HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH
3S Theatre Collective - June 2008
“Fasten your sequined seat belt for the outrageous rage on the stage as Jonathan does a lot of things very, very right playing someone whose sex-change operation went very, very wrong. He stalks the stage like a pained panther who desperately needs petting or Prozac. It’s a fierce and fearless performance, demanding a lot from performer and audience, and I felt like I’d been run over by a truck. In a good way.” Rob Lester, Cabaret Exchange. Click for full review.
“Whitton’s spirited performance will delight the show’s fans while showing the previously uninitiated why Hedwig has become a legend. Whitton is vehement, tragicomic, and, yes, extremely angry.” – Offoffonline.com, RL Nesvet. Click for full review.
“Whitton [is a] Hedwig who can hit the notes, feel the pleasure and the pain and dole out enough charm to turn a potential pity party into a celebration. It is a gift that certain performers have, to break the fourth wall comfortably, and Mr. Whitton is one of those rare creatures who can shamelessly flirt with a crowd without falling out of character.” – United Stages, Hildy Lane. Click for full review.
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BATTLES OF THE BAND (World Premiere)
Proctors New Play Festival - April 2008
"The production itself, under Jonathan Whitton’s sure direction, crackles with passion." - Paul Lamar, Daily Gazette. Click for full review.
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SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
The Laurie Beechman Theatre - Winter 2008
"Though he can, at will, beautifully project a fragile soul, Jonathan Whitton himself is built to last. He’ll be around for the long run: performing, growing, daring.Now working with director Miles Phillips and musical director Steven Ray Watkins, Jonathan scores. Everything’s warmer, sharper, more communicative, and he uses his vibrant, attractive voice more fully." - Rob Lester, Cabaret Scenes. Click for full review.
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PERFECT FINITE
The Triad, The Duplex, & The Laurie Beechman Theatre - Spring-Winter 2007
"A musical theater performer with considerable craft and skill at his disposal... Jonathan Whitton will, indeed go a long, long way in cabaret." -Barbara & Scott Siegel, Talkin' Broadway. Click for full review.
”Disarming and sharp... Jonathan Whitton is a performer to watch and appreciate. He has an agenda and he delivers.” - Elizabeth Ahlfors, Cabaret Scenes. Click for full review.
"A young Tommy Tune re-imagined by Picasso. PERFECT FINITE is a compact, well thought out and entertaining cabaret show that exhibits Jonathan Whitton's slightly offbeat personality and considerable skills to their best advantage. It´s worth spending an hour at the Laurie Beechman to get to know him. You won´t regret it." - Jay Jeffries, Cabaret Exchange. Click for full review.
"Poised, handsome and bursting with charisma. He possesses a key ingredient for success and stardom… Whitton is a winner." – John Hoglund, After Dark.
"A performer with a very high level of craft at his disposal, a versatile and sweet tenor voice, and an easy, exciting physicality, Whitton is technically at the top of his game. A lithe, super-confident young singer who seemed equally at home crooning an intimate and elegant “Lazy Afternoon” as he did attacking Mark Campbell and Deb Barsha’s comic “He Never Did That Before,” with Norbert Leo Butz-like ferocity and a battery of hip pop stylings." - Cabaret Exchange, Jennie Litt
"Jonathan Whitton exudes talent and taste... The songs he chooses to act are sterling." - David Finkle, Backstage.
"Jonathan Whitton makes a delightful debut with his topnotch tenor voice and bright and boyish charm. His love of musical theater shines, along with his stellar sense of storytelling. To quote the title of his opening number, it´s a joy ´Watching the Show´ whenever Whitton sings.´´ – Wayman Wong, New York Daily News
"Lola may have been blessed with 'a little brains, a little talent,' but Jonathan Whitton has both of these assets in spades. Plus a lovely voice, an engaging personality that is offbeat and fresh, and informing his entire show, a distinctive artistic viewpoint." – Roy Sander, columnist and critic
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THE STREET: A NEW MUSICAL
Midtown Theatre Festival: WorkShop Theatre Mainstage - July/August 2007
"Jonathan Whitton takes a strong turn in a key role." - NYTheatre.com
THE STREET was nominated for SIX Midtown Theatre Festival Awards including BEST MUSICAL, BEST MUSIC & LYRICS, OUSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: Fiona Choi & Jen Percival, and OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: Ryan Hilliard & Jonathan Whitton.
