Critical Reaction

Critical Reaction

"The whole show comes to life with gusto... a comic carnival"
– The New York Times

"Not since Guys and Dolls has there been a musical as down-to-the-sidewalks New York as Fiorello!"
– Daily News

"A smashing victory... a box-office landslide"
– Daily Mirror

"A song-and-dance jamboree"
– Herald Tribune

"[An] eye-and-ear-popping line-up that Harnick and Bock turned out so's to put themselves on the list of important songwriters for a new generation. ...Bock's melodies are refreshingly catchy. Harnick's lyrics are genuinely witty and always genuinely warm."
– The Huffington Post

"Composer Jerry Bock and lyricist Sheldon Harnick contributed a sparkling, witty, and melodic score with real heart."
– Backstage

"The songs in Fiorello! now feel like a cross between... Guys and Dolls and an imitative 1776, New York smarts mixed with bouncy Americana, with a nod to the sounds of the period in which the musical takes place. What stands out about the songs for me now is Harnick s witty, cynical, sometimes inspiring, often inspired lyrics. Nearly every song has a memorable turn of phrase."
– NewYorkTheater.me

"Married big-hearted sentiment and political satire.... The pleasures, as before, come from the onstage orchestra and from the songs – especially such comic-gem choruses as "Politics and Poker" (a cynical polka) and "Little Tin Box" (crooked politics as a soft shoe). ...Harnick's lyrics are smart, without pretension, about both psychology and rhythm."
– Newsday