Some nice words about Paul

Critics love Paul!

Find out what people are saying about him and his work.

Paul on his one-man show

Actor Paul Melendy grins as he performs a wild dance as Ichabod Crane

Image credit: NILE SCOTT STUDIOS/MAGGIE HALL PHOTOGRAPHY

As part of The Boston Globe’s “best of the arts” 2022 roundup, reviewer Terry Byrne interviewed Paul on how, in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, he “pulled off one of the toughest jobs in theater”: a one-man show.

He talked with Terry about both his intensive preparation to play 18 characters and the joy he found in the unplanned moments of performance.

Read the full article here.

Paul as rising local artist

Actor Paul Melendy casually leaning on a snowy deck

Image credit: Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe

In 2013, arts critic Don Aucoin of The Boston Globe interviewed Paul as part of the Globe’s Rise series, featuring up-and-coming artists in the city.

In the interview, Don describes Paul as a “blend of Anthony Perkins, Jon Hamm, and James Stewart,” and Paul discusses his artistic inspirations and professional goals.

Read the full profile here.

Reviews by show

Browse through the carousels below to read reviews of Paul’s performances.

Spoiler alert: they’re great!

The Drowsy Chaperone, Lyric Stage

Spring 2024

  • "Structured as a show-within-a-show, “The Drowsy Chaperone” is anchored by Paul Melendy as a fellow described only as Man in Chair. The role requires an actor who can go big or go small, can be outlandishly funny or poignantly vulnerable, as the moment requires. Melendy again proves more than capable of that."

    Don Aucoin, Boston Globe, “A Comic Feast in Lyric Stage’s ‘Drowsy Chaperone’”

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  • "Melendy is perfectly suited for the Man in the Chair... as our guide [he] keeps us thoroughly entertained

    Kevin T. Baldwin, METRMAG, “Lyric Stage Company Presents the Delightful Musical ‘THE DROWSY CHAPERONE’”

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  • "[T]he charming and hilarious Melendy anchors the proceedings as the Man in the Chair. I daresay that he is better in the role than Bob Martin was in the original Broadway version. Melendy’s Man is nothing if not emotionally flexible: he is cynical and goofy, angry and outrageous, gentle and heartfelt. Melendy runs the gauntlet here, especially the character’s few sincerely sad and reflective moments."

    David Greenham, Arts Fuse, “Theater Review: ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ — A Refreshing Musical Tonic”

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  • "As the Man in Chair – a pitch-perfect, sweetly funny, and divinely sharp Paul Melendy in his Lyric Stage debut – begins to relax, we’re reminded of the unique power of musical theater to take us away to another world."

    R. Scott Reedy, Broadway World , “Review: Lyric Stage Company's THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is an Irresistible Delight”

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  • "From the moment the Man in Chair (an engaging Paul Melendy) puts on a record of his favorite musical from the 1920s to shake himself out of a gloomy mood, we know we are in for a fun ride. Melendy’s sincerity, wry delivery, and easy charm set the tone for the rest of the show..."

    Michele Markarian, Theater Mirror, “‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ is Fabulous Fun”

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  • "Buoyed from beginning to end by the charismatic performance of Paul Melendy as the Man in the Chair..."

    Kitty Drexel, NE Theatre Geek, “Take A Friendly Plunge: ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’”

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  • "[T]he concept that makes this play-within-a-musical rise above the silly and pointlessly ostentatious is Paul Melendy as the Man in Chair."

    Lynne Weiss, Stage and Cinema, “FOUR WEDDINGS AND A MUSICAL”

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  • "The show that frames the show begins in the dark, starring “Man in Chair” (the divinely funny Paul Melendy) alone in a drab apartment."

    Joyce Kulhawik, Joyce’s Choices, “THEATER NOW: THE DROWSY CHAPERONE/ THE BIRTHDAY PARTY”

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  • "[He] frequently and intimately engages with the audience with spot on comedic and seemingly improvisation."