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URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL
HMT– October 2006
"Director Jonathan Whitton [has] shepherded this energetic cast with delicacy and insight. Whitton, who is also the choreographer, moves his actors intelligently, creating inventive dance numbers with witty accents... The set by Duncan Morrison is magnificent and beautifully used by Director Whitton.” – Carol King, The Daily Gazette
"I don't think anyone could produce a better production than HMT does here, under the direction of the inestimable Jonathan Whitton... Mr. Whitton's choreography is impeccable, wringing every drop out of every number... it's magnificent and crassly manipulative, both.” – Cathy DeDe, The Chronicle
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THE LAST FIVE YEARS
CHANNEL Z PRODUCTIONS – September 2006
"Thanks to superior performances by the attractive and talented Moly McGrath and Jonathan Whitton, we are attracted to each of them. Whitton has his share of somber songs, but he also has several others that add some welcome lightness to the presentation. He delivers all his numbers with a pop star authority that is perfect for the ego-driven Jamie. ” – Bob Goepfert, The Record
"Time passes swiftly as we watch these two opposites attract and then repel. It takes talented pair to pull that off, and Whitton & McGrath are that pair for sure. ” – Bob Rose, The Post-Star
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GREATER TUNA
CURTAIN CALL THEATER – July/August 2006
"Even if you don't completely fall in love with these oddball characters from the Lone Star state, you'll fall in love with the actors themselves. There is nothing left to chance in these two superb performances. If you've feasted on Shakespeare and musicals already this summer, top it all off with a taste of Tuna." - Paul Lamar, Daily Gazette
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THE LARAMIE PROJECT
CHANNEL Z PRODUCTIONS – May 2006
"Whitton's staging includes some excellent, resonant choices.... [The production] is plain, direct, and it doesn't miss a beat... You should see it, maybe twice.” – Mae Banner, The Saratogian
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A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE
HMT – April/May 2006
"Whitton, for his part, is more impressive than ever. He's created an ensemble that works seamlessly together and he's even pulled fine performances from some of HMT's lesser regulars. And the tableaux he creates on Dale Conklin's magnificent set are beautiful. On every level this production raises the bar for HMT. See it." – Michael Eck, The Times Union
"HMT scores on every front imaginable with a beautiful production of the little known musical... Director Jonathan Whitton is fast becoming a local celebrity for his distinctive acting. Working behind the scenes here, Whitton pulls off what can only be imagined as the best possible reading of this play... Across the board, Mr. Whitton creates a production that is sharp and elegant." - Cathy DeDe, The Chronicle
"The 14-member cast, to a person, handles the material well and that is due to their own formidable talents and to the attentive direction of Jonathan Whitton. He uses the set effectively, guiding his players into various locations (a bus, a kitchen, an Irish pub, etc.) with an expert hand." - Carol King, Daily Gazette
"HMT's production is a mature, thoughtful, touching, and sincere work, presented splendidly. Director Jonathan Whitton finds every nuance in the story... One of the finer productions to be offered locally in quite a while... A work that should be seen." - Bob Goepfert, The Record.
