"He transformed himself into the hapless, bowler-topped figure the world would come to embrace as the brand-name personage Charlie Chaplin. And as Mr. McClure’s young comic—newly arrived in Hollywood and in search of an alter ego for the screen—wills that second self into being, we’re allowed to imagine we’re in at the birth of an immortal image. What we’re watching is a dizzying multilevel metamorphosis, in which an actor is playing an actor finding the part that would define his career."

—The New York Times

"The show is beautifully acted by an excellent cast that includes the amazing little Zachary Unger in a Tony®-worthy debut performance. The women---Christiane Noll as Chaplin's mother, Erin Mackey playing Oona O'Neill and Jenn Colella in the villainous role of Hedda Hopper--are quite strong, along with Wayne Alan Wilcox as Charlie's brother Syd. But the best reason to see Chaplin is Rob McClure's brilliant physical channeling of the genius filmmaker. Beyond getting the physicality down to a T, he embodies the artist's soul with a subtle mastery that far exceeds impersonation."

—NY-1

"The mega-talented Rob McClure portrays the film genius with irresistible sweetness, like candy you can't--and don't want--to stop eating."

—The Philidelphia Inquirer

At last! A polished, entertaining, refreshingly unpretentious and totally captivating Broadway musical for all ages!

—Rex Reed

"McClure doesn't just replicate the waddle and pratfalls of Chaplin's little tramp. He doesn't just do a back somersault without spilling a glass of wine or tap dance on roller skates or walk a tightrope. He does all that without apparent effort, but he also has a pungent voice that pings and he embodies more than seven decades of Chaplin's life with a focused, altogether believable mix of gravity and light. This is a performance that lasts. Director/choreographer Warren Carlyle moves the story from late 19th century British music halls through to early Hollywood with excellent stagecraft and remarkable integration of live and film images. The whole production, with non-stop changes of stylish costumes, finds impressive shadings in black and white--with just a recurring red rose."

—Newsday

"The improbably epic rise and fall makes a good story, and the creators do nothing to get in the way of that. The pleasant, pastiche-quiche of Chris Curtis's score functions as a sort of an airplane glue, holding everything together and managing a few corky motifs along the way. Rob McClure, a relative unknown, who won't be much longer, proves himself a brilliantly gifted physical comedian, an able clown, and a passionate musical theater performer all rolled into one. At his heights he finds genius in pure play; in his depths, he is a champion thrower of tantrums. And always, always, he is in motion: Even McClure's stillnesses are electrified."

—New York Magazine

"The immensely likable Rob McClure channels Charlie Chaplin's unique genius for physical comedy while singing his guts out."

—USA Today

"Clever touches abound in this undeniably heartfelt musical, from director Warren Carlyle's elaborate staging to the monochromatic costumes to the entertaining treatment of the star's numerous troubled relationships and marriages."

—The Hollywood Reporter

CHAPLIN is a vivid and riveting portrait of the movies' greatest star. A musical blockbuster. Rob McClure should Wwin this year's Tony Award® in a landslide.

—JLTV (Jewish Life Television)

"Watch Rob McClure strut, twirl a cane and careen around the stage with that crazy duck walk and you will really think you're watching one of Chaplin's famous movies. A very happy surprise."

—WOR Radio

"He deftly captures the crucial intersection of Chaplin's physical precision and the darkness of the comedian's soul."

—Chicago Tribune

"He is not a carbon copy of Charlie (no one's likely to be), but he provides the essence of Chaplin, both as the tramp and as the older filmmaker without the mustache. McClure clowns effectively, but he also conveys the intelligence and the impatience that drove Chaplin. The act-one transformation scene, in which the panto comic devises his film persona, is especially effective."

—Variety