Two critics. Two dogs. One honest verdict.
Barking Up Broadway started because we were tired of watching friends spend $250 on tickets to shows they'd hate. Now we tell you the truth — in under a minute.
By day a full-time professional, by night a devoted theatre obsessive. Toby believes every ticket is a promise — and a great show keeps it before intermission.
Balances a demanding day job with a lifelong love of Broadway. Daniel handles the cameras, the puns, and swears the dogs give the most honest notes in the room.
Brown-and-tan dachshund. Prefers ballads, dislikes tap. Verified napper during Act II.
Black-and-tan dachshund. Reserves standing ovations for productions with strong second acts and generous snacks.
Because a good ticket is a promise.
Broadway is the greatest live art form in the country. It's also expensive, sold out, and — increasingly — impossible to parse without an inside line. We started Barking Up Broadway so a first-time visitor and a lifelong subscriber could get the same honest answer to the same question: Is this one worth it?
Every review is watched in-person, on our own dime, from real seats. Every score is discussed between us. Every dachshund is consulted.
The FAQ
Do you accept press comps?+
Sometimes. We disclose it every time. It never changes the score — the dogs are impossible to bribe.
Why 45 seconds?+
Because you're standing at the TKTS line and you don't have three minutes. If we can't tell you the truth about a show in 45 seconds, we haven't done our homework.
How do you pick shows?+
Everything currently running on Broadway, plus notable Off-Broadway. Preview shows get a preview review — we'll re-review after opening if things change.
Are the dachshunds real?+
Very real. Barnaby prefers ballads. Olive judges tap numbers.