    Susan Mulford, Boston and Beyond, “THROUGH MAY 12: THE DROWSY CHAPERONE”

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  • "At the center of it all is an Everyman whom we’ll call Man in Chair (the splendid Paul Melendy)... Let Melendy’s Man in Chair and his imagination take you to a happy place."

    Rich Fahey, On Boston Stages, “LYRIC’S ‘CHAPERONE’ TAKES YOU TO A HAPPY PLACE”

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Clue: On Stage, Greater Boston Stage Company

Spring 2023

  • "Your gracious host is Wadsworth, the butler, captivatingly played by GBSC favorite Paul Melendy... He sets the pace and tone... [with] physical comedy chops."

    Michael Hoban, New England Theater Mirror, “Superb Cast Delivers Murderously Good Comedy with GBSC’s ‘Clue’”

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  • "Melendy is a true 'master of ceremonies' for the comedy, fully in charge and relentlessly funny... it is Melendy who dominates."

    Kevin T. Baldwin, METRMAG, “‘CLUE: ON STAGE’ - SANDY RUSTIN - GREATER BOSTON STAGE COMPANY (STONEHAM, MA.) - REVIEW”

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  • "Melendy proceeded to weave in and out of Clue with the nimble dexterity and relentless stamina of an old-timey boxer. His performance was uproariously entertaining; he chewed the scenery with such charm that it’s surprising he didn’t dab his chin with a napkin."

    Kitty Drexel, The New England Theatre Geek, “Who? Where? With What? Hilarity is Afoot: ‘Clue’”

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  • "[I]t really takes a cohesive cast led by famous butler Wadsworth to make this production simmer. Recent Elliot Norton Award winner Paul Melendy is just the man for the job not only bringing a unique twist to resourceful Wadsworth, but by fostering a new take on the character... Melendy makes this refreshing interpretation his own."

    Jeanne Denizard, The Sleepless Critic, “REVIEW: It’s a great time for sleuthing at Greater Boston Stage Company’s ‘Clue: On Stage’”

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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Greater Boston Stage Company

Fall 2022

  • “Melendy [gives a] bravura performance... Watching Melendy is a joy, as he doesn’t just portray each character, he embodies them.”

    Terry Byrne, The Boston Globe, “A splendid one-man show in spooky ‘Sleepy Hollow’”

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  • "Melendy takes the solo spotlight and shines brightly... Melendy’s command of the stage is such that, along with the many fictional characters, his own personality comes through."

    Mike Hoban, Theater Mirror, “Melendy Rockets Into Comedy Stratosphere with ‘Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ at GBSC”

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  • “Move over, cartoon [Headless Horseman] and Ichabod, as you have been dislodged by the startlingly effective physical manifestation of your characters by Paul Melendy... Each character is discernible by a shift in Melendy’s posture, a modulation of voice, or an altered facial expression.”

    Nancy Grossman, Broadway World, “REVIEW: THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW”

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  • “[T]he one-man show is a marvelous new adaptation full of great humor and charismatic storytelling, all in the form of actor Paul Melendy. Melendy not only tells the story, he bends, twists, contorts himself to become the spindly, lanky Crane and ably switches to other characters in the “SLEEPY HOLLOW” legendary tale.”

    Kevin T. Baldwin, METRMAG, “THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW” - WRITTEN BY JOHN MINIGAN - GREATER BOSTON STAGE COMPANY (STONEHAM, MA.) - REVIEW”

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  • “Paul Melendy gives a tour de force performance in a solo treatment...”

    Talkin’ Broadway, “THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW World Premiere Adaptation at Greater Boston Stage Company”

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Miss Holmes Returns, Greater Boston Stage Company

Spring 2022

  • "...The consistently remarkable Paul Melendy... puts yet another twist on his cavalcade of geeky, eccentric characters. His eyebrows alone deserve recognition."

