GregoryJbara.com

Quotes from the Critics on Jbara's "Jackie Elliot"
(Quotes are in no particular order of importance. )
amNY | ATW | AZ DAILY STAR | BACKSTAGE | BLOOMBERG | BWW | BUCKS CO. HERALD | CHICAGO TRIBUNE
COLUMBUS DISPATCH | CULTURE CATCH | CURTAIN UP | DAN'S PAPERS | DC THEATRE SCENE | EPOCH TIMES | EW
GAY CITY NEWS | LA TIMES | L&S | MCJ | NY1 | NY DAILY NEWS | NY OBSERVER | NY POST | NY TIMES | NEWS TIMES
NEWSDAY | NORTH CO. TIMES | PHILLY INQUIRER | READING EAGLE | TALKIN' B'WAY | THEATER SCENE
TIME OUT NY KIDS | TOWLEROAD | VARIETY | VILLAGER | WNBC | WSJ | WASHINGTON POST | WOR

 
"A touching Gregory Jbara."
- Ben Brantley, New York Times



 
 
"Jbara and (Santino) Fontana strike a moving balance between their
characters' conflicted feelings and their unquestionable love for Billy."
- David Rooney, Variety



 
 
"A powerful portrayal from Gregory Jbara."
- Howard Shapiro, Philadelphia Inquirer



 
 
"Gregory Jbara vividly portrays Billy's bruising dad ...
Jbara shows us the strain of a widower struggling to be
both mother and father to a boy at a time when the
local economy is undermining his status as breadwinner."
- Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times



 
 
"Played, superbly, by Gregory Jbara."
- Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune



 
 
"The supporting cast is also excellent, especially Haydn Gwynne as Billy's
sarcastic dance teacher and Gregory Jbara as his brutish but loving father."
- Matt Windman, amNY



 
 
"Greg Jbara softens the man's blue collar roughness
with an ever-present paternal affection."
- Andy Propst, American Theater Web



 
 
"[Billy Elliot] gives Gregory Jbara an opportunity to show us his own dark side....
Here, Jbara plays Billy's father, torn between love and loyalty to his
two sons - one a militant striking miner, the other a mere boy who wants
to dance. His torment is clear, his ultimate growth and tenderness is very
moving, and he's another reason to bring along an extra handkerchief or two."
- Richard Seff, DC Theatre Scene



 
 
"Gregory Jbara portrays Billy's dad as both gruff and loving."
- Thom Geier, Entertainment Weekly



 
 
"As Dad, Gregory Jbara engrossingly manages the difficult transition from
stereotypical roughness to Billy's loving advocate, as admirable in facial expression
as in body movement, and as robust in utterance as controlled in song."
- John Simon, Bloomberg



 
 
"Billy's tender, conflicted father."
- Linda Winer, Newsday



 
 
"Jbara expertly coats Billy's father with a gruffness that he chips
away at delicately until only untainted pride can be seen beneath."
- Matthew Murray, Talkin' Broadway



 
 
"Kudos to Gregory Jbara's Dad, a beaten man
who finally sees his son for who he is."
- Barbara Hoffman, New York Post



 
 
"Gregory Jbara and Haydn Gwynne, who play Billy's
father and dance teacher, are both extraordinarily compelling,
and the hard-working supporting ensemble is beyond praise."
- Terry Teachout, Wall Street Journal



 
 
"The fine Gregory Jbara."
- Peter Marks, Washington Post



 
 
"Gregory Jbara, as Billy's dad, is terrific."
- David Richardson, News Talk Radio 710 WOR



 
 
"Greg Jbara, Santino Fontana, Carole Shelley and Frank Dolce
wonderfully embody Billy's conflicted dad, wary brother,
dotty grandma and cross-dressing school friend."
- Joe Dziemianowicz, New York Daily News



 
 
"Portrayed wonderfully by Gregory Jbara."
- Jeffrey Lyons, WNBC



 
 
"As for the adults, bravo to each and every one. From Carole Shelly as the addled
grandmother to Gregory Jbara's touchingly calibrated performance as Billy's dad
and the fabulous Haydn Gwynne who created the role of Mrs. Wilkinson in London."
- Roma Torre, NY1



 
 
"Excellently played by Gregory Jbara."
- John Heilpern, The New York Observer



 
 
"Jbara has a tough role: He has to be hard-nosed, willing to prove to
his older son that he is still a man, and yet he has to be understanding
to Billy. That does not come easy, and watching Jbara take this
journey as Billy's father is another one of the show's highlights."
- Bill Canacci, MyCentralJersey: Courier News / Home News Tribune



 
 
"Gregory Jbara conveys the anger and pride of Billy's dad
with alternating subtlety and sledgehammer ferocity."
- David Sheward, Backstage



 
 
"Gregory Jbara is heartbreaking as Billy's downtrodden, grief-stricken father.
The look on his face when, late in the show, he realizes that his son
has a talent that will take him far from home, is a devastating mix of
love, awe, and something close to horror."
- David Barbour, Lighting & Sound America



 
 
"Gregory Jbara is superb as Billy's widower father."
- Scott Harrah, The Villager



 
 
"Gregory Jbara is giving the best performance
of his admirable Broadway career."
- Michael Dale, Broadway World



 
 
"Gregory Jbara plays Billy's father and he is superb."
- Chesley Plemmons, News Times (Danbury, CT)



 
 
"Gwynne is pitch perfect as the crusty, chain-smoking dance teacher....
Equally on point is Jbara, whose blue-collar brusqueness and bigotry
finally soften into fatherly pride in his ballet-dancing son's achievement."
- Gus Solomons, Jr, Gay City News



 
 
"A terrific Gregory Jbara."
- George Hatza, Reading Eagle



 
 
"Haydn Gwynne is memorable as his no-nonsense, chain smoking, ballet teacher....
Gregory Jbara is equally wonderful as his downtrodden, macho father,
and Carole Shelley is wistfully effective as his grandmother."
- Barry Gordin & Patrick Christiano, Dan's Papers



 
 
"Played by a thrilling, heartbreaking Gregory Jbara."
- Kathleen Allen, Arizona Daily Star



 
 
"As Billy's father, Gregory Jbara wonderfully captures the character's arc,
showing both his harder side and his inner vulnerability."
- James Miller, Culture Catch



 
 
"Jbara is very good as Billy's dad."
- Judd Hollander, Epoch Times



 
 
"As Billy's ultimately confused father Gregory Jbara has the largest dramatic arc to travel and does it beautifully....His discomfort and disappointment in his younger son, and rage for forcing him out of shell, is palpable. His wonder/discomfort the first time he saw Billy perform and then gruff denial, priceless. But nothing as touching after the audition when he finally [is] invited into Billy's inner voice in "Electricity" and learn[s] the full intensity of his desire and dream. Even wordless Jbara conveys volumes."
- Jeannie Lieberman, Theater Scene



 
 
"Gregory Jbara touches any hardened heart as the father."
- Kevin Sessums, Towleroad



 
 
"A superb Gregory Jbara."
- Charles Messinger, Bucks Country Herald



 
 
"Gregory Jbara deserves a Tony for best supporting player in a
musical as Billy's Dad who makes as big a journey as his son."
- Elyse Sommer, CurtainUp



 
 
"The excellent Gregory Jbara."
- Susan Avery, Time Out New York Kids



 
 
"Gregory Jbara is poignant as Billy's father,
while...Leah Hocking helps provide
the emotional core as Billy's mum."
- Michael Grossberg, Columbus Dispatch



 
 
"Gregory Jbara is a standout as Billy's blue-collar dad."
- Pam Kragen, North Country Times, San Diego