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Broadway’s Dog Day Afternoon Opens to Harsh Reviews

Critics say the farcical tone drains the story of suspense.

Overview

  • Stephen Adly Guirgis’s adaptation opened Monday at the August Wilson Theatre, starring Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach in their Broadway debuts.
  • Early reviews say the production shifts toward broad comedy and loses the film’s taut tension, with several outlets issuing sharply negative notices.
  • Reviewers singled out Jessica Hecht’s performance and praised David Korins’s revolving bank set, while noting mixed views of the two leads.
  • The staging breaks the fourth wall by having the audience chant “Attica! Attica!” and placing actors in the aisles, a device some critics found forced.
  • Coverage also points to offstage strain, citing a New York Times report that producers barred Guirgis during tech rehearsals, and listings vary on the limited run’s closing date, with June 28 and July 12 both published.