Broadway.com

A great contemporary twist

"Great staging and great choices made by the cast to both convey the moral of the story and make it friendly to unfamiliar ears. "

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Broadway.com Customer on Apr 4, 2025

Worth the price of admission!!

"The play was a great modern day version of Shakespeare ‘s Othello…The cast was exceptional and made the audience follow along with every scene…Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal have great chemistry…There were times that I was seating at the edge of my seat…Would highly recommend… "

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Alfred G from Logan Township on Mar 27, 2025

Absolutely fantastic!

"Watching these two legends on stage is a rare opportunity "

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Broadway.com Customer on Mar 24, 2025

Definitely worthwhile

"I enjoyed the show very much. I have seen other Othellos and this was definitely a must see. Denzel Washington was wonderful. Jake as Iago was brilliant and Desdemona was perfect. I liked the set as well. The flexibility of the set to adapt to scenes was very good. thanks"

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Broadway.com Customer on Mar 17, 2025

Denzel in Anything

"Even if you are not a Shakespeare afficionado seeing Denzel live is a showstopper. Good to know general storyline before you come. Easily followed if you do. Worth the very hefty price tag that scalpers command."

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george b from Fort Lauderdale on Mar 16, 2025

Do not miss this!!

"An amazing performance. Outstanding! Breathtaking. We came from UK and this has blown our minds. Broadway all the way!! "

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Samantha H from Huddersfield on Mar 13, 2025

BRAVO BRAVA👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

"As a Theatre-Drama Educator- Shakespeare's Othello has been my go to for introducing Literary Theory to my high school thespians-giving them insights and broad perspectives on the Bard's work. I have experienced Othello via many mediums and many 'Othellos' and this adaptation was FULL CIRCLE with Denzel as Othello !!! The entire production was OUTSTANDING❣️I did not get to meet Denzel- understandably (a lively excited crowd of us waited at the stage door) it was an unforgettable moment! I did meet the Director who was so personable and kind.😍 FYI--the cigarettes the antagonist smoked in the first act were REAL-- as I was very close to the stage- and this was irritating - uncomfortable for me- however- there was no more smoking throughout the rest of the absolutely exceptional play!! A MUST SEE!!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🤗"

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Sandra F from Houston on Mar 4, 2025

Truly amazing!

"Impecable music. Small theatre. Amazing watching Denzel and Jake perform live. "

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Daniel C from San Pedro on Feb 28, 2025

It was a brilliant performance!

"I actually thought it was an up to date adaptation of Othello meaning I wasn’t expecting “ Old English” However it wouldn’t be the same! I struggled during opening and then it clicked! It was wonderful and the actors were brilliant!"

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Broadway.com Customer on Feb 26, 2025

Great but modern day costumes threw me off a bit

"Great performances across the board. The bare stage and modern day costumes threw me off a bit. It's worth going to see if you love Shakespeare and more importantly the brilliant Denzel Washington."

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Broadway.com Customer on Jun 5, 2025

Professionals at their best.

"Shakespeare is not always the easiest text to follow, but the performances of these consummate professionals delivered with clarity and passion! Though Gyllenhaal played the villain, you. could see the respect and admiration he and Washington have for each other and their craft. Wonderful!"

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Karen M from Emmaus on Jun 2, 2025

Denzel on stage is worth the money

"We spent a week in New York City, entirely built upon seeing Denzel Washington live on a Broadway stage. It was worth it. Yes, the language of Shakespeare can be challenging. Sometimes the scenes were a bit hard to follow. I prepped for "Othello" by reading the entire playscript and commentaries about the 400-year-old play. Like an skilled actor, Denzel used tone of voice, gestures and body language to communicate beyond the words. The actors playing Desdemona and Cassio were especially good. And it was fun to see Denzel exit the stage with a fist pump, indicating he believed the cast had nailed it. It was a bit jarring to see the camo gear instead of ancient warrior wear, and the costuming did not work. Better to go with the original. I can understand why the play was not nominated for any Tony Awards. But I would pay to see it again, and Denzel did not disappoint."

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David W from Indianapolis on May 19, 2025

Denzel plays a broken man.

"Denzel and Jake are great!! The director may have been out of his league in directing Shakespeare. "

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Broadway.com Customer on May 15, 2025

I liked it

"Well performed, great stage design and costumes. Would have personally preferred the original than a modern day take but enjoyed it all the same."

