Broadway Box Office Tweets - Week Ending August 1, 2010
If you follow me on
Twitter, you'll know that each Monday, I offer my quick analysis of each preceding week's box office on Broadway.
For your viewing pleasure, here are my tweets in chronological order for the
week ending August 1, 2010:
5:05 pm August 2 - Broadway box office down slightly last week, grossing $20,117,169 or off almost $600,000 (2.92%)
5:06 pm August 2 - Broadway capacity down .79% to 83.23% (223,541 seats sold out of 265,788)
5:07 pm August 2 - Broadway's average ticket price last week was $86.92 compared with $87.85 one week earlier
5:08 pm August 2 - 7 shows grossed $1 million+ each last week: WICKED, LION KING, ADDAMS, M POPPINS, PROMISESx2, B ELLIOT, JERSEY BOYS
5:09 pm August 2 - Sold-out WICKED remains top grossing show on Broadway earning $1,720,540 last week. Average ticket price: $118.89
5:10 pm August 2 - Last week's #2 show LION KING had week's highest average ticket price: $122.44. Grossed $1,643,193 on 100% capacity
5:11 pm August 2 - WICKED and LION KING also tie for week's highest capacity at 100% each
5:12 pm August 2 - Other shows with 90% capacity or more: BILLY ELLIOT, MARY POPPINS, JERSEY BOYS, PROMISESx2, MAMMA MIA! S PACIFIC, POTO
5:13 pm August 2 - Last week, RACE had Broadway's lowest gross $232,129 and lowest capacity 42.7%. Average ticket price: $64.19
5:14 pm August 2 - NEXT TO NORMAL had week's lowest average ticket price: $60.47. Grossed only $285,890 but on 76.6% capacity.
5:15 pm August 2 - Broadway's lowest grossing shows were RACE, NEXT TO NORMAL, LEND ME A TENOR, LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC & MILLION $ QUARTET
5:16 pm August 2 - Broadway's lowest capacity shows were RACE, COME FLY AWAY and MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, all under 60%
5:17 pm August 2 - Biggest capacity increase of week was for LA CAGE, up 8.3% to 83.2%. Grossed $660,053. Average ticket price: $93.82
5:18 pm August 2 - Biggest capacity decrease of week was HARRY CONNICK, JR. who added 2 shows late. Down 14.4% to 85.7%. Gross: $723,455
5:20 pm August 2 - While A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC only grossed $430,467 due to critics coming back to review, capacity was up to 88.1%
Feel free to comment and let me know if you're surprised by any of these results.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: average ticket price, Box Office, Broadway, Broadway Box Office, Capacity, Race, The Lion King, Wicked
Broadway Box Office Tweets - Week Ending July 18, 2010
If you follow me on
Twitter, you'll know that each Monday, I offer my quick analysis of each preceding week's box office on Broadway.
For your viewing pleasure, here are my tweets in chronological order for the
week ending July 18, 2010:
3:45 pm July 19 - Broadway box office increased by nearly $1 million last week over previous week to $20,126,661
3:46 pm July 19 - Broadway capacity increased 3.55% to 83.05% last week. 221,227 seats sold out of 264,344. Average ticket price: $88.55
3:47 pm July 19 - Sold-out WICKED edges LION KING out by $57,000 as top grossing Broadway show of week
3:48 pm July 19 - WICKED grosses $1,681,570 on Broadway last week. Average ticket price: $116.19. 100% capacity.
3:49 pm July 19 - THE LION KING at #2 grosses $1,624,092 last week. Has week's top capacity at 100.1%. Average ticket price: $120.96
3:50 pm July 19 - HARRY CONNICK JR: week's highest average ticket price on Broadway at $131.51. 4 shows gross $757,620. 99.7% capacity
3:51 pm July 19 - Underperforming RACE has week's dubious distinction: Bottom trifecta. Gross: $240,329/Av tix priced $63.13/Capacity 45%
3:52 pm July 19 - ROCK OF AGES picks up largest capacity gain with 7.9% to 81.1%. Grosses $530,383 with average ticket price of $81.99
3:53 pm July 19 - After hiatus, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC posts largest capacity drop: 17.2% to 80.6%. Grosses $501,212. Av tix priced $83.48
3:54 pm July 19 - WICKED, LION KING, ADDAMS FAMILY, PROMISESx2, MARY POPPPINS, BILLY ELLIOT, JERSEY BOYS each gross $1 million+ last week
3:55 pm July 19 - Shows grossing under $500,000 last week: MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, NEXT TO NORMAL, LEND ME A TENOR, RACE
Feel free to comment and let me know if you're surprised by any of these results.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: average ticket price, Broadway, Broadway Box Office, Capacity, Harry Connick Jr., Race, The Lion King, Wicked
Broadway Box Office Tweets - Week Ending July 11, 2010
If you follow me on
Twitter, you'll know that each Monday, I offer my quick analysis of each preceding week's box office on Broadway.
