ED DIXON :
Actor/Writer/Composer

PIRATES!

THE NEW YORK TIMES- Naomi Siegel

"But the true star turn is offered by Ed Dixon as Major General Stanley. With extraordinary diction and sure-fire comic timing-- Mr. Dixon gives a performance that rivals the Savoyards of old."

VARIETY- Robert L. Daniels

"Ed Dixon stops the show when he sings the tongue-twisting 'very model of a modern major general."

THEATERMANIA.COM- David Finkle

"Dixon's 'I Am The Very Model of a Modern Major General.' which includes a death defying, trip-hammer encore will alone strike many loyal patrons as worth the price of admission."

THE STAR LEDGER- Peter Filichia

"Cast makes PIRATES! a treasure. There's so much talent in "PIRATES!" Ed Dixon delivers his tongue-twisting rapid introductory song, "A Modern Major General" without a tangle. He has Pomp in every Circumstance, with a bit of Harvey Fierstein too."

WORRALL COMMUNITY PAPERS- Bea Smith

"Outstanding is Ed Dixon as Major General Stanley... the most perfect comedic major general and his wonderful voice thrills the audience especially when he sings "A Modern Major General!"

CURTAIN UP- Simon Saltzman

"Ed Dixon is more than splendid as the stuffy doting father/dithering Major General Stanley, whose esprit de corps defies anyone saying that he has been too long in the noon day sun. Dixon, whose theatrical specialties range from playing General Wetjoen in The Iceman Cometh to Thenardier in Les Miserables on Broadway, brings an insinuating wrinkle to his show-stopping patter songs, "A Modern Major General," and "The Nightmare", the latter earning him even more applause. "

RECORDER PAPERS- Allen Crossett

"Also an audience favorite is Ed Dixon in the role of Major-General Stanley. His performance of "A Modern Major General" is the show stopper of the first act, and the encore is simply astounding."

BROADWAYWORLD.COM- Michael Dale

"Major-General Stanley (a loveable Ed Dixon, who commands laughter in the only genuinely D'Oyly Carte-ish performance of the night.) "I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major General," impeccably pounced upon by Dixon, contains new character-specific segments explaining what the devil he's doing in the Caribbean and his attitude toward the inhabitants he encounters."

SUNSET BOULEVARD

VARIETY- Allen Young

"Ed Dixon delivers a towering performance as the haunted Max Von Meyerling. Rotund and tall, Dixon grasps the torment of the man and expresses it in wonderful singing, with a multi-octave range that catches the pain in his thwarted life. He brings an integrity to the play that tons of scenery and loads of glitz cannot disturb. Less is more with Dixon, and his is a memorable presence."

SHOWBIZ RADIO- Mark Lee Adams

"Ed Dixon (Max Von Mayerling) is so riveting in his role; it's hard to take your eyes off of him. The scene in which his character is watching a film of Norma Desmond proves how brilliant this actor is. A true Master Performer of his craft. Breathtaking and tear jerking."

CURTAIN UP- Susan Davidson

"It is Ed Dixon's rich operatic basso profundo, superb diction and stonefaced delivery that audiences remember. Looking like the late Charles Laughton, he makes the most of acting and singing the imperious keeper-of-the-flame, Max Von Mayerling. When he sings "The Greatest Star of All" and "New Ways to Dream" the house is under his spell."

DC THEATER SCENE- Tony Ponick

"And finally, a big hat tip to Ed Dixon's portrayal of Norma's hapless yet loyal butler-manservant-bodyguard and one time husband and director, Max Von Mayerling. Strongly resembling an ominous... Otto Preminger... Slowly, surely, his character  grows in sympathy and complexity. And when he bursts out almost incongrueously in song, you're surprised to hear in his deep, mellow and athoratative voice, the soul of a fallen angel."

VARIETY- Paul Harris

"As protective butler, Max, Ed Dixon is an authoratative presence with his rich baritone and humorless demeanor."

WASHINGTONIAN- Leslie Milk

"But the real crime of this production is that the butler did it- stealing every scene, that is. Ed Dixon's portrayal of Max Von Mayerling, adoring factotum to Desmond, has an amazing voice and a mesmerizing stage presence."'