    Joyce Kulhawik, Joyce’s Choices, “THEATER: A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE & MURDER/MISS HOLMES RETURNS”

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  • "Paul Melendy... is a standout, particularly as Worthington. He brings an instinctive quirkiness to Worthington’s mannerisms and speech, rendering the character simultaneously endearing, dorky and emotionally accessible. His body language is a joy to behold; his delivery is impeccably timed, a staccato tempo that somehow flows."

    Michael Hoban, New England Theater Mirror, “GBSC’s ‘Miss Holmes Returns’ Is Not Just for Sherlock Fans”

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  • "Melendy is simply astounding to watch as he navigates an extremely complex and transformative character who stirs heretofore dormant emotions within Holmes that she is not sure how to engage."

    Kevin T. Baldwin, METRMAG, “‘MISS HOLMES RETURNS’ BY CHRISTOPHER M. WALSH - GREATER BOSTON STAGE COMPANY (STONEHAM, MA.) - REVIEW”

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  • "Paul Melendy, who led the stellar cast of Greater Boston Stage Company’s recent The 39 Steps, impressively portrays warm and quirky Adam Worthington..."

    The Sleepless Critic, “REVIEW: The Game is Afoot for Greater Boston Stage Company’s world premiere of ‘Miss Holmes Returns’”

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The 39 Steps, Greater Boston Stage Company

Fall 2021

  • “As the main character, Melendy is the one who really makes this production go, with his razor-sharp comic timing and insanely funny facial expressions... an amalgam of the sophisticated leading men of the black-and-white movie era... Melendy is a national treasure.”

    Mike Hoban, Theater Mirror, “GBSC Sends up Hitchcock with Hilarious ‘The 39 Steps’”

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Vanity Fair: An (Im)Morality Play, Central Square Theatre

Winter 2020

  • “...one stand-out was Paul Melendy who was fully tapped into the specific physicality that farce asks for. His comedic timing was razor-sharp as the over-the-top schoolmaster Miss Pinkerton. He transformed seamlessly into the soft-hearted William Dobbin, bringing a tender, grounded quality to the otherwise “immoral” and unforgiving circumstances. His character captured the bulk of my sympathy, and I was charmed by his sensitivity as he worked up the courage to confess his love to Amelia...”

    Rosalind Bevan, The ARTery, “As It Scrutinizes Our Morals, ‘Vanity Fair’ Gets Overstuffed”

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  • “The subsequent dizzy doings... require versatility from... the rest of the cast... and the actors prove up to that challenge, especially Paul Melendy (speaking of inventive).”

    Don Aucoin, The Boston Globe, ‘A Wildly Inventive ‘Vanity Fair’ that Doesn’t Mind its Manners”

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  • “Paul Melendy is inescapably funny in multiple roles including the ridiculously arch Headmistress Pinkerton, and surprisingly moving as the long-suffering Dobbin, George’s best friend who pines for Amelia.”

    Joyce Kulhawik, Joyce's Choices, “THEATER MUST SEE: VANITY FAIR, AN (IM)MORALITY PLAY”

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  • “Paul Melendy’s acting chops may only be exceeded by his comedic talents, which rank up there with any actor currently performing in Greater Boston. ‘Three Stooges’ slapstick humor ensues when he is asked to attend to the gaseous Matilda Crawley, but he also shines in the straight role of Dobbin, an accomplished soldier who longs for [Amelia]’s hand only to be seen as [nothing] more than a friend.”

    Rich Fahey, On Boston Stages, “HAMILL, URT BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO ‘VANITY FAIR’”

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  • “The remarkably versatile Paul Melendy (William Dobbin, Miss Pinkerton, Rose Crawley, and others) has a Jim Carrey-like ability to both make and steal a scene with his physical comedy.”

    Julie-Anne Whitney, Theater Mirror, “It’s a Mad, Mad (Victorian) World in Central Square’s ‘Vanity Fair’”

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  • “Paul Melendy... slip[s] exquisitely into and out of a dizzying array of roles. The ensemble work is astounding. Melendy... [is] particularly impressive.”

