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When the stunt casting (let’s call it what it is) was announced for the Broadway revival of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross, one name stood out as an outlier. Two of the stars, Kieran Culkin and Bob Odenkirk, weren’t known for their theater prowess, but both had delivered award-worthy turns in Succession and Better Call Saul. Heck, Culkin is coming off Emmy and Oscar wins. Hard to question the acting credentials with these guys.

But the third name, comedian Bill Burr, was another matter. Up until now, Burr’s most famous acting credit might be a two-episode stint on The Mandalorian. Could the guy who did the voice work in Grand Theft Auto IV master the Broadway stage? The reviews are in, and by most accounts, Burr delivered. Here’s what the critics have to say…

The Associated Press: “Burr — perhaps the least expected to shine...

Glengarry Glen Ross

Opening night: March 31, 2025

Venue: Broadway’s The Palace Theatre

Written by: David Mamet

Directed by: Patrick Marber

Cast: Kieran Culkin, Bob Odenkirk, Bill Burr, Michael McKean, Donald Webber, Jr., Howard W. Overshown, John Pirruccello

Running time: 1 hr 45 min (one intermission)

Deadline’s takeaway: It should strike more than one visitor to Broadway’s latest revival of Glengarry Glen Ross that much – make that very much – of television today owes a massive debt to playwright David Mamet. The TV-heavy cast of this excellent revival directed by the great Patrick Marber (whose 2020 Leopoldstadt remains one of the 21st Century’s great Broadway achievements) seems to have absorbed the Mametspeak dialect once seldom heard outside the walls of the Atlantic Theater Company downtown.

But try to imagine Kieran Culkin’s Roman Roy in Succession or Bob Odenkirk in Better Call Saul or Bill Burr’s angry stand-up persona without Mamet before them.

May December is a psychological drama film directed by Todd Haynes, from a screenplay by Samy Burch. The Netflix film is based on a story by Burch and Alex Mechanik. It revolves around an actress Elizabeth Berry as she arrives in Savannah, Georgia to research her new role of Gracie Atherton-Yoo, who was part of a nationwide scandal in 1992. Gracie was caught having sex with 13-year-old Joe. Now, both of them lead a perfect suburban life as a married couple but after the arrival of Elizabeth, some long-dormant feelings bubble up. May December stars Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman, and Charles Melton in the lead roles. So, if you loved the Netflix film here are some similar movies you could watch next.

American Beauty Credit – DreamWorks Pictures

Synopsis: Lester’s wife hates him, his daughter Jane regards him with contempt, and his boss is positioning him for the axe. …look closer...

I worked in sales for six years, flogging computers in a PC superstore. It wasn't a totally hard sell gig because most of the time customers were in the shop looking to buy anyway. The pressure came with adding on the extra goodies and insurance policies; that's where the profit was, and you needed to be on top of your game.

The main trick was keeping it fresh. It's easy to fall into the trap of finding yourself a sales patter that works almost every time, until suddenly it doesn't. Then you're locked into a death spiral watching your numbers plummet, wondering how the hell you're going to pull out of it. The trick is to vary things up and keep it sounding spontaneous, because one thing that will definitely put a customer on the defensive is a pitch that sounds rehearsed.

Thanks to my time on the sales floor,...