TALKIN' BROADWAY- Susan Berlin

"The most striking single performance is Ed Dixon, as Max, Norma's servant and protector from the outside world. Hulking, taciturn, singing in a deep, almost sepulchral voice, he (more than Norma) personifies the darkness that underlies the star machine."

THEATERMANIA- Michael Toscano

"Max, (a vaguely menacing Ed Dixon) displays an astonishing vocal range.  

THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER- Marsha Dubrow

"The greatest voice of all in this production is Ed Dixon's as Max Von Meyerling, Norma's majordomo. Oh, what deliver by Lacey, by Dixon and by the orchestra, conducted by Jon Kalbfleisch."

THE WASHINGTON POST- Peter Marks

"The musical charts the madness of a onetime movie idol with her lumbering ghoul of a manservant, Max (Ed Dixon, in a marvelously brooding turn). With Dixon's help, Lacey pulls off that gothic final scene."

HOWARD COUNTY TIMES- John Harding

"In a way, the stiff but spectral presence of Norma's husband-turned-butler. Max Von Mayerling, provides our point-of-view on the whole sordid tale. Actor, Ed Dixon turns Max from a pathetic enabler into more of an eerie puppetmaster, dredging up his solo "The Greatest Star of All"... from some ersatz netherworld caught between facism and schmaltz. I'm sensing a Helen Hayes Nomination."

BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS

Ft. Worth Star-Telegram- Mark Lowry

"Another Casa veteran, Ed Dixon, plays Sherrif Ed Earl Dodd and knocks it out of the park when he sings Good Old Girl with that big, resonant voice. it's the show's finest moment."

INHERIT THE WIND

The Plain Dealer- Tony Brown

"Playhouse associate artistic directo, Seth Gordon, gets at the heart of the personal conflicts, particularly in Act 2, Gorden gets the barn burning and at no expence to his glimpses into the heart. And it doesn't hurt that Broadway Veteran, Ed Dixon, turns in a barrel-chested, glad handing, delusionally self absorbed Brady."

The News Harald- Bob Abelman

"Dixon and Jaeck live up to the legacy of past performers, creating rich and textured portrayals. Each man is a commanding presence on the stage, yet they take great pains to balance each other out, so as not to tip the scale toward one side of the debate over the other and ruin the drama. Both men understand and appreciate the power of the words they are given, and deliver them with flair and nuance."

Talkin' Broadway- David Ritchie

"Dixon and Jaeck make this script sing like a good old fashioned tent revival."

Cleveland Jewish News- Fran Heller

"The courtroom classic sizzles on the Playhouse stage, owing to Seth Gordon's expert direction and galvanic performances by New York actor, Ed Dixon and Chicago actor, Scott Jaeck as legal adversaries."

WHODUNIT... THE MUSICAL

QUAD CITY TIMES- David Burke

"CIRCA'S 'WHODUNIT' GIVES AUDIENCE MYSTERY WITH A BITE

Thanks to playwright Ed Dixon, there are some delicious one liners... Dixon, who wrote the words and music, gives his performers mouths-full of lyrics at times- occasionally drifting into Gilbert and Sullivan or Sondheim territory- You don't need to be a sleuth to realize it all adds up to an enjoyable evening."

QUAD CITIES' ONLINE- Jonathan Turner

"MURDER MYSTERY MAKES MERRY MUSICAL

It's a jolly old time at the new murder mystery musical, 'WHODUNIT,' which is being given a loving and professional world premiere at Circa 21. The first impression made by Ed Dixon's literate show- a mocking, affectionate parody of the genre- is the impressive two-story set. That visual feast if reflected by the opening prim and proper chorus, the royal, majestic 'Sunnyside.' Like the rest of the show, it's confidently written and performed. Mr. Dixon has a way with clever lyrics and sophisticated music. The strength of the musical emerges more in the solid, boldly drawn characters and simple, time honered story. Though the love at the core of the story is genuine, the send-ups of the plot's conventions are knowing and witty. "WHODUNIT... THE MUSICAL" is a frothy dessert of a show- not too deep or substantial, but then again, that's not what the traditional recipe calls for."

Ashland Daily Tidings- Roberta Kent

"A COMEDY TO DIE FOR.

