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Acting Reviews
THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA MCBRIDE by Matthew Lopez
Round House Theatre
“…it is Hammerly’s Miss Tracy Mills who gives the production its brightest disco-ball sparkle. - The Washington Post
"You just can’t say enough about Hammerly’s performance - the impeccable timing (never has the prosaic sentence “I just took an Ambien.” sounded so hilarious), the double takes, the athleticism, the generosity and grace.” - DC Theatre Scene
“The song “McArthur Park,” as performed by Rick Hammerly, was a knockout punch to the senses. As Mr. Hammerly stared forlornly, crying over his “cake being left out in the rain,” he literally got on all fours searching and crying that "He’d never find that recipe again." Hysterical indeed." - DCMTA
“…much of the comedy comes from the very talented Rick Hammerly playing Miss Tracy Mills. Hammerly is exquisite in each drag number, with outrageous facial expressions and dramatic dance moves. The choreography throughout the evening was phenomenal and Hammerly had the audience in stitches as they performed it. - MD Theatre Guide
“A saucy and experienced high-glamour queen, Tracy is a mother-tucking professional, brought brilliantly to life by Rick Hammerly.” - MetroWeekly
“…a performance by Rick Hammerly every bit as matchless as his Hedwig at Signature Theatre..." - DC Theatre Scene
“…an experienced drag queen named Miss Tracy Mills (acted by Rick Hammerly with utter verve and adroit comic timing)…” - DCMTA
“(The) director has the good fortune to be working with Hammerly, a gender-bender from way back who received a 2003 Helen Hayes Award for "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." Miss Tracy is magnificent in her glittering, kitschy costumes, incorporating billowing capes and smothering boas, as she emotes with her eyes, her arms, and every other part of her body. (The Judy Garland tribute alone is astonishing.)” - talkinbroadway
“Rick Hammerly is a wonder as Miss Tracy Mills, appropriately bossy and motherly. His drag routines are particularly inspired.” - theatermania.com
“Miss Tracy…appears in a gleaming gold dress to interpret the disco version of the song “MacArthur Park.” As the lush orchestrations agitate, Miss Tracy struts, lip-syncs, vamps, spins and glares. Her fluttery wrist and finger movements form a halo around her body. When the song mentions a cake recipe, she pulls a piece of paper from her bodice, rips it up, and frantically flings the scraps at the audience. With Rick Hammerly channeling Miss Tracy, the number is screamingly funny — and it’s just one of numerous hilarious sequences in the production.” - The Washington Post
OLIVER! THE MUSICAL by Lionel Bart
Adventure Theatre MTC
2016 Helen Hayes Award Nomination - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical
"(a) standout performance from Hammerly. As Fagin, the father figure to the young pickpockets, Hammerly nicely balances sweet and sour. The “You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two” sequence would not win Fagin any parenting awards, but Hammerly commands the stage completely." - Washington City Paper
"Rick Hammerly’s touching rendition of Fagin...brings a well-worn, tenderness to the role, looking out for his brood with the affection of a surrogate uncle, while mindful of the tough terrain they’re all living in. His “Reviewing the Situation” is reflective, with sprinkles of desperation - priceless.” - DC Theatre Scene
"Rick Hammerly highlights the humor of Fagin’s character in an outstanding performance, using clever trickery and slight-of-hand in the number “Pick a Pocket or Two.” And his “Reviewing the Situation” is a tour de force." - DCMTA
"Hammerly make(s) an impression as usual...giving us a dose of comedy and much more as Fagin. He sings the part very well and has good chemistry with the young actors." - BroadwayWorld
"As an impish and light-footed Fagin, Rick Hammerly actually gets to ruminate during “Reviewing the Situation.” - The Washington Post
"There is something about a performer who can take an unlikeable character and make you care about the person’s plight. Rick Hammerly as Fagin brings a human side to the role. Hammerly’s “Reviewing the Situation” further demonstrates this with his expert interpretation of that song." - MD Theatre Guide
"...Rick Hammerly’s finely nuanced portrayal of Fagin, the gang’s scraggly-haired leader. Clad in a ratty dressing gown, Hammerly’s Fagin is a friend to the young delinquents whom he addresses as “my dears” and offers sips of gin when not instructing them on the art of crime (a delightfully delivered “Pick a Pocket or Two”)." - Washington Blade
THE THREEPENNY OPERA by Bertolt Brecht, music by Kurt Weill
Signature Theatre
“Rick Hammerly, meanwhile, pleasingly turns up the volume of “Threepenny’s” duality as Macheath’s former squeeze, Lucy Brown.” - The Washington Post