    Christopher Ehlers, DigBoston, “She Sees It, She Likes It, She Wants It, She Gets It: Vanity Fair at Central Square Theater”

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The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley, Merrimack Valley Repertory Theater

Winter 2019

  • “Paul Melendy, a gifted comic actor, is Brian, the footman who longs to be something more but struggles to break out of his place in the rigid societal structure and move upward...”

    Rich Fahey, On Boston Stages, “‘The Wickhams’: Austen’s Characters Enchant Again”

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The 39 Steps, Gloucester Stage Company

Summer 2019

  • “...those bad guys... along with a parade of policemen, farmers, hotel keepers, train travelers, maids, milkmen and a central villain or two — are played with aplomb and unflagging energy by... Paul Melendy... the loose-limbed Melendy spares not an ounce of Python-esque zaniness, chewing scenery with contagious gusto — particularly as the villain of the piece, whom he imbues with an over-the-top Bond-villain magnetism in the second act.”

    Peter Chianca, Wicked Local Gloucester, “THEATER REVIEW: Hitchcock turns hilarious in Gloucester’s manic ‘39 Steps’”

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  • “Paul Melendy enters mustache-askew and proceeds to swivel his hips almost out of their sockets and into a variety of uproarious turns.”

    Joyce Kulhawik, Joyce's Choices, “COOL THEATER WEEKEND: THE LIGHTNING THIEF, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, THE 39 STEPS”

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  • “I would be remiss if I failed to give special notice to the mind-blowing physical and vocal skills of Paul Melendy. There is no Walt Disney cartoon character or SNL cast member who can prepare you for the astonishing, barely human shrieks and sneers that issue from this actor’s mouth. When midway into the show he appears as Professor Jordan, the energy of the production, already high, goes through the roof.”

    Tom Hauck, Good Morning Gloucester, “FUNNY, FABULOUS, AND FANTASTIC — DO NOT MISS GLOUCESTER STAGE’S ‘THE 39 STEPS’!”

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  • “The plot takes second place to the cast’s wild wackiness, especially Melendy... portraying clowns... and other cameo roles.”

    Sheila Barth, Beacon Hill Times, “Theater Review: Gloucester Stage Company’s Farcical ‘The 39 Steps’ Closes its Sold-Out, Three-Week Run”

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Cyrano, Gloucester Stage Company

Summer 2018

  • “The not-so-secret weapon of this production is Paul Melendy, who swipes a number of scenes with his vastly entertaining portrayal of Cyrano’s aristocratic foe, Count DeGuiche. Melendy’s DeGuiche is a fop’s fop, a preening popinjay who discourses with a languidly exaggerated enunciation, as if the character is so bored with the puny carnival of existence he can scarcely be bothered to get the words out.”

    Don Aucoin, The Boston Globe, “A ‘Cyrano’ with Panache at Gloucester Stage”

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  • “Paul Melendy gives a broad performance and provides much of the comic relief in four diverse roles.”

    Nancy Grossman, Broadway World, “BWW REVIEW: Gloucester Stage Presents N.E. Premiere of CYRANO”

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  • “The crowd pleaser in the cast is Paul Melendy, whose self-possessed Count DeGuiche is broad yet enjoyable.”

    David Greenham, The Arts Fuse, “Theater Review: ‘Cyrano’ — A Classic, Well Refreshed”

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  • “...it’s a treat to watch Melendy portray DeGuiche with effete, foppish delight.”

    Mark Sardella, Wakefield Daily Item, “A fast-paced ‘Cyrano’ at Gloucester Stage”

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Noir Hamlet, Centastage

Summer 2018

  • “The very funny Paul Melendy makes great use of the fourth wall as Little H. He is a master of the rapid fire 1930s delivery...”

