the simple back-and-forth retorts of 1970s sitcoms. This production, though, shows that layered performances of complex relationships are what truly stand the test of time."
Showmag
- Recommended
"...Now, under the well-timed direction of Thea Sharrock, and with a stellar cast headed by Judd Hirsch as Al Lewis and Danny DeVito as Willie Clark, The Sunshine Boys has opened in the Southland at Los Angeles' Ahmanson Theatre, through November 3. It is a tribute to what crafty actors can make out of a script that features two geriatric curmudgeons in the lead roles."
Pat Rye Reviews
- Recommended
"...It's like catching up with old friends you haven't heard from in a while. And the jokes that these talented actor's deliver makes you believe they really do speak in one liners, punch lines and the comedy rule of three. The second act that takes place in the television station is flawless."
Entertainment Weekly
- Recommended
"...But the saving grace is DeVito's cantankerous banter with anyone around him - and the touching way Simon's script makes even the silliest of lines feel like a profound commentary on aging."
Broadway World
- Recommended
"...Even if you are a fan of the movie The Sunshine Boys, you will enjoy this new stage version, mostly due to the fantastic presence of DeVito and Hirsch."
