Review: Chris Evans and Michael Cera Tell Lies to Live by in ‘Lobby Hero’

I thoroughly enjoyed this play...great script...very funny yet thought-provoking. Michael Cera does the bulk of the work here and I enjoyed his portrayal of this young man trying to get his life on the right track. The only downside of the show was a woman sitting directly behind me CHEWING on her throat lozenges during the first act...she rudely drowned out some dialogue and then took umbrage during intermission when the usher mentioned it to her after I complained. Some people...

I don’t agree with the reviewer’s comments. This play is trite, there are one liners that go for cheap laughs, the characters are not believable, there is no second act, and overall the themes and topics are not well developed. But what do I know - some of the audience was laughing at every cheap joke. So if you are not looking for a serious play, then this is for you.

Just saw it last night. It was a interesting, funny and thought-provoking script, which was mostly, but not always, believable. Brian Tyree Henry was the very best part of the production. He is an amazing actor that I did not know of before last night. He was natural and entirely convincing in his tired, exasperated and conflicted character in a way that you rarely see on stage - just perfect. I will now be sure to pick up on Atlanta just to see his performances. Michael Cera was good and a good-fit for his character, which he has been consistently playing since Arrested Development. Chris Evans was good also and an interesting change from his on-screen personas. He pushes the Brooklyn accent so far, it sounds kind of Chicago or Fargo. Bel Powley was terrible. Throughout the show, she shouts her lines in frantic, uncomfortable bursts in an entirely unconvincing and unnatural manner and a silly, overdone accent. These deficiencies are even more amplified juxtaposed against Mr. Cera's ironic smarm and Mr. Evan's cocky confidence. I hate to say it, but she just doesn't belong in a production of this character. Notwithstanding, Ms. Powley's performance, I would say that overall it's a very good show and one definitely worth the price of admission. (One final little snark --- What is up with the seats at the 2econd Stage Theater? There's such little leg room it feels like you are being painfully jammed into economy class or a kindergarten's auditorium.)

Saw this yesterday - I was pleasantly surprised by Evans Broadway debut. He, Cera, and Henry all delivered their lines with ease and a realism that helped you lose yourselves in the characters. Brian Tyree Henry in particular was absolutely fantastic - his portrayal of William was so genuine and authentic, you felt you were watching a real person unfold this ethical challenge before you as if it was actually happening to him. Cera played a character relatively close to his safe space - a dopey, helpless loser delivering punchy one-liners - but he executes really well and his charisma is authentic as well. My only disappointment was Bel Powley - her delivery felt so stiff. so rehearsed, and so structured, that I couldn't lose myself in her character. She was the only one who didn't dissolve into this persona she was playing; she wore it stiffly, holding it out in front of her, almost afraid to try it on fully. I hope she folds into the character as the show moves through its engagement - she has potential! She gets close to losing herself in the character when she's rapid-fire delivering her lines in a few scenes. If she can capture that vulnerability and stay with it, she'll be as successful as the rest of the cast. Overall, definitely worth seeing, even beyond the star-studded cast. The plot touches on many ethical and personal challenges we are all facing at various levels. I appreciated the simplicity of the set and the intimacy of that beautiful theater.

Saw this play today and thoroughly enjoyed it. Great performances by everyone.

I'm a huge fan of Mr. Longergan. Manchester By the Sea, This is Our Youth and especially Margaret are some of my favorite and probing pieces of film and theater I've seen in a long time. However, Lobby Hero, left me flat. These characters seemed a bit contrived and lacked the gravitas of the character's in his other work. They reveal all of themselves, too early on, and not credibly. They make no effort to hide their flaws, and I couldn't understand their motivations. Much of the action was played for laughs and thus had a sitcom feel to it. Mr Henry was the only sympathetic and credible character. I never believed for a moment that the young woman was a cop. Very disappointing and overwritten long first act. When I discovered the 2nd act was almost as long, I hightailed it.

Saw it in previews. DO NOT MISS !!

Just saw this show - "References to sexual harassment, abuses of power in the workplace and racial profiling scarcely seemed to raise an eyebrow when I first saw the show in 2001; they evoke audible, anxious murmurs in the audience of 2018." Indeed. Powley and Henry are captivating in their roles. I, too, have this show stuck in my head.

Evans is the next Brando!

scenic design by David Rockwell, costume design by Paloma Young, lighting design by Japhy Weideman, sound design by Darron L West

I can't agree with all the praise being heaped on this play. It is, for sure, very nicely written. The parallel stories of the rookie cop and the security guard each searching vainly for something to believe in is emotionally and intellectually engaging. But Bel Powley's chipmunk like performance is just short of horrendous and she isn't persuasive for a nanosecond as a rookie female police officer. Michael Cera, who was great in This Is Our Youth, gives a very tentative and almost paralyzed performance that has less to do with the character he is playing than with seeming to lack a fixed idea of who the character is. The second act bogs down in plot details and the play doesn't end anywhere particularly interesting. I saw the play early in previews and maybe some of these issues have been addressed. I wouldn't discourage anyone from seeing it but don't take Brantley's review at face value.

Thanks for calling the theater where this is playing the Helen Hayes Theater. The producers try to get away from its historical lineage by referring to it as the Hayes. They will get rid of that too as soon as a donor pledges an amount large enough that theater can bear his or her name.

Was blown away by the show two weeks ago and can't recommend it enough! The acting is incredible, especially by Brian Tyree Henry & Chris Evans, who seemed so settled in their characters. Can't wait to see what Second Stage does in the coming years!

A mesmerizing play. I saw it years ago and liked it, but the acting this time raises it to another level.

I saw this two weeks ago and have been recommending it widely since, hoping friends would get tickets before this review ran and alerted the rest of the world to snap up all the seats. Tyree Henry was so natural in his role that it was hard to believe he was acting. Th play is smart and raises so many issues worth discussing. Different people will respond to different elements of the production, but I think just about anybody would be impressed.

I liked how the moral tension builds up and how each character was being unmasked by the moral dilemma they’re facing. The script was sharp, funny and riveting. I think the play depicted a reality we are facing inside of us - how do we act good in a bad circumstance.

I saw this 2 weeks ago and can't get it out of my head. It's a great play!

Lonergan, a master dialogist, is not in love with his own voice, but rather the inner lives of his characters. His characters are all on the verge of total self-destruction, all are inextricably bound, and any one of them able to take the other down. The stakes couldn’t be higher and their need to speak any stronger. Lonergan is one of our best playwrights, and screenwriters out there.

"Mr. Evans is a marvel of smooth calculation and bluster." I love Chris Evans. He couldn't be bad in any role if he tried. Cannot wait to get tickets and come to New York for the show. Thanks for an extremely thorough and well done review Mr. Brantley.