    Michael Hoban, The Theater Mirror, “A Dark and Humorous Noir Hamlet”

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Toward Zero, Barnstormers Theatre

Summer 2017

  • “Melendy is terrific as Neville, who is described as the perfect man: athletic, charming, wealthy and well-educated. There’s an arrogance to Neville that Melendy captures perfectly. The way he condescendingly talks down to Kay makes him detestable, but later when he defends Audrey when she becomes a suspect, he seems honorable. Melendy manages to successfully muddle our feelings toward the character.”

    Alec Kerr, Conway Daily Sun, “‘Toward Zero’ a Cracking Murder Mystery”

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My Three Angels, Barnstormers Theatre

Summer 2017

  • “Melendy creates an amusingly spineless character prone to bursts of high-pitched hysteria and bouts of whimpering whining.”

    Alec Kerr, Conway Daily Sun, “‘My Three Angels’ Is Effortlessly Charming”

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Bank Job, Gloucester Stage Company

Spring 2017

  • “The ever-nimble Melendy... turn[s] in a comic gem of a performance as the all-but-clueless Russell. Attired in a blue Superman T-shirt and high-top sneakers, Melendy’s Russell exudes an aura of childlike, wide-eyed innocence even amid the character’s obvious guilt.”

    Don Aucoin, The Boston Globe, “A Bank Robbery and a Play Go Wrong at Gloucester Stage”

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Regular Singing, New Repertory Theatre

Fall 2016

  • “Paul Melendy has given a series of heartfelt performances as Tim Andrews, Jane Apple’s boyfriend, a sometimes actor who like many actors is a waiter first, still hoping for that career that will probably never be.”

    Rich Fahey, On Boston Stages, “‘REGULAR SINGING’: The Apple Family’s Last Hurrah”

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The Last Schwartz, Gloucester Stage Company

Summer 2016

  • “Simon is a challenging character to portray realistically and respectfully. Paul Melendy gives a triumphant performance... Melendy gets at both aspects of Simon — his ‘free’ inner self and his inhibited social side. His real-world Simon is astoundingly well researched and convincing. The actor admirably captures the physicality of someone who is uncomfortable in the space he inhabits, who simply does not desire to belong.”

    Jess Viator, ArtsFuse, “Fuse Theater Review: ‘The Last Schwartz’ — Family Matters”

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  • “35-year-old Simon, an eccentric astronomer who is losing his sight and spends much of the play gazing through a telescope... portrayed by the always-inventive Paul Melendy.”

    Don Aucoin, The Boston Globe, “In Gloucester Stage’s ‘The Last Schwartz,’ a fraying of family ties”

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  • “Paul Melendy gives a humorous yet oddly poignant turn as this symbolic purveyor of mankind’s smallness in the universe if not in the bosom of his family. And he commandeers the play’s near-magical end, suggesting both Neil Armstrong and the moribund butler left behind in 'The Cherry Orchard.'"

    Carolyn Clay, The Artery, “‘The Last Schwartz’ Is a Darkly Comic Look at Family and Religion”

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  • “Beatrice and Melendy draw the most sympathetic characters in roles at opposite ends of the spectrum... Melendy brings sweetness, dignity, and humor to Simon, who is probably autistic, even though ‘he’s never been diagnosed.’ ...Melendy makes sure that Simon is not an afterthought for the audience.”

    Nancy Grossman, Broadway World, “BWW Review: THE LAST SCHWARTZ in New England Premiere at Gloucester Stage”

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  • “Paul Melendy evokes a more comic version of Dustin Hoffman’s Rain Man as Simon...”

    Mike Hoban, Events Insider, “Gloucester Stage Delivers Hilariously Dark Comedy with ‘The Last Schwartz’ (4.5 stars)”

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  • “Paul Melendy’s Simon, an astronomer who is going blind, gives the play meaning."