"And speaking of laughing - Rick Hammerly as Lucy Brown, one of Macheath’s former flings, vamps it up with great timing, virtually picking up the scene and walking out the exit with it. The audience roars with delight.” - EntertainmentOrDie
“Rick Hammerly in drag as the Macheath’s very pregnant former flame Lucy Brown is also a hit. His portrayal of a sassy and self-righteous Lucy Brown perfectly complements Erin’s neurotic portrayal of Polly. Their rendition of “Jealousy Duet” is one of the hits of Act II as the two scorned women duel it out over their man in hilarious fashion.” - DCMTA
“Hammerly is once again pulling a wig down from the shelf and donning female drag at Signature Theatre, a decade after his Helen Hayes Award-winning turn in the title role of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." Here he all but steals the show as Lucy, arguably the most hopelessly deluded lover of Mack the Knife...” - MetroWeekly
“...the darkly comedic force that is Rick Hammerly (as Lucy - Macheath's other ‘lover’).” - BroadwayWorld
“Cross-gender casting Rick Hammerly as super-chav Lucy is a nice touch, bringing a much-needed dose of kink to the otherwise respectable proceedings. His bitch-off duet with Driscoll is a highlight” - DC Theatre Scene
“Rick Hammerly as Lucy Brown adds comedic touches to the somber mood of the story while not over-camping the character...” - MD Theatre Guide
“Rick Hammerly dons drag to play Macheath's pregnant former lover, the sassy Lucy Brown. The result is a hoot. His scenes with Driscoll are full of scathing one-upmanship that seem straight out of an episode of one of the infamous Real Housewives shows, and it provides great comic relief. Hammerly and Driscoll are divine on the "Jealousy Duet" as Macheath's two loves fight with everything they have for their man.” - TheatreMania
“There are too many eye-popping scenes and phenomenal singing to describe here but watch for Rick Hammerly as Lucy Brown who shows up to challenge Polly for Mack’s affections and nearly brings the house down with his drag performance as the pregnant Brown...” - Whisk + Quill
“In Act Two there’s a “Jealously Duet” between Polly and Lucy Brown. It’s a spiteful cat-fight, staged and sung hilariously, all the more so because Lucy is played in drag. This inspired cross-gender casting (of Rick Hammerly, a terrific comic actor) has a revelatory effect on the scene: it frames the cat-fight more as gender-class commentary than as horizontal-hostility cartoon.” - DCMTA
“Comic relief is in good supply when, in the second act, Lucy Brown visits him in prison. The part is played in drag by Rick Hammerly who is well known in Washington for his Helen Hayes award-winning performance in "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." He's a hoot.” - CurtainUp
HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH by John Cameron Mitchell & Stephen Trask
Signature Theatre
2003 Helen Hayes Award - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical
"In the thrillingly capable hands of Rick Hammerly, Hedwig walks onto the stage of the Warehouse Theatre a has been, and she leaves it an unstoppable star. Hammerly manages to carve a special niche for himself. The portrayal is different from others I've seen, and in some ways more attuned to the show's witty streak. Simply put, he's the funniest Hedwig I've ever experienced." - The Washington Post
"Hammerly, who wowed local audiences with his sensational Bette Davis in Me and Jezebel and his Helen Hayes-nominated Prior in both parts of Signature's Angels in America, turns out to be as strong a singer as he is an actor. His Hedwig could be the love child of Dame Edna and Frank N. Furter - an uproariously brazen, un-self-conscious, ultimately vulnerable creature - and qualifies as a thoroughly striking performance..." - Washington City Paper
"As the huge-haired, Teutonic songbird in black platform boots, Rick Hammerly is invincible. A brilliant performer, Hammerly owns the stage and plays the flummoxed punk diva to perfection. Hammerly's timing is flawless." - The Washington Blade
"Hammerly's tender renditions of blissfully melodic songs like "Wig in a box" and "Wicked Little Town" show off his emotional range." - The Washington Post
"Hammerly, as the uber-girl Hedwig, does a masterful job, effectively stripping off his character's artifice, along with layers of clothing, in his take-no-prisoners performance. He's got a great singing voice, which he uses with virtuosity, doubling as most of the men in the story." - The Review
"Hammerly is the frontman for it all, a haughty, strutting diva with the vulnerable heart of a child. He has the voice for the rock star wannabe, singing with plausible savagery or introspection as the music demands. " - The Washington Post
"Rick Hammerly stars as the ever-flamboyant singer, perfectly conveying Hedwig's pathos, neediness and sharp wit."
