Aleksey Igudesman’s ‘The Music Critic’ with John Malkovich To Tour U.S.

August 15, 2023, 5:13 PM · If "writing about music is like dancing about architecture" - then what is "performing a show about music criticism"?

Perhaps it looks a little like "The Music Critic," a show written and conceived by violinist Aleksey Igudesman, and starring John Malkovich. I detect some zany fun - "a show in which classical music, theater, and comedy collide." Here is a little preview:

You may remember Igudesman from the team Igudesman and Joo, who have been a comedy hit both onstage and online - and yes, pianist Hyung-ki Joo is part of this show.

"The Music Critic" was made into a live video in 2020, and this fall Igudesman, Joo and Malkovic are taking it on a live tour through the U.S., with performances starting in late October. Stops include Seattle, Los Angeles, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, Detroit, Chicago and New York. (Find tickets through this page.)

"The Music Critic is a project very close to my heart and bringing it to the U.S. is something I dreamed of from its inception," Igudesman said. "My dear friend John Malkovich in the role of the evil critic is despicable and lovable at the same time and evokes the critic in every one of us."

In the show, Malkovich - as the "evil critic" - slams the music of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Brahms, Schumann and other composers we now hold in admiration - reflecting the fact that those composers historically endured negative press when their works were premiered. The grand finale features "The Malkovich Torment," a particularly awful review about Malkovich himself, set to music by Igudesman - as only Igudesman can.

Aleksey Igudesman, John Malkovich, Hyung-ki Joo

L-R: Violinist Aleksey Igudesman, actor John Malkovich and pianist Hyung-ki Joo.

"I have always loved the opportunity to collaborate on The Music Critic with Aleksey Igudesman, Hyung-ki Joo, and many other gifted and thoughtful young classical musicians," Malkovich said. "We are all happy to be back on the road, and for the first time also in the U.S., participating in an evening which consists of some of the greatest compositions in the history of classical music, paired with the perhaps rather unexpected initial reactions those compositions elicited from some of the world’s renowned music critics, along with some other surprises."

Malkovich, Igudesman and Joo are joined in the performance by cellist Antonio Lysy, violist Hsin-Yun Huang, and violinist Claire Wells.

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