Now that's a story worth turning back the clock for! The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has crossed the pond from London's West End to Off-Broadway's Public Theater. Led by Tony Award nominee Andrew Durand as Benjamin Button and Kelsee Kimmel as Elowen Keene and based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story, this musical follows Benjamin Button, who is born an old man and grows younger as the years pass, navigating love, loss and life across the decades.

With a book by Jethro Compton, music by Darren Clark and lyrics by Clark and Compton, the show first began life at London's Southwark Playhouse in 2019. It went on to win Best New Musical at the 2025 Olivier Awards.

But has this transatlantic adventure won over the critics? Let's see what they had to say...

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The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button Critic Reviews

"At its heart, though, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button delivers a love story for the ages, even if the musical is still growing into it. Andrew Durand, Kelsee Kimmel, and an ensemble of actor-musicians make a warm case for this Olivier winner, even as its clock-watching book crowds the romance at its center." - 1 Minute Critic

"Benjamin Button may ultimately be a sad tale, but it's infused with a gentle humor, a persistent loveliness, and an irresistibly toe-tapping score that will only leave you smiling." - New York Theatre Guide

"Scott Fitzgerald wrote Benjamin Button' as a short story in 1922. Many will be familiar with the 2008 film adaptation starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. This new musical is a powerful reinterpretation of the tale, weaving a complex narrative with an infectious score from Darren Clark, who also co-wrote the lyrics with the multitalented Jethro Compton, who is also the director and scenic designer. The crowd-pleasing result leads the audience to stomp their feet to the folksy music, and no doubt ponder their own relationship to time and mortality." - The Recs

"Luckily, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is no Pinterest board. It's one of the most alive musicals you're likely to see this season, with words and melodies that feel drawn from the wisdom and heartbeat of the ages." - Theatermania

"Therefore, unalloyed kudos to all involved here. As the saying has it, time and tide wait for no man, but The Curious Case of Benjamin Button can eagerly await a tidal wave of long-run audiences." - New York Stage Review