‘All of Me’ review — a funny and moving boy-meets-girl story
Read our review of All of Me off Broadway, a New York-premiere romantic comedy play written by Laura Winters and starring Madison Ferris and Kyra Sedgwick.
All of Me by Laura Winters features all the tropes that define a romantic comedy: likable characters, grand romantic gestures, and obstacles to romance. But the play, presented by The New Group at the Pershing Square Signature Center, subverts the all-too-familiar genre and offers something entirely original.
The romance at the center of the play follows Lucy (Madison Ferris) and Alfonso (Danny J. Gomez), whose meet-cute is a chance encounter at a hospital. The pair are compatible, funny, and forthright with their interest in one another off the bat. They also happen to use mobility aids and text-assisted devices to communicate.
Lucy is quick-witted and uses her text-to-speech device as a comedic weapon. “I enjoy sounding like futuristic AI that waits until the end of the movie to lock you out of the spaceship,” Lucy’s digitized voice drolls. The sardonic voice helps the character’s dry humor land. And if looks could kill, Ferris would be the ultimate assassin. Her icy glares and smoldering glazes often communicate before her text-to-speech app produces sound.
Gomez is incredibly charming, and he and Ferris share an electric connection on stage. Another standout performance comes from Kyra Sedgwick as Lucy’s overbearing mother Connie, who believes prayers can ease her daughter’s worsening congenital condition and struggles to accept that she has a disability herself.
The representation of disabled actors and disabled characters on stage has come a long way in the past decade, but All of Me moves the needle further. The play is laugh-out-loud funny, and it works so well because it doesn’t try to uplift or educate the audience. Instead, it authentically represents the characters and bakes the challenging experience of disability in America into the plot. For example, many of Lucy’s choices, like moving in with Alfonso, hinge on her ability to maintain eligibility for social security disability benefits.
Director Ashley Brooke Monroe hits all the right marks, sharpening the comedic moments and softening others to tug at the audience’s heart strings. I won’t spoil the acts of love and romantic grand gestures here, because you should experience them yourself. Even if you’re a die-hard rom-com fan, All of Me delivers something unexpected.
All of Me summary
All of Me is a boy-meets-girl romantic comedy that follows the love story between Lucy and Alfonso, who have a charming first encounter outside a hospital. Lucy, who dreams of being a jazz singer, and Alfonso, a healthcare researcher, face hurdles that have plagued lovers since time immemorial, including race, class, and disapproving mothers.
But their story has an added layer: The dynamic pair use mobility devices and text-to-speech apps to communicate. The play, written by Lauren Winters, premiered in 2022 at Barrington Stage Company in Massachusetts.
What to expect at All of Me
All of Me is the first Off-Broadway production to feature characters conversing on stage using alternative and augmentative communication (AAC). In the show, digitized voices read aloud what Lucy and Alfonso input into text-to-speech apps.
The characters use this communication style to comic effect. In one scene, Lucy’s digitized voice reads the lyrics to Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back.” In another scene, when Lucy is illustrating two varying perspectives, the voice says, “tomato, tomato” with the same pronunciation. My audience roared.
The run will feature a series of post-show talkbacks, inclusive performances with ASL and open captions, relaxed performances, and a special performance with pre-show activities for caregivers. It’s important to note that the show contains explicit language about sexual situations, herbal cigarettes, and haze.
What audiences are saying about All of Me
At the time of publication, All of Me has an 88% rating on Show-Score, with audience members highlighting the performances and humorous script.
- “See it if you love romantic comedies and rooting for love and the right thing to win out!”- Show-Score user Young potatoe
- “See it if you want to experience a moving play that explores disability and family dynamics. GREAT acting.” - Show-Score user Jeanie 8174
- “See it if you want to be blown away by a hilarious show that will also make you tear up. I haven't had this good of a time at a show in SO LONG.” - Show-Score user Monica 4120
Who should see All of Me
- Those who want to see disabled actors play disabled characters should see this show.
- Fans of Kyra Sedgwick, who is best known for her Emmy-winning role of Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson in The Closer, will enjoy her moving stage performance.
- Rom-com fans will love the play, which expertly balances flirtatious witty banter and tear-inducing grand gestures.
- Those who enjoyed Madison Ferris’s history-making performance as Laura Wingfield in Broadway’s 2017 production of The Glass Menagerie will enjoy her return to the stage.
Learn more about All of Me off Broadway
All of Me is a wildly funny play with a tender love story at its heart. Come for the tried-and-true rom-com formula; stay for the unexpected twists and turns.
Photo credit: All of Me off Broadway. (Photos by Monique Carboni)
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