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THE SANTALAND DIARIES
HMT – December 2005
"Whitton gives a truly amazing performance, one of the funniest I have ever seen." – Bob Rose, The Post-Star
“Whitton brings his rubbery physicality and wild humor to David Sedaris' account of the holiday job from hell. [He] Bound[s] like an insane Slinky from barstool to changing room to Santa's overstuffed chair.” – Mae Banner, The Saratogian
"[Whitton has] an incredibly balletic ability. He is absolutely perfect in the role.”– Bob Coutre, The Daily Gazette
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CABARET
Trustus Theatre – September/October 2005
"Jonathan Whitton’s comic timing and mature physical aplomb make him a perfect Emcee. He moves the show along and his sheer stamina is amazing. The production has not a single moment when Whitton is not totally in control." - Larry Hembree, The State
"Jonathan Whitton is all leering lasciviousness as the grinning, strutting, manic front man of the Kit Kat Klub. Whitton is a performer with charisma to spare..." - Addison DeWitt, Free Times
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VISITING MR. GREEN
Curtain Call Theater – June/July 2005
“The talented Jonathan Whitton plays Gardiner. He's gangly, skinny and twitchy, and all that nervous energy feeds right into the hip, urbane marathon-runner-in-training. Whitton can act. There is never a moment that he isn't engaged in the character: The only time you'll realize he was the same actor who played the emcee in HMT’s "Cabaret" is when you read about it in the program. Onstage at CCT, he's all Ross. – Michael Eck, Times Union
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TORCH SONG TRILOGY
Collaborative Artists/The Objective - April 2005
"This production of Torch Song Trilogy [is] a real once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Don’t miss it.” – Kathy Ceceri, Metroland
"Mr. Whitton simply inhabited his Ed Reiss from the soul out... a tour de force job of acting." – Kathy Dede, The Chronicle
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PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE
HMT – February 2005
"Jonathan Whitton, who was so good as the MC in HMT's "Cabaret," goes for the throat with Picasso, and he lets the character's self-love and self-fascination shine." – Michael Eck, Times Union
"Jonathan Whitton, who gave such a lively and impressive portrayal of the Emcee in "Cabaret," returns as Picasso. A better choice could not have been made. Whitton has us believing he is Picasso and we hang on his every word. He is funny every minute." – Bob Rose, The Post-Star
"It's mesmerizing to watch [Getnick & Whitton] listen to the other. They are fully involved; you can feel their bodies vibrate." –Mae Banner, The Saratogian
"[The] fine ensemble cast don’t miss a molecule of humor in a script filled with jokes of every kind: wordplay, bathroom humor and plain nuance. As Picasso, Jonathan Whitton does a complete turn-around from his portrayal earlier this season of the androgynous MC in HMT’s production of Cabaret, becoming a wolf who loves to drive women crazy… there was no mistaking the egomaniacal persona we’ve come to associate with the artist in Whitton’s performance" Kathy Ceceri, Metroland
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CABARET
HMT – October 2004
“Jonathan Whitton is stunning as the Emcee. Thin, angular, possessed with devilish energy, he slides, climbs and flies around the two-level set like a crazed spider. And, he's a first-rate singer… He is nasty, insinuating, sometimes funny, and, in his final number, 'I Don't Care Much,' he is torchy and alienated.” – Mae Banner, The Saratogian
"Whitton truly understands the stage. He is on from the first beat, and he balances the Emcee's dark and light moments with seeming effortlessness." – Michael Eck, Times Union
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PHAEDRA’S LOVE
The Objective – July/August 2002
“If theater is going to reach out to new younger audiences, this is how it is going to be done. Refreshing, stimulating, and, in a twisted way, sort of fun." - Bob Geopfert, The Record
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HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH
Trustus Theatre - June- July 2001
"Jonathan Whitton, who has been acting brilliantly at Trustus since he was 13, is stunning as Hedwig." -Jeffrey Day, The State
"Jonathan Whitton is a capable, dynamic, and engaging actor delievering a tour-de-force performance. He channels Iggy Pop, RuPaul and Tina Turner simultaneously while managing to be both funny and poignant, randy and sensitive, over-the-top and emotionally direct. " -Timothy Conklin, Free Times
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