Mercury: The Afterlife and Times of a Rock God Critics Pick..Don’t Miss..Freddie Mercury is back. He will Rock You! As the flashy lead singer of Queen, Darvish is whirling…Darvish brings a startling energy and intensity to Mercury (Time Out New York, Jessica Branch)
Is Amir Darvish, who plays Mercury and a handful of other characters, a terrific talent? Certainly. He prances and preens with an amazingly crazed exuberance, holding our attention for an intermission-less 80 minutes. And with dark complexion, hairy chest, lithe body, and thick moustache, he looks enough like the swarthy Mercury––minus the overbite. (CityNews, David Kennerly)
“All agree the whirling Darvish carries the show (Zagat New York City Theatre Guide)Amir Darvish brings an almost Shakespearean theatricality, sardonic humor, and passionate intensity to his interpretation. Darvish keeps you riveted throughout. Darvish sustains the illusion right till the end in bravura fashion. (Back Stage, Harry Forbes)
(Amir Darvish), powerful one-man show (The New Yorker)
Darvish is brilliant, and flawlessly brings Freddie Mercury to life. The actor wonderfully recreates the unmistaleable charm, the humor and the larger than life personality. Amir Darvishs greatest strength is not only the ability to capture the two sides of this complicated character, but to seamlessly make the transition from one to the other and back again, in the course of a single monologue. (Good Times Magazine, Dan Brown)
…Amir Darvish shows his characters swagger, charm, vulnerability and deep inner conflict. (Provincetown Banner, Hamilton Kahn)
Wow…Mercury provides a showcase for Amir Darvish’s talents…Darvish captures the mercurial energy of the legend. (Theatremania, Adam Klasfield)
Amir Darvish is a powerhouse of in-your-face sexual and emotional energy. He delves into the intricacies of the psychodrama with operatic grandeur as if he were channeling Freddie’s spirit from the afterlife. (NY Theatre, Kevin Connell)
No, he’s not SUPERMAN – even better, actor Amir Darvish pays tribute to Queen front man Freddie Mercury in this tribute show…Darvish embodies the character of Mercury so well, you become immersed in his story and struggle…Darvish does a fine, almost Shakespearan job of portraying the put upon Mercury… (New York Blade, Winne McCroy)
Nasruddin, disarmingly played by Amir Darvish, is a New York taxi-driver…Darvish, who won acclaim as Freddie Mercury in Mercury: The Afterlife & Times of a Rock God, invests Nasruddin with such a positive force of personality that his crushing disappointment becomes our own. (Newsday, Steve Parks) Falling, by William Borden, is well played by Rachel Burttram, Amir Darvish, and Tom Moglia. (nytheatre.com, Martin Denton)
…Darvish’s moving portrayal of Mercury’s deep love…Darvish gives us a very vivid exciting portrayal of rock & roll bon vivant Mercury swishing, charming and blustering his way through life. (HX Magazine, Jonathan Warman)
Amir Darvish is rock icon Freddie Mercury (NY Blade)
Freddie Mercury’s life and death are recaptured in this critically acclaimed one-man drama which returns to the stage for a limited engagement. (Next Magazine)
…Hamilton (Amir Darvish, Mercury: The Afterlife and Times of a Rock God), a hunky gay detective with an attitude and an agenda, is on the case in more ways than one. While odes to Hitchcock and De Palma are certainly evident, the film stands solid in its own right and paves the way for emerging talent to get noticed…. (Reel Affirmations Film Festival)
As Hamilton, Amir Darvish turns in the best performance, …channeling Al Pacino… (Metro Weekly Rating, Sean Bugg)
When Manny emerges as the only connection between the gruesome series of murders, the darkly sexy and sardonic cop Hamilton (Amir Darvish) is on the case…Director Robert Gaston calls on a talented cast of handsome newcomers to create a dark world of intrigue and nail-biting suspense. Darvish plays Hamilton with a nod to Bogart’s Philip Marlowe and Nicholson’s Jake Gittes in Chinatown… (Frameline San Francisco Film Festival)
The extra N is for Darvish’s sneering, nasty performance as the cop. (Now Magazine, Toronto Film Festival, Glenn Summi)
…Amir Darrvish as undercover cop Hamilton, takes it to the max… (Bay Area Reporter, David Lamble)
During that ten second leap, Reina (Rachel Burttram) and Zaki (Amir Darvish) connect on a level that surpasses race, religion, love, and beliefs.(Off-Broadway, Lindsey Wilson)
Semper Hifi, another unsettling comedy set in a Circuit City store in March, 2003, where a fervently patriotic clerk lets his obsession with the war in Iraq cloud his business judgment, time after time….(the) cast along with Amir Darvish—turn in excellent work. (nytheatre.com, Martin Denton)
Amir Darvish is a dead ringer for the Queen frontman, and critcs have praised his perfomance for his emotional and sexual energy. The whirling Darvish transforms on stage from the flamboyant celebrity Freddie Mercury into his repressed alter ego Farookh Bulsara of Zanzibar, adeptly portraying the personality crisis of rock star vs. self. (Provincetown Magazine)
Mercury Rises! Freddie Mercury that is. In the ‘TOO COOL TO MISS’ category, the late legendary lead singer for the band Queen is the subject of a one man play which opens and all too brief run at the Provincetown Art House… (Boston Herald)
Commendable performances are given by Amir Darvish… (South End News Christopher Millis)
Amir Darvish revives the Queen, Freddie Mercury
ACTOR CAPTURES SECRET SIDE OF MERCURY! Freddie Mercury wowed us right until the end!…What is great about this production is actor AMIR DARVISH…Darvish brings an effete, haughty, regal Mercury. Sure Mercury was self-deluded and self- desctructive, but also immensly fun to watch…Darvish’s Mercury is most magical , right up to the end, when his persona falls away, leaving Mercury/Bulsara, fabulous and furious!…(Provincetown Banner)
