Reviews: What Did Critics Think of Mike Birbiglia's The Old Man & the Pool?

Comedian Mike Birbiglia's latest solo show, The Old Man & the Pool, officially opened November 13, and the reviews are in.

Previews began at Lincoln Center Theater's Vivian Beaumont Theater October 28 for the storyteller's newest exploration—this one about death and mortality. The limited run will continue through December 30.

Read the reviews here.

AMNY (Matt Windman)

Broadway News (Brittani Samuel)

CitiTourNY (Brian Scott Lipton)

The Daily Beast (Tim Teeman)

Deadline (Greg Evans)

Did They Like It (Ran Xia)

Entertainment Weekly (Yolanda Machado)

New York Stage Review (Melissa Rose Bernardo, Steven Suskin)

The New York Times (Elisabeth Vincentelli) *

New York Theater (Jonathan Mandell)

New York Theatre Guide (Joe Dziemianowicz)

Theatrely (Joey Sims)

Time Out NY (Adam Feldman)

Variety (Peter Debruge)

Vulture (Kathryn VanArendonk)*

The Wrap (Thom Geier)

*This review requires creating a free account or a paid subscription.

Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in

Seth Barrish directs the work, written and performed by Birbiglia, with contributions from story consultant Ira Glass (This American Life). Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man & the Pool was originally produced by Center Theatre Group, making its world premiere at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles in 2022, following a developmental run at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago.

The play's creative team also includes set designer Beowulf Boritt, costume designer Toni-Leslie James, lighting designer Aaron Copp, sound designer Kai Harada, and projection designer Hana S. Kim. It is produced on Broadway by Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Patrick Catullo, Seaview, and Center Theatre Group.

The Old Man & the Pool is Birbiglia's fifth theatrical solo show and his second on Broadway, following the 2018 production of The New One about the birth of his daughter.