What They’re Saying

Cabaret (Broadway & 1st National Tour)

“Benjamin Eakeley boldly takes on the role of Cliff, the conscience of the show and a link to the audience. He projects his character's growing repellence to the rise of National Socialism with intellectual if not physical courage... Cabaret is a raw, rambunctious and riveting experience.”—Los Angeles Times

“Leading-man handsome Eakeley acts the hell out of the part.”—Stage Scene LA

“Benjamin Eakeley takes up the readily milquetoast role of Cliff and gives him an impressive spine. All of his emotions are raw and available, a surprisingly bold but well-received choice for the character.”—TheatreBloom DC

“Benjamin Eakeley gives an uncommonly rich portrayal of Cliff, the bisexual writer fascinated by Sally.”—St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“Benjamin Eakeley [is] classically handsome with the clear, deep voice of a leading man… His gee-golly appeal is understandably attractive to the folks of the Kit Kat Klub.”—Toronto Star

“Benjamin Eakeley is charismatic and relatable as Cliff. Perhaps the only disappointment in the show is that the role of Cliff does not call for more singing since Eakeley's voice is phenomenal.”—Broadway World

Sweeney Todd (Broadway & 1st National Tour)

“Kudos to Benjamin Eakeley's Beadle, an icy enforcer with an angelic voice.”—Chicago Daily Herald

“Benjamin Eakeley's surprisingly dapper, sleazy Beadle is able to turn the word ‘virginity’ into a perversion.”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Anything Can Happen in the Theatre (York Theatre Company)

“Benjamin Eakeley [sings with] glorious and touching vocals. This is the leading man Broadway has been looking for.”—Times Square Chronicles

Broadway Swinger (Feinstein’s/54 Below)

“Eakeley dazzled the audience with performance after performance… With decidedly sensual power and lush jazz vocals, Eakeley brought heat to the room. His sultry tones and bewitching stage presence left the crowd feeling flushed.”—Broadway World

“Eakeley has a great masculine sound, an engaging personality and exudes confidence on stage, making him seem like a seasoned cabaret star. His expressive and kinetic performance was superb. His ‘What Did I Have That I Don’t Have?’ (On a Clear Day...) almost made me forget Eydie Gormé’s iconic recording.”—Cabaret Scenes

Something’s Afoot (Goodspeed Opera House)

“Benjamin Eakeley, as Nigel, ‘The Dissolute Nephew,’ breaks open Act II with the fabulous number, ‘The Legal Heir’ (the only truly fabulous number in the show). Performing a clever parody of a Fred Astaire love song, in which Nigel woos Lord Rancour’s unread will, Eakeley managed the nearly impossible task of awakening this curmudgeonly critic to out-loud laughter.”—New Haven Magazine

“I especially liked Benjamin Eakeley’s snakelike Nigel the Dissolute Nephew. Mr. Eakeley’s gymnastic performance—draping himself over the balcony, leaping onto the mantel—is a vivid reminder that [director] Pesce began as a dancer and honed his choreography talents assisting Kathleen Marshall on Broadway hits like ‘Anything Goes’ and ‘The Pajama Game.’”—The New York Times

The Cradle Will Rock (Classic Stage Company, NYC)

“Lara Pulver’s scenes with Benjamin Eakeley emit a palpable heat... Eakeley and the triple-cast Eddie Cooper display great singing voices, and it’s a treat to hear them unamplified.”—The Wrap

“The score, played by cast members who rotate on and off the piano bench, is rich and energetic. Benjamin Eakeley is outstanding as the preacher whose sermons are for sale.”—Gay City News

The Rainmaker (Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey)

“The cast is performance perfection. Benjamin Eakeley is ideal as serious-minded, sensible Noah Curry.”—Broadway World

“Warm, sympathetic and richly humane, it’s one of the very best things that Ms. Monte and her marvelous company have given us, the kind of revival that causes you to realize that a play you’ve always liked is in truth an American classic... I’ll be surprised if I ever see it done better.”—The Wall Street Journal

Illyria (Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey)

“Benjamin Eakeley is a delightfully insipid fool as Sir Andrew Aguecheek. A fluttering ninny, Eakeley's loose-limbed perf would appear to be inspired by Ray Bolger's Scarecrow.”—Variety

“A wonderful farceur… Eakeley is the perfect fool.”—Talkin’ Broadway

Sunset Blvd. (Pioneer Theatre Company)

“The two leads, Benjamin Eakeley as Joe Gillis and Lynne Wintersteller as Norma Desmond, are completely committed to their roles and deliver knockout performances and splendid singing... Playing opposite a larger-than-life diva-monster could intimidate an actor, but Eakeley has a startlingly strong stage presence and the performance holds the show together. His acting underscores that ‘Sunset Boulevard’ is not just a Cinderella story-gone-sour but a morality tale as Joe struggles between Norma’s seductions and the budding love for his newfound screenwriting partner.”—Deseret News

Marry Me a Little (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park)

“One of the show’s charms is that [Sally] Wilfert and Eakeley look like real people—attractive, but real—as they go about the business of their lives, right down to removing hairs from the nose. They each give their characters a clear interior life... The man and woman think about romance, and sex, and, as anyone who knows Sondheim can tell you, they think a lot about being alone. They are both compelling as they move naturally through a pattern of thoughts and emotions... Eakeley gets to demonstrate a wide emotional range—even a ‘Risky Business’ moment. [Director Stafford] Arima and his actors persuade you that you’ve gotten to know these people during the hour you’ve spent with them—there’s really no higher compliment.”—Cincinnati Enquirer

Photo: Pari Dukovic for Vanity Fair