Recent Reviews

Fiddler on the Roof, Gateway Playhouse

Bruce Winant gives a tour de force performance as Tevye; he is perfection. He captures the heart of Tevye and truly connects with the audience. Winant is so captivating, he received a round of applause upon his entrance at the top of Act II; that’s the first time I’ve ever seen that happen in theater and it is well deserved.

  • Broadway World

Winant’s Tevye is an expansive, grateful, humorous, honorable kind force at the center of the story, who accepts his life.  He talks affectionately to God, to himself and reasons fairly with others while attempting to unravel dilemmas.  A generous soul with integrity who loves his family, his gestures, whether a shrug, eye roll or silently mouthed “thank you” to a solution, are perfect. (I wish he was my uncle)

  • Long Island Advance

Bruce Winant leads the show, embodying Tevye, and is full of life in every expression of his movement: hands, body, face, voice, all of it.  The character is both written and executed through a humanist lens.  He’s loveable, relatable, and admonishable to the audience, and seemingly even to God, evident in Teyve’s casual conversations with Him throughout the show.   He raises a hand in gratitude, a fist in anger, and both hands in yearning question.  When he charms through “If I Were a Rich Man,” it amuses and also draws us all in.  The song itself has been revered by Broadway royalty Lin Manuel Miranda as one of the most universal in all of Broadway canon.

  • The Theatre Guide

Winant, perfectly cast as Tevye, has impressive Broadway credits. Watching his award-worthy performance, I can see why he is such a sought-after star. He is a powerhouse performer with vocals to match. His solo, “If I Were a Rich Man,” was worth the price of admission. When he came back on stage during the curtain call, the audience jumped up and gave him and the rest of the stellar cast a well-deserved standing ovation.

  • Smithtown Matters

 

Diary of Anne Frank, Cleveland Playhouse

Petronella’s relationship with Mr. Van Dann (Bruce Winant, so good at being boisterous, then  broken) provides another burst of the real as they bicker and expertly pick at each other’s scabs, as only longtime partners can.  They love with the same vigor; she shields him when he is threatened with expulsion for pilfering bread.

– Cleveland Plain Dealer/Cleveland.com

Anne’s diary and the original play paint Mr. and Mrs. Van Dann as relative caricatures, but BRUCE WINANT and Laura Perrotta turn them into fully fleshed people.

-News Herald/Cleveland Jewish News

 

 Casa Mañana, Ft. Worth Texas

In addition to a deep, warm voice and funny delivery as Tevye, Bruce Winant emotes turmoil as his eyes meet the anguished ones of his oldest daughter, when she begs her father not to make her marry the elderly butcher.

-Dallas Morning News

Bruce Winant excels as Tevye.  The key to any Fiddler is, of course, a strong actor/singer in the lead role.  Visiting actor Bruce Winant fills that bill admirably and carries the show like it is a bag of feathers…More importantly, Winant has an outstanding voice that more than does justice to such indelible classics as Rich Man and Sunrise, Sunset.

-Star Telegraph

Bruce Winant was remarkable in the role of Tevye. Through an impressive and powerful voice, and a strong presence on stage, Winant convincingly portrayed the definitive Father figure, who longed to hold on to traditions, and to demonstrate his role as the decision maker for his familial brood. Slowly, as the traditions and customs start to slip away, the character of Tevye started to adapt and change. Tevye can be a very complex character- one with many layers, and angles to his personality. I felt that Mr. Winant was very convincing in this role, and was the epitome of what audiences should expect from an actor portraying this it.  For me, Mr. Winant is one of the best actors to interpret this role, and should be regarded with the same talents as Topol. I thoroughly enjoyed his portrayal of Tevye and feel quite certain that his genuine nature and amusing character will be a treat for all audiences of Fiddler on the Roof. Standout musical numbers of Mr. Winant include the extraordinary rendition of “If I Were a Rich Man,” and the opening audience-pleaser, “Tradition.”

-DFW The Column

Music Theatre Wichita

In a rare villainous role, frequent guest star Bruce Winant had eye-rolling fun as Zoser, Radames’ scheming, power-mad father, while unleashing his seriously powerful baritone.

-The Wichita Eagle

John Engeman Theatre, Northport, NY 

Bruce Winant superbly portrays Juan Peron, military man and President of Argentina; his rich, full voice reaching impressive depths.

– NY Theatre Guide

Bruce Winant gives a solid performance as Juan Peron.

– NY Times

Bruce Winant is the most widely traveled performer in the company, and his experience is evident. Winant is as silky-smooth as we expect the slick Argentine leader to be, and we get the impression that his very presence on stage is largely responsible for elevating the performances of his fellow actors.

– Smithtown Matters

…and Bruce Winant is a true talent who complements Eva perfectly and, as was pointed out to me, actually resembles Juan Peron.

-Northport Daily News

Bruce Winnant is the proud President Juan Peron, whose dedication to his people and tender love for his Evita are presented beautifully.

-The Long Islander

Music Theatre of Wichita

New York actor Bruce Winant, seen here last year as the lovable Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof”, is full-voiced, stalwart and amusing as a frustrated King Arthur, who can’t understand why nobody – especially mud-caked peasants – will take him seriously about forming the Round Table and going on a quest. Winant’s resonant baritone adds depth to an essentially straight-man role.  He can’t even get respect from his faithful servant Patsy, who patiently clip-clops cocoanut shells behind Arthur when the king thinks he’s riding a horse.