In WHODUNIT... THE MUSICAL making its debut at Oregon Cabaret Theatre, the night turns out not only dark and stormy but hilariously funny as well. if you discount a couple of stray bodies, that it. Plus, all this mayhem and murder is sprinkled with perky musical numbers and snappy choreography.

Daily Courier- Edith Decker

"WHO MADE A KILLING WITH MURDER MUSICAL? OREGON CABARET THEATRE DUNIT!

With a poke at all the cliches of the game Clue and a wink at a dozen well digested Agathe Christie books... oh yes, and an entire score of witty lyrics an music... Oregon Cabaret Theatre in Ashland opened an absolutely amusing evening of theater last weekend with WHODUNIT... THE MUSICAL."

Talkin' Broadway- Richard Connema

"Their current production is a delightful new musical by American actor, playwright and composer, Ed Dixon. It is a tuneful romp that is part mystery, part drawing room farce and a lot of fun music and lyrics."

Mail Tribune- Bill Varble

"WHODUNIT... THE MUSICAL embraces, with affection bordering on reverence, so many old drawing room farce tropes that it feels like we've been here before. But in fact nobody has, because the musical that opened Friday night at Oregon Cabaret Theater is the comic musical's first. Ed Dixon has adapted Mary Robert Rinehart's short story THE CIRCULAR STAIRCASE into this potpouri of silliness and song."

Twin Cities' Reader- Thom White

"WHODUNIT... THE MUSICAL... its songs make for a bright and cheery musical, and the climax and denoument are straight out of drawing room farce."

THE STUDENT PRINCE

TALKIN' BROADWAY- Ann Miner

"Another plus in this production is the casting of Ed Dixon as Dr. Engel. Always the pro, Dixon makes a small role a highlight and really tugs the heartstrings with the nostalgic "Golden Days." It's a sad moment when we find out Dr. Engel died between scenes one and two of the second act."

WRCT RADIO- Gordon Spencer

"'As Dr. Engel, the prince's tutor, Ed Dixon sings magnificently."

OUT MAGAZINE- F. J. Hartland

"Looking every inch the college professor, Dixon also has a commanding singing voice."

DIAL M FOR MURDER

Newsday.Com- Steve Parks

"Though he doesn't appear until after intermission, Ed Dixon, as the frumpy police inspector, all but steals the show. We dare not allude to details of the case, but the inspector- think Peter "Columbo" Falk with a British accent- delights in his own deductive powers."

Times Beacon Record- Elise Perleman

"Last but not least, Ed Dixon is an absolute standout as Hubbard, the surly police inspector with infallible instincts in hot pursuit of justice. His one-liners, comebacks and his entire demeanor make for pure enjoyment."

HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS:

VARIETY- Mark Blankenship

"Ed Dixon can pick up the vocal slack. Playing Old Max- a role John Cullum yawned through last year- he sings and acts with avuncular warmth. Old Max is now a weary traveler, taking a final look at his memories before he literally packs up his bags and heads on his way. His gentle melancholy- also expressed in the sturdy new ballad, "This Time of Year" provides a dash of emotional depth."

TALKIN' BROADWAY- Matthew Murray

"The show this time around is even more magical than it was last year. This is due in no small part to Ed Dixon who's stepped in as the older version of Max and provides a buoyant baritone and a vitality that the show's originator, John Cullum, somewhat lacked. He narrates the evening with much lighter and surer paws, and even a dose of the lingering grumpiness of being brow-beaten by history's furriest Scrooge."

THE NEW YORK TIMES- Neil Genzlinger

"Ed Dixon and Rust Ross are also very good as the old and young versions of Max, the Grinch's dog. Their duet, "This Time of Year," is just right for, well... this time of year."

NEWS TRIBUNE- Charles Paolino

"Old Max is played with pathos and humor by stage veteran, Ed Dixon. Dixon has a rich baritone voice and he gets a few chances in this score to let it rip."

THEATERMANIA.COM- Brian Scott Lipton

"Kids and adults alike will also take immediately to both versions of the Grinch's put-upon dog, Max: Old Max (the fine Ed Dixon) who narrates the tale, and Young Max (the adorable Rusty Ross.)"

