Death of a Salesman – 03 May 2026

When Death of a Salesman was last on Broadway in 2022, the production made some bold reimaginings. Willy (Wendell Pierce) was portrayed as depressed from the get go, with no hope at any point in the production. His sons, Biff (Khris Davis) and Happy (McKinley Belcher III) were identical except in their father’s eyes. These philosophical changes offered new insight into Willy’s depression and posited some new possibilities for why Willy chooses to end his life at the play’s conclusion. This 2026 revival returns to the classic interpretations of Death of a Salesman, sporting Nathan Lane as Willy Loman and an incredibly committed Laurie Metcalf as Linda Loman. This version returns to familiar character interpretations, yet still manages to captivate the audience in its skillful retelling, giving us everything we expect out of a great production of Death of a Salesman.

Nathan Lane’s ability to play a straight, serious character was perhaps the biggest surprise of the production. Lane delivers a performance full of genuine sincerity that is uncharacteristic of most of his previous work— and he’s terribly good at it. Lane is magnetic to watch, and he manages to pull Willy’s insecurities to the forefront of the conversation with ease and dexterity. Similarly, Laurie Metcalf pulls more emotion and distress out of Linda Loman than any actress I’ve ever seen. Her pain reverberates through the theatre in every line and every gesture. Her devotion to Willy is so clear and so piercingly thorough that it just tears your heart out.

Most of the design elements supported this vision. I was especially enamored with lighting design (Jack Knowles), which created some truly beautiful moments highlighting who was important in ways that were striking and dramatic without taking us out of the rugged, realness of the show. I had difficulty understanding the scenic design (Chloe Lamford). The set was largely comprised of vague black and white tiling with an industrial column and the car that Willy uses to kill himself ever-present on stage. Notably, the car Willy dies in is not his new Studebaker, but the red Chevy that he drove when he was young. This implies that the job was always going to kill him— his death was inevitable and unrelated to recent events. That being said, the car takes up a lot of potential playing space on a set that doesn’t otherwise feel specific or meaningful.

If you want to see Death of a Salesman as Arthur Miller envisioned it, this production truly delivers. Death of a Salesman is universal, timely, and meaningful. This cast and creative team gave us everything they had to give, and their contributions are truly magnificent.

I did not attend this performance on a press pass.