– The Wichita Eagle

Music Theatre of Wichita &

Woodminster Summer Musicals

After all these decades, most audiences are so used to Topol’s movie version or Zero Mostel’s Broadway cast album of “Fiddler”, that anyone else doing the role of Tevye seems strange, perhaps even a bit suspect. But it takes BRUCE WINANT, the broadway veteran who heads this new production only a few minutes to sweep the audience up in his own genial take on Tevye. He wins them over completely! Winant has a naturalistic approach. He isn’t portentous or stagey in his paternal pronouncements and delightfully skewed observations. He is more conversational, more real; therefore, crisper and fresher in his delivery without losing any of the emotional impact. Winant is also thinner, making him look more credible as a peasant who actually knows hunger in oppressive Tsarist Russia in 1905.

-­‐ The Wichita Eagle

I have seen four different productions of Fiddler in my reviewing career, including the most recent Broadway revival. But BRUCE WINANT completely blows them out of the water. Winant is flawless, his voice impeccable, his stage presence is undeniable and I would say plenty more if I had my thesaurus handy and opened to the word, incredible.

-­‐ Golden Bay Magazine, Oakland, CA

Above all else, BRUCE WINANT truly set this show apart as a brilliant theatrical gem in the Oakland hills.

-­‐ Rossmoor News, Oakland, CA

The Woodminster cast is led by BRUCE WINANT in a fine performance in the role of Tevye. He carefully balances a life of strict adherence to the good book and that of a soft hearted man with great understanding.

-­‐ Piedmont Post

La Cage Aux Folles ’11-’12 Revival 1st National Tour

As Anne’s parents, BRUCE WINANT and Cathy Newman prove to be great fun, particulary among our area’s politicrats, as they portray the churlish politician and his subservient wife.
-The Washington Times
BRUCE WINANT is very strong as the believable narrow minded power grabber.
-Talkin’ Broadway, Chicago

BRUCE WINANT had us in stiches as Anne’s father Dindon.

-Maryland Theatre Guide

We meet Anne’s father (a very funny turn by BRUCE WINANT)

-Chicago Herald

BRUCE WINANT and Cathy Newman display great comic versatility as both the Dindon’s and Renaut’s.

– KDHX, St. Louis

Sweeney Todd Gateway Playhouse

BRUCE WINANT plays the cruel Judge Turpin with a silky malevolence.­‐ New York Times…while BRUCE WINANT as Judge Turpin presents a pitiable, self-­‐flagellating villain.­

‐ New York Newsday

Man of La Mancha Theatre by the Sea

WINANT is extraordinary in the demanding title role, and his remarkable stage presence is matched only by his powerful voice.-Providence EdgeBroadway veteran BRUCE WINANT is smooth as silk in the lead role of Don Quixote. His rendition of the show’s signature number, “The Impossible Dream”, alone is worth the price of admission.- Rhode Island MercuryBroadway veteran BRUCE WINANT is brilliant as Cervantes/Don Quixote. Winant nails “The Impossible Dream” and has the skill to keep the song far from the treacley mess it can become. It is a wholly enjoyable performance.

– Broadway World

Yeston/Kopit’s Phantom Gateway Playhouse

Some of the most poignant scenes are between Erik and Carriere, played with authority and a strong voice by BRUCE WINANT.- New York TimesAs Gerard, it’s up to BRUCE WINANT to deliver the emotional punch of “You Are My Own”…He Succeeds!- NY NewsdaySome of the more dramatically enthralling spots are from the opera house’s former manager, Carriere, played by BRUCE WINANT.  All the drama leads to Carriere’s final, touching revelation to Erik.

– Long Island Advance

Phantom of the Opera National Touring Company/Broadway

The show-stealers, though, were BRUCE WINANT and DC Anderson as the theatre managers. Every time they stepped on stage, the show came to life.- City Paper, BaltimoreBRUCE WINANT and DC Anderson make an energetic, amusing duo as the unsuspecting opera house owners.- The Baltimore SunAnd there are other pleasures to be found, mainly in the excellent supporting cast. BRUCE WINANT and DC Anderson as Messieurs Firmin and Andre, the hapless duo who buy the haunted opera house, draw laughter in every appearance.

– The Orlando Sentinel

All the performances are remarkable, including BRUCE WINANT as M. Firmin…which frankly, should be expected from a cast with such Broadway pedigree.

– The Denver Post

BRUCE WINANT and DC Anderson are both excellent as the fussy and harassed managers of the Paris Opera House.

– Theatre Dallas

Chicago National Touring Company/Broadway

The dark horse charmer in the cast is BRUCE WINANT playing Roxie’s malleable, all-but-invisible husband.  Winant unwraps a shooting star of a voice in Amos’ brief blaze of glory, a tune mischievously dubbed “Mr. Cellophane”.

-Palm Beach Daily News

BRUCE WINANT gives a touching protrayal of Amos, Roxie’s pathetic husband.

– The Greenville News

As Roxie’s hapless husband, BRUCE WINANT milks his few moments for all their pathetic amusement.

– Des Moines Register

Chicago also pauses in it’s pervasive cynicism to acknowledge the pain, moments well realized by BRUCE WINANT’S Amos.

– Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Other wonderful performances came from BRUCE WINANT as Amos Hart…

– Idaho Statesman