"Mr. Acito mostly succeeds in turning the Cell company’s limited resources into an aesthetic choice...Harder to overcome are the venue’s trying acoustics, which make it difficult to fully appreciate the score by Engelhardt...But you can still tell that catchy songs, reminiscent of Lloyd Webber’s pop-rock catalog, are lurking in there...'Bastard Jones' goes through clunky patches, but its nonjudgmental approach to sex and disability, and its brash desire to entertain, are winning."
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"'Bastard Jones' is randy yet ingenuous; it’s like a very bawdy Disney movie, with hummable pop music to match. Staged with few frills, it relies mainly on the talents of its diverse and impressive cast of nine...If this smartly plotted and irrepressible musical moves beyond the Cell, there is work to be done in beefing up the characters and polishing the jokes. But the show has legitimate potential."
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"An incredibly clever, zany, sexy, and raucous show that is as funny as it is profound...This is just the sort of guilty fun that everyone is looking for and, for a little over two hours, will bring such joy to your heart and a 'tingle' to everywhere else...With a score that is heart-pumping, contemplative and altogether wonderful, and a plot that is given a dose of modernity to make it comical, 'Bastard Jones' will become one of your favorite shows you hope to see on a Broadway stage one day."
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"Dispiritingly, the dialogue is loaded with the kind of gags not heard since Minsky's Burlesque was shuttered forever...Suffice to say that a full evening of these smirkers is enough to induce vows of chastity in audience members looking for some semblance of adult wit. The songs don't provide much relief, a few appealing melodies aside...Given the general poverty of the humor, it's striking how well the cast, under Acito's direction, maintains its sense of high spirits."
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“The shaggy and generally endearing new rock musical comedy captures the raucous spirit of the original novel while gently targeting 21st century issues…Ruggiero carries the musical with ease, and he is charming, sexy, and innocently goofy in equal measure…Acito has done an outstanding job synthesizing the expansive plot and episodes of the original source material…Acito's lyrics are rather less distinctive...Similarly, Engelhardt's music is often pleasant but not memorable.”
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"'Bastard Jones' is surprisingly accessible for a contemporary musical based on a long and episodic 18th century novel. Sophisticated and off-color, naughty but nice, it proves to be a sharp and irreverent entertainment. With a terrific cast and a star making performance by Evan Ruggiero, witty and clever, 'Bastard Jones' is both a delightful 18th century and 21st century evening in the theater."
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"'Bastard Jones' is a heck of a good time...Not all of the show's songs are equal. Don't get me wrong, the singers are fantastic, but not every number can be a winner. Luckily this talented group knows how to act through their singing, which was a nice surprise...If you are an adult and like entertaining songs, talented actors, a decent love story, funny jokes, and some plot twists, this is a wonderful way to spend an evening."
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“If I could fill this review with synonyms for ‘brilliant’ it still wouldn’t be enough, or do justice to just how good 'Bastard Jones' is…A rock musical extravaganza that stays true to the picaresque novel it is based on…A most joyous and innovative production…There is brilliant comedic timing by every single actor, catchy and powerful songs, and outstanding physical comedy…Run now, before you have to go on a wait list to see it on Broadway where it will surely find a deserving, long-term home.”
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