{"id":2384373,"date":"2026-04-22T14:39:43","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T14:39:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2384373"},"modified":"2026-04-22T14:39:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T14:39:43","slug":"the-balusters-brings-laughs-but-maybe-not-emotional-depth-to-broadway-say-critics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/the-balusters-brings-laughs-but-maybe-not-emotional-depth-to-broadway-say-critics\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018The Balusters\u2019 brings laughs, but maybe not emotional depth, to Broadway, say critics"},"content":{"rendered":"

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In a Tony season dominated by revivals, adaptations and London\/Chicago\/off-Broadway transfers, David Lindsay-Abaire’s The Balusters<\/em> stands apart from the pack as the one original play written expressly for Broadway. Directed by Kenny Leon and featuring an all-star cast that includes Tony winner Anika Noni Rose, and Emmy winners Richard Thomas and Carl Clemons, the comedy depicts a previously cordial neighborhood association board that descends into chaos when a new member proposes a new addition to the community \u2014 a stop sign.<\/p>\n

Lindsay-Abaire is one of Broadway’s most respected and lauded playwrights, scoring the Pulitzer Prize in 2007 for his wrenching drama, Rabbit Hole<\/em>, and two Tony statuettes for the 2021 musical, Kimberly Akimbo<\/em>. And critics are generally keen on this latest offering, with some reservations. Here’s a sampling of the reviews.<\/p>\n

More from Gold Derby<\/strong><\/p>\n

The good<\/h2>\n

Deeming The Balusters<\/em> a “Critic’s Pick,” Variety<\/em>‘s Brent Lang<\/a> raves: “[It] may be the most vital and timely show on Broadway this season. It\u2019s definitely the funniest. …The Balusters<\/em> doesn\u2019t offer a hopeful portrait of community government \u2014 it can be hard to see the virtue of having heated debates over dog poop disposal etiquette when the world is on fire. But you leave the play reminded of the importance of staying engaged. Today\u2019s battle may be over erecting a stop sign. Tomorrow\u2019s fight could have far greater stakes. Love your neighbors or loathe them, you still have to find a way to live with them.”<\/p>\n

The New York Times<\/em>‘ Helen Shaw<\/a> also gives the play “Critic’s Pick” designation, writing: “Lindsay-Abaire sets his characters up like bowling pins, but he only knocks them down with care. …I may have my quibbles with the way the plot unfolds here. …but all boulevard comedies lean on coincidence, and I guess that applies even when the boulevard is a residential esplanade. (I laughed while I watched The Balusters<\/em>; I only grumbled while thinking about it for hours later.)”<\/p>\n

And over in Culture Sauce, Thom Geier<\/a> opines: “It is fun to watch these characters, so quick to congratulate themselves on their goodness, come to terms with the ways in which they fall short of their noble ideals. Director Kenny Leon keeps a tight pace on the proceedings, though his staging can lack an imaginative flair or dynamism. The cast is mostly rooted to the sofa and chairs in a broad half oval around Kyra\u2019s stylish living room carpet, as if they were repeatedly assembling for a group portrait, and even the climax occurs mostly upstage with an almost muted decorum.”<\/p>\n

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