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Broadway.com Customer on Apr 26, 2025

Is Othello worth seeing?

"I have read the play, taught it in an AP English class, and saw the opera. Is this production worth seeing (especially after reading some bad reviews)? The short answer is yes. Although the modernization wasn’t necessary, and was even distracting at times, and it was hard to hear some of the dialogue, what made it worth seeing was the acting, especially the interplay between Othello and Iago. It was especially riveting towards the end of the play. In, short it’s a production worth seeing."

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Frank M from Seaford on Apr 11, 2025

Amazing performance by the entire cast.

"The passion and effectiveness of the cast’s performance."

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Danny B from Jenkintown on Apr 3, 2025

Great show - but a bit miscast

"Jake Gyllenhaal is amazing. The way in which he performs Shakespeare but makes it relatable in modern tone, cadence and gestures requires a true understanding of the material. Denzel Washington is an amazing actor and performs Shakespeare with talent, however, this is not his best stage role. It is not a great fit. He and Molly Osbourne's Desdemona have zero romantic chemistry. I'm glad I took the time and spent the money to see this show, however, it's not the best play I've seen on Broadway."

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Broadway.com Customer on Mar 14, 2025

Othello The Truth

"The star power alone is enough and worth seeing Othello. The language stays true to the novel however I think it could've used a more modern twist. No one's performance was mind blowing and that could be due to the difficulty of the lines. The stage was very simple and that could've added to the overall lack luster feeling of the show. In the end, Othello is still very good and worth seeing specifically if you're a fan of the stars in the play. "

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Broadway.com Customer on Apr 24, 2025

High expectations weren’t met

"On paper this is the best Othello ever, but not in practice. It’s good: Gyllenhall does a good job as does Denzel, but nothing more. The set is minimalist, which is fine. The setting modern, which doesn’t add or subtract from the story. I’m sorry to say it is not the best version of Othello I have seen: there’s nothing that is exceptional."

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Broadway.com Customer on Apr 10, 2025

Dazed & Confused

" There are a lot of holes and logic missteps in Shakespeare’s plot to start And the production created a few more of its own Nevertheless Denzel Washington remains a force of nature on stage and Jake Gyllenhall was absolutely superb. Certainly pleased I committed the time and energy to seeing the performances 🎭 "

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Timothy B from Wheaton on Mar 26, 2025

Memorable First Broadway Experience

"First of all, I am ecstatic that my first Broadway show was starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhall. Both great actors and they surrounded themselves with a talented cast. The set was minimalist, which the cast worked well. They opted for modern clothing, which I actually didn't like. I would have preferred period wardrobe, especially since the set was already minimal. The Desdemonda actress is probably the weakest, in my opinion. I didn't feel any chemistry between her and Othello. She came across flat and one dimensional to me. I didn't get a chance to enjoy the theater itself because the staff herded us like cattle. Our phones were powered off and immediately put into lockable pouches. During intermission we were herded to bathrooms or concessions. At the end, we were immediately herded out. The herding took away from the experience. I didn't really get to relish it. "

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Jenita L from Mt Juliet on Mar 24, 2025

Read the play before you go

"Jake Gyllenhaal was phenomenal! His voice overcame the poor sound quality. Sometimes Denzel was hard to hear clearly. The set was sparse and dramatic Being set in 2028 I was hoping the dialog would be modern too. I find Shakespeare easier to read than to hear "

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Billy A from Roswell on Mar 5, 2025

Another Othello

"Loved the sets …. Simple but effective JG is excellent as well as the supporting cast. DW as Othello is where I believe some improvement could have been made. It’s more of a director’s issue than DW’s performance. I would have preferred a more serious and disturbing Othello … I got teenage boy v / first love vibes from this Othello. Overall, I did enjoy it, glad I saw it and glad I paid a reasonable ticket price. If I had paid an outrageous price, I would not have been as pleased. "

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Vivian G from Warwick on May 7, 2025

Not what I expected…

"No doubt the actors are amazing, but the lack of set changes, very basic costumes, and a difficult storyline to follow made it very low on my list of all the Broadway shows I’ve seen. Denzel has amazing stage presence, but if not for him I would have given it 1 star. Jake? Not sure, definitely one of my favorite actors but not on Broadway. "

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Broadway.com Customer on May 2, 2025

The sound quality was poor

"It was hard to hear the actors as if the sound quality was weak. "

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Broadway.com Customer on Apr 18, 2025

Othello Reviews

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