For your viewing pleasure, here are my tweets in chronological order for the
week ending July 11, 2010:
3:07 pm July 12 - WICKED, LION KING, ADDAMS FAMILY, FENCES, PROMISES PROMISES, BILLY ELLIOT, MARY POPPINS each have $1 million+ box office
3:08 pm July 12 - Sold-out WICKED was last week's top grosser by thin margin of just $16,000 over LION KING on Broadway
3:09 pm July 12 - WICKED grossed $1,650,562 on Broadway last week, playing to 100% capacity. Average ticket price: $114.05
3:10 pm July 12 - THE LION KING grossed $1,634,367 on Broadway last week, playing to 100.1% capacity. Average ticket price: $121.74
3:11 pm July 12 - Last week's highest capacity(101.5%) & av ticket price($134.20) belongs to FENCES, week's top grossing play: $1,175,626
3:12 pm July 12 - RACE last week's lowest grossing show $248,053.Av tix priced $65.94. Capacity just 44.4% Will closing notice be posted?
3:13 pm July 12 - COME FLY AWAY had last week's lowest capacity at just 40.4%. Grossing $488,217. Av tix price still sky high at $93.76
3:14 pm July 12 - Just closed EVERYDAY RAPTURE had week's lowest average ticket price of $51.44. Grossed $253,560 on 83.3% capacity
3:15 pm July 12 - EVERYDAY RAPTURE also posted week's biggest capacity gain of 10.1% to 83.3%. Grosses up $83,000 week over week
3:17 pm July 12 - Week's biggest capacity drop was LEND ME A TENOR losing 14.6% capacity to 59.4%. Grossed $333,346 last week.
3:18 pm July 12 - Tony-winning Best Musical MEMPHIS doing respectable box office. Grossed $890,626 last week playing to 88.9% capacity
3:19 pm July 12 - Overall, Broadway grosses up nearly $700,000 from last week to $19,380,905, yet audience was down .44% to 79.8%
Feel free to comment and let me know if you're surprised by any of these results.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: average ticket price, Box Office, Broadway, Broadway Box Office, Capacity, Come Fly Away, Everyday Rapture, Fences, Race, The Lion King, Wicked
Broadway Box Office Tweets - Week Ending June 27, 2010
Broadway Box Office Tweets - Week Ending June 27, 2010
If you follow me on
Twitter, you'll know that each Monday, I offer my quick analysis of each preceding week's box office on Broadway.
For your viewing pleasure, here are my tweets in chronological order for the
week ending June 27, 2010:
4:30 pm June 27 - WICKED, LION KING, ADDAMS FAMILY, PROMISESx2, FENCES, JERSEY BOYS, BILLY ELLIOT, MARY POPPINS each have $1MM+ weeks
4:32 pm June 28 - WICKED remains #1 at Broadway box office grossing $1,641,718 last week. Average ticket price: $113.44. 100% capacity.
4:33 pm June 28 - LION KING last week's #2 show grossing $1,551,798 on Broadway playing to 100.1% capacity. Average ticket price: $115.59
4:34 pm June 28 - FENCES remains Broadway's top grossing play: $1,138,982.Also highest average ticket: $129.89 & highest capacity: 101.6%
4:35 pm June 28 - NEXT FALL had Broadway's lowest weekly gross: $180,317. Average ticket price: $59.24. Playing to 64.6% capacity.
4:36 pm June 28 - RACE has week's lowest capacity 46.6% & lowest average ticket price $51.95. Grosses $204,944 Will show close early?
4:37 pm June 28 - Just-closed HAIR goes off with bangs! Grosses $712,008 playing to 85.3% capacity up 15.2%. Highest over week over week
4:38 pm June 28 - FELA! has week's biggest capacity decrease of 4.1% to 88.2%. Grosses $588,286. Average tickets priced $80.99
4:39 pm June 28 - FELA! and RACE are only two Broadway shows last week to lose capacity. Overall, a very strong week at box office.
