 When Ben Brantley of "The New York Times" saw the 2010 Philadelphia performance, he praised the presentation of the alcoholic consumption and continuous party atmosphere saying "This alcoholic element is what has been conjured so persuasively" and the show is "a wood-paneled temple to drinks past, present and future".However, upon seeing the 2011 Off-Broadway performance, Brantley says "...it never entirely wraps its mind around the style and essence of the book that inspired it".