73
Metascore
14 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88New York Daily NewsJack MathewsNew York Daily NewsJack MathewsWhat stands out, not surprisingly, is the work and passion that goes into the shows. But seeing all this from the inside creates an extraordinary level of empathy for those involved.
- 83The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThe A.V. ClubNoel MurrayShowBusiness is a smart, highly entertaining piece of cinema-reportage, but it never quite rises to the level of penetrating insight or emotional catharsis.
- 80Village VoiceVillage VoiceProducer/director Dori Berinstein knows her way around a Broadway show -- she's produced 11 of them, including her latest, Legally Blonde -- and her insider status no doubt helped secure behind-the-scenes access as she tracks one season in the life of four musicals, and explains the unusual level of intimacy between interviewer and subjects.
- It's riveting to watch the shows' respective creators work, clash, whine, celebrate and commiserate as the season and their stories unfold.
- 75Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerChristian Science MonitorPeter RainerFollowing the shows from rehearsals to Tony Awards night, she gets behind the scenes and does a good job conveying the incessant anxieties and glee of the talents involved.
- 75Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneMuch of this strikingly human, rapidly paced and laudably well-rounded film is fascinating.
- ShowBusiness is packed with telling details that the director, Dori Berinstein, was lucky to catch on camera.
- The film is a love letter to theater and the people who make it.
- 70Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternWall Street JournalJoe MorgensternAlong the way Dori Berinstein's cameras catch gallant theater people doing what they've done since Sophocles was a pup: rehearsing, revising, worrying, learning, stretching, struggling to bump things up from good to wonderful and constantly, fervently hoping.
- 50New York PostLou LumenickNew York PostLou LumenickYou'll have to look elsewhere than this love letter to the Great White Way to explain why "Wicked" and "Avenue Q" became huge hits, and why "Caroline, or Change" joined "Taboo" as a costly flop.