How can you surpass Al Pacino?
Mashable
By Kristy Puchko on March 31, 2026
Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach take on Broadway’s “Dog Day Afternoon.” Credit: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman
The Bear’s Emmy-winning stars Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach debut on Broadway, attempting something daring. Their venture, considering the story’s core in Dog Day Afternoon, is fittingly poetic.
In taking on Dog Day Afternoon, these actors draw inevitable comparisons to iconic 1970s cinema figures. In 1975, Al Pacino and John Cazale starred in Sidney Lumet’s Dog Day Afternoon. This box-office hit and six-time Oscar nominee shone with intensity, partly due to the powerful performances of Pacino and Cazale. The scene where Pacino’s character shouts “Attica!” remains iconic. So how do two celebrated TV actors reinvent Dog Day Afternoon on stage? They start by presenting it as a comedy.
Imagine Dog Day Afternoon meets Cheers.
Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman
Playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis drew from Frank Pierson’s screenplay of Dog Day Afternoon and the Life magazine article “The Boys in the Bank,” for his Broadway version. The play shares the same broad strokes as the movie.
A neon light, displaying “Brooklyn: August 22, 1972,” sets the scene. The set represents an ordinary bank’s exterior where, inside, two bank robbers are at work. Eventually, Sonny (Bernthal) and Sal (Moss-Bachrach) demand bank tellers empty their trays. Sonny’s insider bank knowledge quickly goes awry, leaving them with hostages as authorities gather outside.
Where the movie taps into tension, Guirgis introduces humorous banter between bank tellers. Bank gossip and plans for a X-rated movie outing add comedy. The audience cheers Sonny—comparable to Cheers’ iconic Norm’s arrival. The play retains humor, even down to FBI jokes about Detective Fucco’s mispronunciation.
Lumet’s film had humor amidst New Yorkers’ grit in dire situations, but the Broadway show frequently leans into lighter jokes, reducing tension.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach is lost in Dog Day Afternoon.
On The Bear, Moss-Bachrach turned a detestable character, Richie, into a beloved figure over time. However, in Dog Day Afternoon, he falls short in emulating Cazale’s raw, intimidating portrayal of Sal.
Though some elements soften Sal, Moss-Bachrach’s performance doesn’t fully convey threat. Sonny, too, is altered.
Jon Bernthal is a sexy Sonny—and it doesn’t work.
Pacino entered the film frazzled, but Bernthal struts in as alluring. Where Pacino’s Sonny evolves into a talker, Bernthal’s version begins as charming, reducing the story’s inherent stress. Even political critiques seem hollow amidst Broadway’s polished facade.
Actors play with the audience, involving them in Bernthal’s rebellious cries. Yet, it feels superficial, riding on Bernthal’s appeal more than Sonny’s revolutionary aura.
John Bernthal shines when Sonny’s at his lowest.
Despite not matching Pacino, Bernthal excels in an emotional call with his wife, Leon (Esteban Andres Cruz). Here, Bernthal moves beyond imitation, presenting an original, impactful connection during their line of communication.
Jessica Hecht and John Ortiz excel in Dog Day Afternoon.
Despite script and staging issues, Hecht and Ortiz convincingly portray authentic New Yorkers. Hecht embodies a strong yet familiar Brooklyn bank teller, while Ortiz captures the essence of a bumbling but earnest cop.
Dog Day Afternoon is now playing at the August Wilson Theatre.