‘Glengarry Glen Ross’: Mamet’s masterpiece returns

‘GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS’: John Pirruccello & Kieran Culkin. Photo: Emilio Madrid.

GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS
By David Mamet
Directed by Patrick Marber
Through June 28, 2025
Palace Theatre
160 West 47th Street
https://www.glengarryonbroadway.com/

By Scott Harrah

Greed, scams, double dealing, backstabbing, theft and desperation are the basic ingredients in this latest revival of David Mamet’s 1984 classic, Glengarry Glen Ross.

This is a wonderfully layered and textured play that has to be seen and heard on a live stage to be fully appreciated. The show had Broadway revivals in 2005 and 2012. The latter starred Al Pacino in 2012 as down-on-his-luck salesman Shelley Levene. Mr. Pacino played the wily, conniving Ricky Roma in the 1992 film version (for which he received an Oscar nomination).

A hot ticket

This revival is a hot ticket, thanks to the stellar cast and recent Oscar winner Kieran Culkin as Richard Roma. Others include Bob Odenkirk (of “Better Call Saul” fame) as Shelley Levene; comedian Bill Burr as Dave Moss; and stage veterans Michael McKean as George Aaronow, and Donald Webber, Jr. (star of Our Town and Purlie Victorious) as manager John Williamson.

Mamet’s ‘alpha male’ voice

David Mamet is the undisputed voice of “toxic masculinity,” complete with all the pathos, neuroses and four-letter expletives that plague the “alpha” male. His plays feature rapid-fire offensive dialogue (full of racism, sexism and homophobia), making them  difficult for anyone under 45 to sit through. Anyone who didn’t live through the era before “me too” may not know that straight white American men actually talked like the guys in Mamet plays (and some still do).

Contest & competition

Times are tough in a Chicago real-estate office. Four salesmen—Shelley Levene (Mr. Odenkirk); Ricky Roma, (Mr. Culkin); Dave Moss (Mr. Burr); and George Aaronow (Mr. McKean)—are given an incentive by John Williamson, their office manager (Mr. Webber, Jr.) to succeed in a sales contest. The first prize is a Cadillac; second prize is a set of steak knives; third prize is the sack. There is no room for “once were has-beens” in this dramatically male-dominated world. Why? Only “closers” get the good sales leads. There is huge pressure to succeed, so a robbery is committed and has unforeseen consequences for all the characters.

Shady dealings in Chicago

The story has two settings: a Chinese restaurant and a Chicago real-estate office. The men are all trying to win the contest. Everyone wants the coveted Cadillac El Dorado.

The real-estate office sells shady properties in Florida. The salesmen will do almost anything to get ahead, from blackmail to theft and bribery. It is all heavy and dark, but not a profound or verbose drama. It’s a simple saga of men devoid of morals.

The salesmen

Manager John Williamson gives his team “hot” leads, hoping they can find potential clients and turn them into solid sales. However, these guys are not exactly willing to play fair.

Mr. Odenkirk’s Levene is one of the older salesmen. He has not sold anything in some time, and he really needs to keep his job. He tries to get better leads from his boss but has no luck.

Mr. Burr’s Moss and Mr. McKean’s Aaronow are also having difficulty making sales. They cook up a scheme to steal the good leads and sell them to a different agency. Mr. Culkin’s Roma is full of smarmy charm and determined to win at any cost.

The business of backstabbing

Glengarry Glen Ross explores and exposes the seedy underbelly of the sales world and the unethical methods some will resort to just to get ahead. Just how far are these men willing to go to make a profit, and how dishonest and deceptive will they get? Both are running themes throughout the show.

The performances

Powerhouse performances enhance the classic story, giving it new relevance.

Each actor is noteworthy, but standouts include Bill Burr as Dave Moss. Mr. Burr gets many laughs from the audience with his slick talk and shifty ways.

Michael McKean is refreshingly laid-back as George Aaronow, with good comic timing, and the right mix of humanity and humility to make him sympathetic.

Donald Webber, Jr. plays John Williamson as harmless at first, but we soon learn he’s as devious as the others.

Bob Odenkirk gives a sincere performance as Shelley Levene. Mr. Odenkirk delivers Mamet’s dialogue with the right cadence and timing. He is also surprisingly poignant at times as the forlorn old salesman who can’t close a sale and worries about keeping his job.

Kieran Culkin, as Richard Roma, is mostly effective and polished, but he is not always as menacing as the character should be.

Patrick Marber does a fine job with directing and keeping everything moving along smoothly, and that could not have been easy considering that the newly renovated Palace Theatre is huge, cavernous and best suited for big, splashy musicals.

Glengarry Glen Ross holds up as a morality tale about greed, capitalism and questionable ethics. Mamet’s story captures all the competition and betrayal that often happens in any sales job—the pressure to sell, sell, sell just to stay employed. It remains a disturbing topic today, considering all that’s happening with the current American economy, the volatile stock market and the unstable workforce.

Published April 8, 2025
Reviewed at press performance on April 1, 2025

‘GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS’: Kieran Culkin & Bob Odenkirk. Photo: Emilio Madrid.

‘GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS’: Bill Burr & Michael McKean. Photo: Emilio Madrid.

‘GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS’: Donald Webber, Jr. & Michael McKean. Photo: Emilio Madrid.