NEWSTIMES.COM- Chesley Plemmons

"The story is related by Old Max (Ed Dixon), a dog who has seen his day. Veteran Broadway actor Dixon gives the part the human warmth the mostly cartoonish story needs."

BACKSTAGE.COM- Andy Propst

"The show continues to evoke memories of the animated classic, sometimes even more than last year. Equally satisfying is "This Time of Year, " a new song for the show's narrator, the Grinch's dog, Max (Ed Dixon)."  

MUSICALS101.COM- John Kenrick

"Ed Dixon is quite loveable as Old Max, the Grinch's former pooch who is heading off to retirement and wants to recall his former master one final time."

REUTERS- Frank Scheck

"Veteran actor Ed Dixon has agreeably taken over from John Cullum as the narrator, Old Max."

THE NEW YORK POST- Clive Barnes

"There's also the smoothy professional performances from Rusty Ross and Ed Dixon."

PIRATES OF PENZANCE:

THE NEW YORK TIMES- Anita Gates

"Mr. Dixon is an audience favorite as the Major General, and deservedly so. He cuts an impressive figure, meeting the role's greatest challenge, singing Gilbert and Sullivan's clever lyrics fast enough to be funny but slowly enough to be understood."

VARIETY- Frank Rizzo

"Dixon mines every syllable, note and breath as the wonderfully blustery Major General."

THE HOUR- David A. Rosenberg

"I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General" is the patter song that lets the delicious Ed Dixon steal the show. Dixon is superb elsewhere as well, the twinkle in his eye catching the G&S humor like no other in the show."

THE HARTFORD COURANT- Deborah Hornblow

"...stealing the show is Ed Dixon's heaving, gasping Major General, a blustery regimental type who struts and preens, and when called for, sings at warp speed while enunciating to perfection Gilbert and Benjamin's tongue-twisting lyrics."

THE NEW LONDON DAY- Kristina Dorsey

"Ed Dixon is the very model of a modern major general in Goodspeed's PIRATES OF PENZANCE. The same goes for the way Dixon delivers a punchline everyone could see coming, delivering it with a knowing drawl. And he is a breathless enunciating machine in "A Modern Major-General" pattering with supersonic speed and precision."

CONNPOST.COM- Joe Meyers

"Broadway veteran Ed Dixon gives a spectacularly funny performance as Major General Stanley and stopped the show with the character's great Act One patter song, "A Modern Major General."

REMINDER PAPERS- Don Bourret

"Dixon's solo, "A Modern Major General," in which he details his qualifications (or lack of same) for his position, is a tour de force, a masterful rendering of a classic fast-patter monolog that left the audience breathless and cheering at the end."

SAVING AIMEE

VARIETY- Paul Harris

"Ed Dixon excels doing double duty as the sympathetic father and rival preacher who excoriates McPherson as the "P.T. Barnum of the pulpit." He says it all in his big number, "Demon in a Dress."

BROADWAYWORLD.COM- Charles Shubow

"...terrific performances by Ed Dixon..."

THEATERMANIA- Michael Toscano

"Ed Dixon plays two roles. As Aimee's gentle father, his soft ballad, "Letter from Home" to his absent daughter is simple and sentimental. Later, Dixon plays Brother Bob, a sanctimonious, Jerry Falwell-like preacher who tries to muzzle the flamboyant evangelist. In a complete turnabout, Dixon is the epitome of spiteful malice in the song "Demon in a Dress."

SCENERY

THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE- Chris Jones

"This is comedy born in pain, which is the best kind. This, for sure, is the work of a man who knows all about the barbarism of a life in the American theater."

GRAND RAPIDS PRESS- Sue Merrell

"If "SCENERY" is a term for "making a scene," Ed Dixon's new comedy is aptly named, and he and co-star Lynne Wintersteller are experts at the craft."

 WGVU- Fred Martino

"Ed Dixon and Lynne Wintersteller are fantastic as Richard and Marion. And after this, you'll always wonder what goes on backstage and what are the real lives of those actors like when the curtain falls."

THE BEST MAN

VARIETY- Charles Isherwood

"The kind of crisply articulated performances that we expect to find from such an accomplished cast. Ed Dixon is pitch-perfect in his brief scenes as a cynical senator."

SUNSET BOULEVARD

Denver Journal- Brad Smith

"Norma's butler, Max, is played to mad perfection by Ed Dixon."

SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE:

THE NEW YORK TIMES- Ben Brantley

"How could we not look at the rhapsody of images that keeps unfolding before us? I've never seen a supporting cast for this show that presents such finely individuated characterizations."

DAILY NEWS- Joe Dziemianowicz

"Art isn't easy, but you'd never know it from the elegantly acted, directed and designed revival which opened last night at Studio 54. Ed Dixon and Anne L. Nathan are pitch-perfect."

VARIETY- David Rooney

"British director, Sam Buntrock, brings the 1984 musical back to Broadway for the first time, carrying an exhilarating emotional charge. Buntrock and his matchless, double-cast ensemble do full justice to one of the defining moments in contemporary musical theater."

NEW YORK POST- Liz Smith

"A flawless cast.

TIMES SQUARE.COM- Michael Portantierre

"The top-drawer supporting cast includes such talents as Mary Beth Peil, Michael Cumpsty, Jessica Molaskey, Ed Dixon."

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY

DENVER EXAMINER- Claudia Carbone

"The casting of this play is spot-on. Each actor seems destined for his or her role. Ed Dixon gives a rousing performance as countryman Sir John."

COLORADO DRAMA- Bob Bows

"Mrs. Jennings (Ruth Gottshall) and Sir John (Ed Dixon) provide the yeoman's share of the comic relief."

NORTH DENVER TRIBUNE

"Ed Dixon has been nominated for a Henry Award for best supporting actor in SENSE AND SENSIBILITY."

OSWALD: THE ACTUAL INTERROGATION

DALLAS MORNING NEWS- Lawson Taitte

"Ed Dixon is one of the American Theater's best character actors."

THEATER JONES- Jan Farrington

"Dixon (whose Broadway credits include a Helen Hayes Award for Max in Sunset Boulevard) is grand as the craggy police captain

THE COLUMN- Richard Blake

"The lead investigator/interrogator Captain Will Fritz is played by Ed Dixon with tremendous talent and strength. This is another extremely line-heavy and taxing role made to look effortless by Mr. Dixon. His power and prowess over Oswald is engaging and honest. Then transitioning from compassion to unyielding accusation with a true understanding of the events unfolding around him and the young man accused of the horrific crime are just as powerful. Mr. Dixon is a true master of his craft and shows that in every moment of the production." 

STAR TELEGRAM- Punch Shaw

"This show, directed by Casey Hushion, features excellent acting, especially from Ben Williams as Oswald and Ed Dixon as Fritz.  Dixon does a magnificent job of creating an ideal accent and cadence of speech for his character>"

CLOAK AND DAGGER

ARLINGTON WEEKLY NEWS TV

"Cloak and Dagger is the funniest show I've seen in years!"

CULTURESEEN4U.COM

"There is plenty of fun and good music to please the most discerning theatre goer."

WHERE DC

"It's entertainment as fit for a Shirlington summer eve as a lime-rubbed gin and tonic."

MD THEATRE GUIDE

"Cloak and Dagger is the perfect way to spend a summer's evening in the theatre... highly recommended."

SHOWBIZRADIO

"Up for something with amusement, silliness, and banter propelled by a lively score and excellent voices? Then head off to Cloak and Dagger at Signature Theatre."

DCMETROTHEATERARTS

"This is the stuff that (Broadway) dreams are made of."

DC THEATRE SCENE

"Those expecting a bit of dessert at the end of their 2013-2014 subscription should have fun, and there were certainly plenty of laughs from the crowd around me."

MY FAIR LADY

"Ed Dixon, as Eliza's father, Alfred seems to walk away with the production. He does this, not just with the character's two numbers, but also a lengthy holdover from Shaw's Pygmalion, on which the musical is based. The scene, which Shaw uses as a debate on morality, often feels as if it is slowing down the musical and keeping one's attention from Higgins and Eliza who should be beginning to show signs of more than a teacher-pupil relationship. In Dixon's hands, however, the scene seems to revitalize the audience. Dixon has such a firm grasp of Shavian comedy that the book scene performs almost musically. On the play's opening night, his exit was greeted with the kind of applause that is usually saved for musical numbers."

Andy Probst- American Theater