Topdog/Underdog (Broadway)

Review of the Broadway revival of Topdog/Underdog

I don’t know how I came to know of this show initially, but whenever I did find out about it, I knew I wanted to see it because I’m such a big Corey Hawkins fan. It began when I saw him In the Heights as Benny, then I began to branch out into his other works. I ended up becoming such a fan casually, but I vaguely knew of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II because he is a hot new actor on the scene getting a lot of roles. And let me tell you: these two are the dream combo for this kind of play.

So I watched and waited for the perfect moment on TDF to purchase a ticket. I knew the show was going to be on TDF, it was just a matter of waiting it out for the date. I ended up seeing the sixth performance in previews, on a Saturday night, and I literally spat out my boba when the box office man handed me my ticket.

When I saw Orchestra, Row A, Seat 111, I thought I was tripping and was very much in denial that it was a front-row seat that I had only paid $53 for. Lo and behold, the usher leads me to my seat, and it’s dead center in the middle of the front row.

It was incredible being this close at Topdog/Underdog specifically because there are only two actors, the Golden Theatre has a low stage, and they weren’t elevated high enough that it hurt to crane your neck.

Let’s dive into this review.

Two African-American brothers struggle to survive.

Topdog/Underdog takes place over the course of six scenes, split into two different acts. The set does not change, and it is the one brother’s tiny apartment that only fits a makeshift table, a twin-sized bed, and an armchair. The two characters in the play are Lincoln and Booth, who are named the way they are because it was their father’s idea of a joke.

To make it worse, Lincoln, the elder brother, takes up a job as a Lincoln impersonator at a local arcade where he pretends to die as customers go up and shoot him. He comes home that night during the first scene in whiteface, a jacket with a fake bullet hole in it, and a fake beard, much to his brother, Booth’s, chagrin.

Booth does not have a job, but Lincoln makes the money for the rent (and sleeps on the armchair). Lincoln used to run on the streets and con people through playing cards, which Booth aspires to do himself, but quit after one of his crew members got shot.

Booth is chasing after a girl named Grace, who he gives a ring and says he is going to marry. The entire show happens to be arguments and conversations between the two brothers, which range from their past, as their parents abandoned them and gave them $500 each.

Lincoln spent his inheritance immediately, but Booth squirrels it away on a rainy day. As Lincoln’s job is on the line and he is supposedly being replaced with a wax dummy, there’s a major foreshadowing scene where Booth comes up behind Lincoln and pretends to shoot him, and Lincoln dramatically falls to the floor and pretends to die. This foreshadows the final scene of the play, where Booth, clearly on edge, challenges Lincoln to a card game.

He loses to Lincoln after putting his inheritance on the line, which amuses Lincoln greatly and he cannot stop laughing. Booth reveals that he shot Grace to death because she did not accept his advances, then quickly comes up behind his brother and shoots him in the neck. This moment is such a shocking scene in the play because Parks sets the script up brilliantly. It ends with Booth cradling his brother’s dead body, sobbing, and realizing the extent of what he has done.

Genuinely, this is one of the best plays I’ve seen and it is because it was well-acted and the script is tight. Parks sets the script so that despite all of their arguments, the brothers reconcile over Chinese food or card game lessons.

There’s a deep subtext about the African-American experience and what the two brothers represent, as Booth represents someone who quote on quote lives on the streets, while Lincoln attempts to escape that life in order to try and get a normal job. Lincoln’s ex-wife kicked him out and Booth sleeps with her, which he openly mocks in front of his brother’s face. Booth is more cruel, while Lincoln seems depressed.

Topdog/Underdog relies heavily on the performances of its leads, and Corey and Yahya are absolutely brilliant. They lit that stage up and have incredible chemistry together, which makes this show a strong Tony contender. I hope one of them takes a Tony Award home for this performance, because it was my favorite show I’ve seen this trip, and that includes The Death of a Salesman revival.

The play is really funny and relies on verbal and physical humor, and this audience was eating it up completely. So much laughter, which made it even more shocking during that quick, final climax. There were genuine screams when that shot rang out in the theater, then a moment of dead silence as Booth delivers his final, vengeance-driven monologue.

Overall Thoughts

This is one of the must-see shows of the Fall 2022 Broadway season. I am not joking—it is incredible. I keep writing and saying that, but I left this theatre genuinely considering to stage door for the first time in my life because I thought that these two actors did such a convincing job and I wanted them to know that.

It easily slides into one of my top three Broadway shows of all time, and while it could not top Company or Hadestown, I think that this was the best play I’ve ever seen. I’d go see it again if I had the time, but, unfortunately, I don’t think I will. Go see it in my stead—you won’t regret it. I’m off to purchase a copy of the script at this point.

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