“…Tight and well executed Studio Theatre production pacing and precise staging isn’t easy, but for press matinee the talented ensemble was definitely on point, working together as if the show were much further into its five-week run…featured are Amir Darvish (well known for playing the late rock star Freddie Mercury in an acclaimed off-Broadway one-man show” (Washington Blade- Patrick Folliard)
“…Amir Darvish slips on a red dress and becomes a wandering wife returning home to her angry and very drunk husband played by KK Moggie, since by that time both actors have taken on various ages, genders, and ethnicities. As Moggie faces Darvish, the reversal of their genders is a tiny afterthought in the back of the mind, and one that is easily ignored as the scene between them plays out. All five actors are masterful in this, in making the reality of the play more believable than that of the audience….What makes “The Golden Dragon” an amazing exploration of that idea is that it takes the abstract and makes it real: with real people, real tragedy, real comedy and a really amazing play.” (Capitol Sophisticate – Hannah Walker)
“Five actors (Sarah Marshall, Joseph Anthony Foronda, Amir Darvish, KK Moggie and Chris Myers) of various ethnicities take on 16 roles. They display the finesse required to make an ensemble perform as a whole…the actors having been given such a rich opportunity to show their range are very convincing in their roles…Other than the kitchen workers the characters include two world-weary airline stewardesses, played admirably by Amir Darvish…” (Curtain Up – Susan Davidson)
“..Her father (Amir Darvish), the parent she is left with when the storm recedes, is a reminder that in the wake of tragedy, a breathing body doesn’t necessarily indicate a willingness to live.” – NEW YORK THEATRE REVIEW
“The Golden Dragon” has an enigmatic allure, in its desire to illuminate sequestered corners of the culture. And with its inventive shape-shifting, the play presents nifty opportunities for protean actors to strut their stuff. Some of the actors, though, prove more adept than others at assuming characters of different ages and sex. Some of the best segues are accomplished by the oldest cast members…And Amir Darvish manages without excess commentary to approximate the grace of a mournful woman in a slinky red dress.” (The Washington Post – Peter Marks)
“The ensemble of actors (Amir Davish, Joseph Anthony Foronda, DC theatre regular Sarah Marshall, KK Moggie, and Chris Myers) is uniformly strong…The Studio cast handles the language with great ease and clearly connects with it which makes it all the more effective.” (Jennifer Perry – Maryland Theatre Guide)
“The Golden Dragon is a disquieting, darkly funny drama that will shake even the most hardened viewers from their seats. It’s not for the faint of heart, but those brave enough will be rewarded with a singular theatrical experience… Amir Darvish’s toned physique belies the disarming sensitivity displayed by his varied interpretations of two women standing at emotional crossroads.” (Ben Demers – DC Theatre Scene)
“…The ensemble impressively nimble and tight, and the play ultimately delivers visceral and emotional impact that, while not everyone’s cup of tea, memorably cuts to the chase, bloodshed and all.” (MetroWeekly – Jonathan Padget)
“The acting in the Golden Dragon is dazzling” (The Washingtonian – Leslie Milk)
The actors in this “Golden Dragon” are a superb ensemble, each one playing several roles extremely well: Amir Darvish, Joseph Anthony Foronda, Sarah Marshall, K.K. Moggie and Chris Myers. (Washington Examiner – Barbara Mackay)
Chiori Miyagawa’s stylish ensemble piece…is simple and elegant, and it illuminates the profound and lasting effects of death and grief…” –NEW YORKER
“Every fiber of this production seems to have been crafted in true collaborative spirit.”- SHOW BUSINESS WEEKLY
“This production is creative, engaging, and quite brave…If you’re looking for a good night at the theatre, then let neither wind nor rain nor a government shutdown keep you away from I Came to Look for You on Tuesday”-HUFFINGTON POST
“Chiori Miyagawa’s moving anthology-drama about loss…the piece is wonderfully tidy; its stories don’t end happily, yet somehow we leave having been swept clean” 4 Stars – TIMEOUT NY
“Under the direction of Alice Reagan, the eight cast members…are uniformly strong…while the play is unconventional in style, it is both accessible and emotionally honest, and it will leave you thinking about it long after the cast members have taken their well-deserved bows.” – TALKIN’ BROADWAY
“When you see the play, you only get part of the story, and that’s one reason it’s so moving. To be clear, I Came to Look for You on Tuesday, now at La MaMa, is a complete work of art…”- TDF STAGES
“There are several enormously affecting scenes in this play… (several short scenes, actually), in which two men (Amir Darvish & Ugo Chukwu) find solace in one another…There is much to discover in I Came to Look for You Tuesday; I hope by sharing some of what I have found in it will pique your interest in this newest work by a remarkable playwright as well as her entire oeuvre, which is unique and considerable.”- NYTHEATER NOW
“…subtle, evocative scenes like those between Carden (Ugo Chukwu) and Bailey (Amir Darvish)… a talented cast under excellent direction, in an interesting new work… I Came to Look for You on Tuesday was enthralling theatre, and I’m grateful I had the chance to catch it this weekend”- THINK ABOUT THEATRE