"Dropping big bucks to see a low-key, self-effacing comedian in person might seem like a waste. Such an attitude doesn’t account, though, for the paradoxically lazy energy that Mr. Birbilgia emanates...As he restlessly circumambulates, verbally and physically, he’s always reaching for explanations that seem to explode on him. Yet, in the end, a symmetry emerges from the chaos he describes and embodies. Such is the gentle genius of one man’s comfortingly haphazard approach to comedy."
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"About his reluctant journey to fatherhood and how it has changed his life. That may sound about as scintillating as potato salad, but Birbiglia isn't some generic straight white guy whining about domesticity. He is raw, self-deprecating and painfully aware of both his privilege and his failings...The show isn't groundbreaking in structure, style or substance...But the meticulous and evocative way he expresses himself makes 'The New One'—like a newborn baby—special, unique and lovable."
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"Fox: The comedy was super-strong. Lots of different types of jokes, expertly crafted. I probably say this after all of his shows, but it’s the funniest one yet. More than anything, though, I was most impressed by how it’s structured...Holdren: There were also things about the narrative that he thinks he’s living (of Obsolete Doofy I-Have-No-Agency Father Figure) that made me raise my eyebrows a bit. But as a thing built to make me laugh, really well done."
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“Birbiglia’s latest solo show was a hit in a small theatre earlier this year, but his low-key approach translates surprisingly well to Broadway’s more capacious Cort. Here, he turns his path to fatherhood into a suspenseful tale...Birbiglia’s main weapon is his deceptively indolent delivery, which is paired with a milquetoast demeanor that barely conceals dark undercurrents about the way men, or at least some of them, experience having kids.”
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"Birbiglia could name his daughter Little Ricky and still seem fresh. He’s that good...The monologist starts with some terrific observational stuff that lays the groundwork for the main event, and won’t sound a bit funny on this page...The emotional heart of 'The New One' beats loudest after the actual new one arrives, and Birbiglia’s physical isolation becomes a metaphor for his emotional distance from mother and daughter."
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"When is a standup routine not a standup routine, but a legitimate play? Partly when it comes with theatrical trappings like a thoughtful set, subtle lighting and sound effects...Mike Birbiglia’s 'The New One' qualifies as a real play — a brimmingly warm, entertaining one on a universally relatable topic...Kudos to director Seth Barrish for keeping the tone from shifting into either the maudlin, the too-dark or the trippy, New-Age blissful."
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"Birbiglia excels at offering fun anecdotes, dramatizing conversations with offstage characters, making Seinfeld-style observations about daily life and performing occasional physical bits...The show loses some steam as it goes along, trading bite for sentimentality and taking meandering turns, but overall it is very funny and well-constructed. Parenthood is well-worn territory for comedians, but Birbligia manages to be fresh, revealing and (as always) relatable."
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"A good laugh is worth its weight in a boatload of King Kongs. And Birbiglia's got a million of 'em. Well, maybe a thousand...Birbiglia is a masterful humorist with a knack for making the most serious subjects hilarious...Perhaps one of the secrets to Birbiglia's success is that he is a storyteller...But the biggest surprise is Birbiglia's ability to fill the stage with little more than the wit and wisdom of someone who understands that humor is the bitterest truth refusing to take itself seriously."
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