Politics

New York Times Broadway Critic Rips Michael Moore’s One-Man Show To Shreds

Derek Hunter Contributor
Font Size:

Progressive darling and filmmaker Michael Moore is known to court controversy. That love of controversy has earned him millions of dollars and praise from progressive media. But his response to the election of Donald Trump, which comes in the form of a new one-man Broadway show, “The Terms Of My Surrender,” is being torn to shreds by none other than the New York Times for being boring and self-indulgent.

Times critic Jesse Green writes Moore’s show “is a bit like being stuck at Thanksgiving dinner with a garrulous, self-regarding, time-sucking uncle.”

Green makes it clear he is a political ally of Moore’s, writing, “Don’t get me wrong: Mr. Moore has led an exemplary life of progressive activism.” But that agreement and admiration can’t counter what Green sees as a self-indulgent hour and a half of Moore singing his own praises.

“Moore affects a cute, common-man delivery that fools no one,” Green writes.

Of Moore’s past, Green says, “you don’t have to disagree with Mr. Moore’s politics to find that his shtick has become disagreeable with age.”

The play opened Thursday, and premium seats sell for up to $249, with mezzanine and orchestra seats going for $109 to $149. Balcony seats sell for only $39. The play runs at the Belasco Theatre through Oct. 22.

The brutal Times review concludes, “Audiences hoping for a bit of feel-good liberal therapy, let alone a good show, may be disappointed to find that Mr. Moore isn’t very interested in them. He’s not preaching to the choir: He’s bragging to it.”