    Jack Butterworth, Item Live, “‘The Last Schwartz’ Will Make You Laugh and Cry”

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A Confederacy of Dunces, Huntington Theatre

Fall 2015

  • “The supporting cast of A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES is also uniformly excellent. Paul Melendy is a mass of kind-hearted befuddlement as the inept Patrolman Mancuso.”

    Jan Nargi, Broadway World, “BWW REVIEW: A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES Weighs in at Boston’s Huntington Theatre”

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  • “Paul Melendy’s Patrolman Mancuso, whether working undercover as a “bearded circus boy” or a nun in green socks, seems to embody not the hangdog cop of the novel but the upbeat outlook more characteristic of the theater piece.”

    Carolyn Clay, The ARTery, “A ‘Confederacy’ of Laughter at the Huntington”

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  • “... the production is perfectly cast. Local favorite Paul Melendy as bumbling Patrolman Mancuso finds enough humanity in these people to make you hope they all find what they’re looking for.”

    Nick Dussault, The Metro, “Nick Offerman Brings ‘Dunces’ to Life at Huntington Theatre”

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  • “I especially enjoyed... Paul Melendy as befuddled Patrolman Mancuso.”

    Joyce Kulhawik, Joyce's Choices, “THEATER: A Confederacy of Dunces”

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  • “Officer Mancuso [is]... deftly played by Paul Melendy... Melendy’s Mancuso is one of many artfully crafted portrayals of the denizens of New Orleans who revolve in orbit around Ignatius...”

    Rich Fahey, On Boston Stages, “HUNTINGTON’S LIFE OF REILLY IS HUGELY ENTERTAINING”

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company

Summer 2015

  • “The highlight of the very broad presentation of 'Pyramus and Thisbe' was Paul Melendy’s flouncing Thisbe.”

    Jeffrey Gantz, The Boston Globe, “Commonwealth and Landmarks Share ‘Dream’ at Esplanade”

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  • “Yet it was Paul Melendy as Flute who threatened to steal the show in the eleventh hour, giving an outrageous performance as Thisbe to rival some of Terry Jones’ wildest drag acts as a member of Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Melendy camped, strutted and sang his way across the stage with abandon.”

    Kate Stringer, The Boston Musical Intelligencer, “‘A Most Rare Vision’ in Esplanade Dream”

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Sweet and Sad, Gloucester Stage Company

Spring 2015

  • “Each actor here has found great depth and richness in Nelson’s dialogue... At one point, Jane’s boyfriend, Tim (a very fine Paul Melendy), shares a story about once feeling the unsettling touch of an apparition.”

    Jeremy D. Goodwin, The Boston Globe, “In Gloucester’s ‘Sweet and Sad,’ the mourning after”

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  • “Paul Melendy brings an animated persona to the role of Tim, telling the family funny stories, and being defensive about his part-time work as a waiter at a bar.”

    Sally Applegate, The Saugus Advertiser, “REVIEW: A ‘Sweet and Sad’ family dinner at Gloucester Stage”

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Hair of the Dog, Boston Theater Marathon

Spring 2015

  • “It is slightly challenging to judge the merits of the play in toto as the play is completely focused on the character of the charming and zombified Marlowe, played by the inimitable Paul Melendy. Paul is a playwright’s dream... his comic instincts are so sharp that he immediately gets at and highlights all of the many many comic moments written in this incredibly dense and witty script.”

    Brooks Reeves, The Boston Theatre Marathon Review, “Hair of the Dog by Constance Congdon - A Review”

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That Hopey Changey Thing, Stoneham Theatre and Gloucester Stage Company

Winter 2015

  • “Director Symes has put together a winning ticket of actors... As outsider Tim, Paul Melendy is deferential but holds his own.”

    Carolyn Clay, The ARTerty, “Stoneham Theatre and Gloucester Stage Company Host the Apple Family”

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  • “Tim, played with an apt eagerness to please by Paul Melendy, is an aspiring actor who seems younger than Jane. He’s enthralled by the idea that Benjamin embodies “every actor’s dream” — to forget. “Great acting is simply willed amnesia,” Tim offers. There is plenty of sturdy acting in this nuanced, mostly low-key production...”