- Sun Gazette
"And testimony, most of all, to the complexity of Hammerly's fierce, campy, haunted performance, to the depths of those glitter-shadowed eyes." - Washington City Paper
"Eric Schaeffer's customarily expert direction allows for a panorama of human emotions and concerns to enlarge the humanity of Rick Hammerly's surprisingly tender, yet angry portrayal of Hedwig. Hammerly has found in Hedwig a core of forgiveness and understanding while still retaining the qualities of a star performer." - The Journal
"Hedwig is a flamboyantly tacky androgyne, and Rick Hammerly - in a zesty, pouty performance - plays her like a low-rent David Bowie from the days when Bowie was glam. The masculine-feminine confusion Hammerly sows is spot on."
- The Washington Post
"Hammerly connects with Hedwig's sadness and longing for completion with real feeling. And let's not forget, Hammerly sings and flings himself about the stage like a true rock star."
- The Washington Blade
"The first time around it was astounding...the second time it is superlative. Rick Hammerly has dug up additional levels in his loud and robust transvestite performance to bring more pathos and empathy to the travails of Hedwig." - Foggy Bottom News
"Uber-talent Rick Hammerly stars as escaped East German Hedwig Schmidt in a production that could be merely campy in other, less capable hands. Hammerly manages to take the audience on an emotional excursion through self-discovery." - Alexandria Arlington Extra
ANGELS IN AMERICA: MILLENNIUM APPROACHES
and
ANGELS IN AMERICA: PERESTROIKA
by Tony Kushner
Signature Theatre
2000 Helen Hayes Award Nomination - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play
"Rick Hammerly gives an authoritative and unforgettable performance in the pivotal role of Prior Walter, a drag-prone AIDS patient who gets tapped for millennial-prophesy duty at evening's end...the outstanding Hammerly's frantic, blistering outrage when the hospitalized Prior confronts Louis, the lover who's leaving him, defines the Signature production's most riveting scene..." - Washington City Paper
"Kushner does get a lot of comic mileage out of the schtick, and it's schtick Hammerly knows how to burnish so it looks like art. He's frightened, touching and dignified...and later, dressed like Death, a total riot..." - The Washington Post
"As Prior Walter, the ailing hero, Rick Hammerly gives a magnificent performance. He's funny and frightened, often at the same time, but his spirit remains unbowed. He becomes a model for dealing with illness and other adversity."
- The Washington Blade
"One performance stands out even in this strong ensemble. Rick Hammerly's simultaneously heart-warming and heart-rending portrayal of an early victim of the AIDS epidemic is so highly polished, that he doesn't seem to have a moment on stage that hasn't been thoroughly thought through and set with the perfect posture, gesture or inflection. It has the feel of a performance late in a run, when every single angle has been explored and the definitive set of choices has been selected and polished." - Arlington Connection
"Mr. Hammerly's acting, especially his comedic reactions to all that transpires in the cruel world around him, continues to be one of the driving forces in this production, to the point where the audience finds itself looking forward to every scene in which he appears." - Aisle Say Washington
"Rick Hammerly gives an award-worthy performance as Prior Walter; he's a genius of sarcastic humor as well as a master of touching poignancy." - The Review
"Hammerly is wickedly wonderful as Prior, wearing his camp sensibility as if it were his own - a little Katherine Hepburn here, a little Bette Davis there. But when the time comes for him to be terrified, he gives Janet Leigh a run for her money."
- MetroWeekly
"Also excellent is Rick Hammerly as the cross-dresser facing an agonizing death from AIDS...the emotional crises he faces is chilling and painful to watch." - Washingtonian
"Rick Hammerly completes what is surely the performance of his career with a Prior who's funnier and more fierce, if that's possible, than he was in Signature's Millennium Approaches." - Washington City Paper
Acting Reviews: Testimonials
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