Playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney doesn’t pull punches in Choir Boy, the provocative, sensitive, and deeply satisfying play having its West Coast premiere this month at Marin Theatre Company ... McCraney’s pace and the play’s complete lack of didacticism reveal a confidence in his material and characters bordering on breathtaking, and Marin Theatre Company has assembled a perfect cast to bring it vividly alive ... Kent Gash directs one of the best acting ensembles I’ve seen on any Bay Area stage recently. Strongly recommended.

"A wonderful play, I could easily want to see it a second time. It is replete with memorable songs and drama."

"Exceptionally beautiful, heart-pummeling piece of theater”

"...skillfully written, there is enough song and dance to woo any audience anywhere, and the cast is world class."

A coming-of-age story with tremendous insight and lovingly observed characters ... beautifully written and flawlessly acted ... directed with stunning intensity by Kent Gash.

Choir Boy is a masterpiece ... Kent Gash powerfully directs this exceptionally beautiful piece of theatre. This is pure theatre magic! Choir Boy is at the top of my list of shows not to be missed.

"Exceptionally beautiful, heart-pummeling piece of theater” – Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Vivid, magnetic and moving” – The New York Times

"Best Play of the Year" – Los Angeles Times

"Exhilarating, genuinely sizzles." – The Guardian

"Powerful... Choir Boy sings a stirring tune." – The Washington Post

"Revelatory! A rare thoughtful play whose rousing commercial instincts enhance its insights" – Hollywood Reporter

"Sings with smarts and heart" – Variety

"Best play of the year" – Creative Loafing Atlanta

“Bracing and provocative” – New York Post

"This daring play should be required theatergoing for anyone who believes in the transformative power of the stage." – DC Theatre Scene

"Rich language and music, coupled with emotionally-charged acting, and a compelling story make Choir Boy one to see." – Broadway World

"Best Play of the Year" 

"Soaring spirituals and heartbreaking drama in MTC’s ‘Choir Boy'. ... The play is powerfully staged by Kent Gash ... Pharus (wonderfully exuberant Jelani Alladin) is a talented singer and student who’s grown accustomed to being ostracized for being gay ... Pharus’ only real friend is his roommate, Anthony (sweetly sympathetic Jaysen Wright), a heterosexual athlete whose steadfast friendship is deeply touching ... Throughout the play the cast keeps breaking into a cappella spirituals, and the vocal performances and arrangements, directed by Darius Smith, are stunningly beautiful. Pharus has a big speech about the sustaining power of these spirituals, and this show makes you feel that deep in your bones."

‘Choir Boy’ is a powerful drama buoyed by spirituals … The seven “Choir Boy” cast members are superb, with each of the six black performers layering individualized vocal chops onto their thespian skills.

The ensemble's singing is nothing less than thrilling ... Janeli Alladin's riveting portrayal of Pharus is a tour de force ... His performance is a theatrical gem which should definitely not to be missed.

'Choir Boy' sings sweet gospel in Marin ... A cappella gospel mingles with the chaotic hormones and restless minds of teenage boys to richly dramatic ends ... [a] deeply moving, thoughtful experience ...especially with the committed performances of director Kent Gash’s actors. Even more so with the gorgeously sung songs that seem to rise from deep wellsprings of the heart and soul under Darius Smith’s music direction. ... Jelani Alladin, reprising the lead role from Gash’s recent production in Washington, D.C., inhabits young Pharus as if born to the part. As the voices of Forest Van Dyke’s class misfit, Alladin, Wright and, in a magical solo, the headmaster played by Ken Robinson rise to the heavens, they lift “Choir” with them.

Rare is the theatre that can encompass it all and do it well. Such is Tarell Alvin McCraney’s 'Choir Boy', an emotionally devastating yet ultimately life affirming “play with music” that closes out Marin Theatre Company’s 48th season … The entire cast, under the direction of Kent Gash, gives flawless performances as the young men and the adults in their school lives … If you love great theatre, Choir Boy will sing to you.

... A superb production of Tarell Alvin McCraney's Choir Boy ... This is a powerful piece of theatre, spectacularly directed by Kent Gash and featuring seven brilliant actors ... The actors are pitch perfect when they break into song ... Music director Darius Smith's arrangements are striking.

“Vivid, magnetic and moving”

Playwright McCraney is a talent to be reckoned with ... “Choir Boy” is a noteworthy addition to his canon ... It’s a thought-provoking, absorbing, coming of age story told with empathy, music, humor and drama ... Director Kent Gash keeps the action flowing smoothly, aided by an outstanding ensemble cast ... they do a lot of wonderful a cappella singing.

Must-see regional premiere ... As Pharus, Jelani Alladin is masterful in the role ... Equally stellar in his role is Jaysen Wright ... In Choir Boy, Mr. McCraney raises many questions with no easy answers, leaving us both uplifted by heavenly music and shouldered with earthly challenge. This is a play to be seen and heard, to be contemplated and discussed.

... Beautiful play .... The action is punctuated movingly and spectacularly by the performance of the boys in choir. The plot requires that the choir singing be of unparalleled excellence and the actors deliver that, superbly directed by Darius Smith ... the entire cast was called back enthusiastically to take a second curtain call for an audience that would not stop applauding. Most likely, you’ll keep applauding too.

This excellent production closes out yet another standing ovation 48th season at MTC. ... The cast is full of powerful singers ... Jelani Alladin and Jaysen Wright, who both deliver exceptionally strong performances, have the kinds of voices their roles require, with Alladin bringing the roof down with some of his solos ... An evening you will remember.