    James Sullivan, The Boston Globe, “Where hoping is easy, and change is hard”

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Jesus Christ, It’s Christmas!, Gold Dust Orphans

Winter 2014

  • "Melendy says the trick is 'finding that balance where you can be a real person with real-world problems and still get to that place of insanity.'"

    Joel Brown, The Boston Globe, “In Gold Dust Orphans’ holiday sendup, Melendy has it covered”

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  • “The tension mounts as Bishop Henry (an insanely square Paul V. Melendy (Check out Melendy’s hilarious nude TV commercial for Bernie & Phyl’s) who must build a cathedral for his congregation...Paul Melendy in the earnest leading straight man role (channeling Jimmy Stewart, or David Niven here) embodies the balance perfectly. He actually almost made me cry in the middle of this outrageous material.”

    Joyce Kulhawik, Joyce's Choices, “THEATER: Jesus Christ, It’s Christmas!”

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  • “In Gold Dust terms, everything turns out right when the talent onstage includes... a crackerjack straight (and straight) man like Melendy...”

    Nancy Grossman, Broadway World, “BWW Reviews: Jesus Christ, It’s Christmas!”

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Ryan Landry's Snow White and the Seven Bottoms, Gold Dust Orphans

Spring 2014

  • “The nimble Melendy again seizes the opportunity to showcase his exceptional comic gifts: His Prince Charming is hilariously self-absorbed, a fop’s fop."

    Don Aucoin, The Boston Globe, “Landry’s ‘Snow White’ is plenty animated”

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  • “Paul V. Melendy is exceptionally funny and well-sung as the pantalooned Prince Charming who may be panting after the wrong partner.”

    Joyce Kulhawik, Joyce's Choices, “Theater: As You Like It/ Where the Mountain Meets the Moon/ Snow White and the Seven Bottoms/ Sila”

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  • “As the prince, Melendy has an assured comic prescence. When he lifts his leg in an unassuming, but queeny gesture, he all but stops the show; and his droll delivery is priceless.”

    Robert Nesti, EDGE Boston, “Snow White and the Seven Bottoms”

  • “Melendy captures the Prince’s vanity and dimwittedness with a lot of tongue-in-cheek and a lot of cheeky behavior but he also gets to show his singing and dancing chops.”

    Nancy Grossman, Broadway World, “Boston Theater Top to Bottom”

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  • “Paul Melendy, who nearly stole the Orphans’ holiday entry, ‘It’s a Horrible Life,’ with his spot-on Jimmy Stewart impersonation, plays Prince Charming as a dashing and delightfully egocentric prig, so that it’s easy to see why he’s more attracted to The Magic Mirror than Snow White.”

    Terry Byrne, The Arts Fuse, “Theater Review: ‘Snow White and the Seven Bottoms’ — Smart, Stylish, Slick, and Hilarious”

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Ryan Landry's It's a Horrible Life, Gold Dust Orphans

Winter 2013

  • “Melendy delivers a performance as George Bailey that is a small gem of comic virtuosity. He drawls and stammers and channels James Stewart’s aw-shucks persona to perfection.”

    Don Aucoin, The Boston Globe, “‘It’s a Horrible Life’ a holly, jolly sendup”

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  • “Paul Melendy ... is more noteworthy for his rendering of Jimmy Stewart’s distinctive drawl and his natural, winning portrayal of George Bailey."

    Nancy Grossman, Broadway World Reviews, “BWW Reviews: IT'S A HORRIBLE LIFE (Adults Only!)”

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  • “Paul Melendy’s impressive turn as George Bailey is the glue that holds this merriment together.”

    Nick Dussault, Metro, “Ryan Landry’s ‘It’s a Horrible Life’ puts an irreverent spin on the Capra classic”

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The Fakus: A Noir, Centastage

Fall 2012

  • “The actors, too, are fun to watch. Melendy, as the young, slick Leland, has the hardest part; in retrospect, Leland’s actions don’t add up, but Melendy makes them seem to.”

