"It's a one-note performance, not the chords of a mighty organ," Mr. Hotz said.

Not impressed with the overall acting, he noted how Cage gave "a dull, one-note performance."

But he added: "It won't be a one-note performance.

Hale criticized Lynch as Sue, however, writing that she gave a "one-note performance", suggesting that she had been miscast in the role.

Mr. Willis gives his usual smirking one-note performance.

It's a one-note performance, but it's a loud, rumbling note that suits "Lear" as melodrama.

Mary Hartman's one-note performance captures Undine's bulldozer qualities, though not her erotic magnetism.

Michael Murphy gives a one-note performance as his growling, chain-smoking father, who seems to care for his son only when he wins another championship.

This means that they offer a potential bonanza for actors looking to deliver more than one-note performances.

And though diminished by some one-note performances, the production succeeds on the bold strokes by the creative team.