Review Recap: ‘Becky Shaw’ Original Broadway Production

Podcast: BroadwayRadio
Host: Matt Tammanini
Air Date: April 7, 2026

Episode Overview

Matt Tammanini provides a comprehensive roundup of critical reactions to the long-awaited Broadway premiere of Gina Gionfriddo’s biting comedy, Becky Shaw, which opened at the Helen Hayes Theater via Second Stage. Originally premiering off-Broadway in 2008 (and a Pulitzer finalist), the show finally arrives on Broadway to an enthusiastic critical reception—with overwhelmingly positive reviews and strong plaudits for its cast, direction, and irreverent social commentary.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Critical Reception and General Response

• Broad Consensus:

  • Out of 14 reviews aggregated by Did They Like It?, 12 were positive and 2 were mixed, with none negative. (00:26)
  • Critics broadly praised the play’s dark humor, sharp writing, and dynamic staging.

• Production Details:

  • Directed by Trip Coleman, lauded as “one of the absolute best with dealing with modern plays and especially comedies.” (00:31)
  • Principal cast includes Patrick Ball, Madeline Brewer (as Becky Shaw), Alden Ehrenreich, Linda Amand, and Lauren Patton.

• Plot Overview:

  • The plot centers around a blind date gone spectacularly wrong, with characters who are all notably flawed and often unlikable, contributing to the play’s biting comic edge.

Critic Highlights & Memorable Quotes

• Laura Collins-Hughes, The New York Times (01:22)

  • Critic’s Pick, but with a caution: the review is notably spoiler-heavy.
  • Quote: “It feels significant that not a single female character in Becky Shaw is likable. All three are pretty off putting really… These characters aren't likable at all, yet they do the job so well. We don't need them to be.” (02:01)
  • Praised the fast pace, expertly landed laugh lines, and a cast that excels despite the off-putting qualities of their characters.

• Matt Tammanini’s Take on NYT Review (01:02)

  • Criticizes the NYT for including too many spoilers: “Don’t read this review if you want to see the show… Why is the New York Times spoiling everything about a show?”

• Sarah Holdren, Vulture (03:00)

  • Quote: “In a moment when so much theater puts on kid gloves… it can be bracing to have a play walk right up and slap you across the face. That's how Trip Coleman's taut Take no Prisoners production plays it. The pulse is allegro, the casual tone spiked with gasp inducing wickedness.”

• Adam Feldman, Time Out New York (03:35)

  • 5 out of 5 stars.
  • Quote: “Becky Shaw is highly entertaining, a laugh a minute play whose comedic concerns are refreshingly up to date... what bumps it to the next level… are the philosophical questions behind the banter. Can love be bought? When does support become manipulation? How might what seems more or less like a one night stand come to mean more or mean less?”

• Juan A. Ramirez, Theaterly (04:06)

  • Applauds the “dynamism” of Trip Coleman’s direction and the uniformly strong cast.
  • Quote: “…the type [of comedy] that punches every which way without stooping to aimless scrappy doo belligerence.”

• Hayley Levitt, Theatremania (04:26)

  • Focuses on Gina Gianfriddo's boldness as a playwright.
  • Quote: “It's Gina Gianfredo's iron guts that make an incisive, observant, scathing and hilarious play like Becky Shaw possible.”

• Shayna Russell, Entertainment Weekly (04:38)

  • Strong praise for the script’s dark humor and clever simplicity.
  • Quote: “On the merit of its script alone, Becky Shaw is a rousing success. Not only is it deliciously darkly hilarious, it's excitingly clever in its simplicity.”

Cast Standouts

• Madeline Brewer (Becky Shaw) (05:04)
  • Compared to comic legend Madeline Kahn—a “high compliment in a comedy.”
• Alden Ehrenreich (Max) (05:18)
  • Several critics highlight his standout performance.
  • Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post:
    • Quote: “A major talent... his idiosyncratic, casually vicious, worryingly lovable Max is one of the season's must see performances. Smart and sharp, he's the love child of Jesse Eisenberg's Mark Zuckerberg and Johnny Walker.” (05:30)

Mixed Reviews

• Adrian Horton, The Guardian (06:00)
  • Cites a “second act slump,” blaming the show’s structure rather than the performances.
  • Quote: “The aftermath of Becky and Max's unseen date are downstream conversations between characters that reveal the lopsidedness of their constitutions.”

Final Thoughts & Additional Praise

• Chris Jones, New York Daily News (06:23)
  • Quote: “…this keenly observed and highly entertaining play now on Broadway at Second Stage's Helen Hayes Theatre under the unpretentious but lively direction of Trip Coleman, seems to have been lying in wait for this particular moment when we're finally waking up to the consequences of a society that somehow decided every deeply felt emotion was worth both focus and validation.”

Notable Timestamps

• 00:01: Episode intro and overview
• 00:26: Overview of aggregated critic response
• 01:22 / 02:01: The New York Times review and discussion of spoilers
• 03:00 - 06:30: Major critical quotes and reviewer highlights
• 05:04: Discussion of cast with special attention to Madeline Brewer and Alden Ehrenreich
• 06:00: Guardian’s mixed review critique
• 06:23: Final praise and episode wrap-up

Tone & Style

• Matt maintains a conversational, insider Broadway tone, offering both summary and humorous, pointed editorial commentary (especially regarding review spoilers).
• The summary captures both the biting wit of the play itself and the critics’ appreciation for its unapologetically flawed characters and modern sensibility.

For more details:
Listeners are encouraged (with spoiler caveats!) to find a full roundup of reviews on Did They Like It?, linked in the show notes.

Summary by BroadwayRadio (Matt Tammanini), April 7, 2026