    Jeffrey Gantz, The Boston Globe, “Pros and cons in Centastage’s ‘The Fakus’”

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  • “Paul Melendy’s entertaining swagger is surpassed only by his gymnastics as the ‘better menswear’ mogul.”

    Boston Arts Review, “Quick Take Review The Fake Out”

  • “Melendy shines in this demanding role, with its rapidly-changing demeanor.”

    Sheila Barth, Theater Mirror, “‘The Fakus - A Noir’ — A Review By Sheila Barth”

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  • “Paul Melendy, tall, muscular, and athletic, makes Leland properly charismatic and graceful. His hotel chair exercise routines add to Leland’s understated cockiness.”

    Bay Windows, “The Long Con of The Fakus”

  • Melendy... capture[s] the persona and the tone of voice of the noir tough guy, and... capably soften[s] when... tapping into the "good Catholic" side of [his character]."

    Nancy Grossman, Broadway World, “Review: THE FAKUS: A NOIR at BCA”

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Jihad Jones and the Kalashnikov Babes, Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater

Summer 2011

  • “Playing the part of Ashraf, Paul Melendy brings plenty of complexity to his character. One feels he truly is torn between demeaning his race or raising his bank balance. In the end he chooses his art over his ethnicity, and tackles the role with a gusto that borders on maniacal.”

    John Watters, The Barnstable Patriot

Take Me Out, Worcester Foothills Theatre

Fall 2008

  • “The team’s recently acquired catcher, Jason Chenier (Paul Melendy) tries to express his feelings about the matter with magnificent inarticulateness, Melendy’s embarrassed, stumbling attempt to be cool with the whole thing emerging as one of the first act’s comic highpoints.”

    Paul Kolas, Telegram & Gazette

  • “Paul Melendy made hilarious hay out of the goofy player who wants to assure everybody he’s totally cool with his gay teammate (and was particularly fearless in that notorious shower scene).”

    The Hub Review, “Grand Slam”

As You Like It, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company

Summer 2008

  • “Some broad-comic sadomasochism is provided by ... Paul Melendy’s Silvius, the long-suffering swain who sees nirvana in Phebe’s “inky brows” and “bugle eyeballs.” Although he gets stripped, pummeled, and ridden like a horse on his way to bliss, Melendy’s gangly, yelping Silvius captures the pain of love better than anything else in the production.”

    Carolyn Clay, The Boston Phoenix

Titus Andronicus, Actors’ Shakespeare Project

Spring 2007

  • “Notable performances include ... [Paul] Melendy in his heart-rending mute grief as the pitiful Lavinia...”

    Iris Fanger, The Patriot Ledger

  • “With all male actors, two of whom play difficult female roles that involve sex and rape, the level of professionalism and effectiveness of the acting is most memorable. Paul Melendy, playing Lavinia, carries the female role with flawless commitment and respectability. ... outstanding individual performance...”

    The Harvard Crimson, “‘Andronicus’ Sets a Somber Tone in Garage”

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  • “The true test of cross casting is Lavinia, who is a victim of violent rape midway through the play. Could a man make those scenes effective? My concerns were heightened because I’d never seen Paul Melendy act before. If anything, Lavinia’s breakdown seemed all the more terrible being portrayed by a man. The rape scene is harrowing - more so because the victim has corded muscles and hirsute legs.”

    Rambles Reviews, “Men in Titus”

  • “Paul Melendy graces Lavinia with a lithe, willlowy aspect - this allows him to put Lavinia’s shame and pain across.”

    Killian Melloy, EDGE Boston, “Titus Andronicus”

  • “Paul Melendy’s dark-browed Lavinia is as delicate as any actress might make her.”

    Carolyn Clay, The Boston Phoenix, “Out on a Limb”

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