Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal star in the disappointing new production of “Othello” on Broadway, which is being performed at the Barrymore Theatre in Manhattan.
The synopsis is: Othello (Denzel Washington), a general in the Venetian army, sees his happy marriage to the beautiful Desdemona destroyed when his seemingly trustworthy ensign, Iago (Jake Gyllenhaal), suggests to him that she may be unfaithful, in William Shakespeare’s tragedy of revenge, jealousy and intrigue.
The show was directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon, and it will play a strictly limited 15-week engagement.
While Washington does have some solid and commanding moments, they are uneven throughout the play. He lacks chemistry with Desdemona (he is old enough to be her father). His lines are rushed in multiple instances, especially in the second half of the play, which makes it difficult for the audience to resonate with the emotional moments.
Jake Gyllenhaal does a fine job as the nefarious Iago, but he can’t save this play (even though he is perhaps the only one who has a shot for a Tony nomination in this lackluster show).
Molly Osborne and Andrew Burnap are noteworthy in the stage time that they have, but when you leave the theater, you don’t remember them.
While there is a time jump (the show set in 2028), nothing is done with that… the creators should have taken advantage of that, and developed the story arcs better; moreover, the show does not say anything about “The Near Future” that they are trying to immerse us in.
It feels lazy, lame, and as a result, boring for the audience member, especially for a Shakespearean show that is already overlong (2.5 hours in duration).
Denzel Washington can clearly nail Shakespeare… All one needs to do is re-watch him in “The Tragedy of Macbeth” as the title character. This play didn’t showcase that prowess.
It had potential but it never got there. It would have benefited greatly from having a different director with more specific, organized, and/or clearer vision. The minimalist approach didn’t work here.
The ticket prices are going for outrageous amounts of money (in the high hundreds), and they are not worth it by any means; these ticket prices are the real tragedy as opposed to the Shakespearean show.
The audience members ought to save their money for better quality Broadway shows (such as “Buena Vista Social Club,” and “Purpose” which are leaps and bounds superior).
The Verdict
This revival of “Othello” is a major flop and disappointment. One thing is for certain… Stunt casting does not always guarantee quality. This production, in particular, is a complete mess, and it garners two out of five stars.
