Reviews:

"“There’s so much care and craft in Sack Lunch Bunch. All the musical numbers work, and occasionally they’re breathtakingly good.” –  Kathryn VanArendonk, VULTURE

"The highlights are the stylishly shot musical numbers led by these youngsters, including a Busby Berkeley-inspired ode to noodles and a little bit of butter, the only food worth eating, according to Orson Hong, a white-suited kid who delivers his song with irresistible panache." – Jason Zinoman, THE NEW YORK TIMES

"If you only watch one hour of television this week, make it this ridiculously silly comedy special from Big Mouth's John Mulaney. John, who has no kids of his own but seems to have a general understanding of how they work, made this variety kids program featuring musical numbers, skits, and scenes of John just hanging out with young'uns. There were at least three parts that were so funny that I was left gasping for air and nearly died. It was worth it, and I will risk my life again." – Tim Surrette, TV GUIDE

"The songs are complex and catchy, producing earworms in an assortment of genres, guaranteed to leave you either humming full tunes or just repeating the phrase "Let's all see what's on kids' minds / The guest star's name is Richard Kind" from the opening song over and over again." – Daniel Fienberg, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

"A sincere showcase for talented children's unblemished imaginations, John Mulaney's Netflix special makes for a sharply funny send-off to 2019" – Ben Travers, INDIEWIRE

"The real highlight of John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch, however, are the musical numbers... The songs are weird but funny, and never resort to cheap jokes or gross-out humor, as much as comedy writers seem to think that children saying inappropriate things is the height of hilarity." – Gena Radcliffe, THE SPOOL

"The cast is uniformly strong and vocally gifted. A live orchestra, under the direction of Dan Pardo, is superb accompaniment for the skilled performers."

"The off-stage orchestra sounds fabulous, led by the masterful music director Dan Pardo, and, incredibly, even the individual songs written by so many different composers form a unified whole."

"With such a range of musical collaborators, the songs are varied in their styles, but all land with a snap, and the unseen musicians pack a punch for what is essentially a rock band."

"The talented live orchestra is led by conductor Dan Pardo on keyboards, and also features Matt Hinkley on electric and acoustic guitars, Arnold Gottlieb on electric and acoustic bass, and Dennis Arcano on drums and percussion."

"Dan Pardo, the music director, led the excellent five-piece pit band at the rear of the stage."

"Transitions into song are elegant, and every word is spoken with the emotional freedom of music. The score by Jeanine Tesori quotes Motown and Chopin but chiefly moves energetically between plaintive and joyous."

"Director Malcolm Ewen, with excellent assist from Music Director Dan Pardo, brings life and pace to this short chamber piece. They have honed this fine cast into a perfect ensemble that presents us with a vibrant, rhythmic evening of musical pastiche and a courageous story  tempered by  irony and tenderness."

"Role for role, this is the best-sung "Company" I’ve ever heard—not just in regional theater, but anywhere. Dan Pardo, the music director, doubtless deserves a big slice of credit for the quality of both the singing and the playing of the nine-piece orchestra."

​"Mr. Sondheim’s score remains thrillingly incisive, dramatizing every issue in its path. Problems of interpretation tend to dissolve when the songs are sung and played as well as they are here."

"The orchestra, only nine strong, led by Dan Pardo, honors Sondheim’s musicality with strength and depth."

"Indeed, the entire production, backed by Dan Pardo’s super pit orchestra, works splendidly in the nooks and crannies of Sondheim’s musical and literary imagination."

"The expert music direction and conducting, of the nine-member pit orchestra, is by Dan Pardo"