4:40 pm June 28 - Despite the critics, both ADDAMS FAMILY and PROMISES PROMISES are building audiences. Each earned $1.3 million+
Feel free to comment and let me know if you're surprised by any of these results.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: average ticket price, Broadway, Broadway Box Office, Capacity, Fences, Promises Promises, Race, The Addams Family, Wicked
Send In The ReplacementsThe week immediately following the
Tony Awards often tends to be one of transitions. Often, nominated shows and/or original cast members take their final bows.
This year is no different as the just crowned Tony-winning Best Actress in a Musical
Catherine Zeta-Jones and her Tony-nominated co-star
Angela Lansbury offer their final performances in
A Little Night Music this Sunday. (Leave it to my dear friend
SarahB for snaring coveted house tickets to be a part of it all.)
While
A Little Night Music had previously
posted its closing notice when its producers seemed to have long given up on finding suitable replacements, along came a new buzz of rumors that the ultimate dream pairing in Great White Way replacements were actually in negotiations: Broadway legends
Bernadette Peters and
Elaine Stritch.
Some (including me) were even swooning at the idea that they could be lured into taking over the juicy roles of Desiree and Madame Armfeldt. In particular, many were thinking Ms. Peters could finally provide the nuanced performance we'd been waiting for (click
here for my SOB Review to see what I thought of the Tony winner she's replacing).
Then on June 7, theatre lovers rejoiced at
the news. While the show would remain dark for three weeks commencing immediately after this Sunday's final performances by Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury, the musical would resume on July 13 with Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch. The dynamic duo are contracted through this November; however, tickets are now on sale through the first full week of 2011.
In addition to
A Little Night Music, what other major shows are bringing in replacements?
Here are a few of them:
Race - Ethel Barrymore Theatre
(
SOB Review: *1/2 out of ****)
On Tuesday,
Eddie Izzard,
Dennis Haysbert and
Afton C. Williamson joined the cast of this
David Mamet play as replacements for
James Spader,
David Alan Grier and
Kerry Washington, respectively.
Even though I wasn't a very big fan of this work, I thought Spader and Grier acquitted themselves very well, thus I find the casting of Izzard and Haysbert (in his Broadway debut) rather intriguing. But the one problemetic original cast member,
Richard Thomas, somehow remains in the cast.
Race is now scheduled to close August 21, 2010.
next to normal - Booth Theatre
(
SOB Review: ***1/2 out of ****)
The big news over the last couple weeks for
next to normal should have been that
Alice Ripley was
leaving the show for which she earned her 2009 Tony Award to tour with the production nationally
and that real husband-and-wife actors
Jason Danieley and
Marin Mazzie will take over the roles of this show's couple beginning July 19.
Instead, a flipplant
Facebook remark by Ripley rippled like an electroshock wave through the gay community. Ripley has since apologized.
When Mazzie and Danieley succeed Ripley and
Brian d'Arcy James, it will be first time this married duo will ever have been in a Broadway show together. As for the once "
criminally underused" d'Arcy James, he not only created
next to normal's Dan Goodman Off-Broadway and came "
full circle" in returning to the role as a Broadway replacement himself for
J. Robert Spencer, but now he is departing to perform once again in the next show on my list.
next to normal remains an open-ended run (meaning no closing date has been posted).
Time Stands Still - Cort Theatre
(
SOB Review: ***1/2 out of ****)
On May 12, one of those rarest of
rare announcements was made about a Broadway show that's already closed.
Time Stands Still, which had enjoyed an acclaimed
run at the non-profit
Manhattan Theatre Club's
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre earlier this year, will enjoy a return engagement at the Great White Way's
Cort Theatre, the mid-sized commercial house currently home to
Fences.
Because time doesn't stand still, only three of the four original Broadway principals --
Laura Linney, Brian d'Arcy James and
Eric Begosian -- will return to the production. But the fourth,
Alicia Silverstone (who had also been in the
world premiere mounting of the play on the West Coast) will not be joining them. She will be replaced by film actress
Christina Ricci in her Broadway debut.
Time Stands Still resumes performances at the Cort on September 23 with a second opening night slated for October 7. The limited engagement is currently scheduled through January 23, 2011.
Currently, of those four shows, I already have tickets to see
A Little Night Music and am contemplating a revisit to
Time Stands Still. How about you? Will any of these new names lure you back to see what these replacements can do?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: A Little Night Music, Bernadette Peters, Broadway, Christina Ricci, Dennis Haysbert, Eddie Izzard, Elaine Stritch, Jason Danieley, Marin Mazzie, Next To Normal, Race, Replacements, Time Stands Still
Broadway: What Shows Are Closing?Good thing I didn't make a bet to eat my
Next Fall Playbill if it didn't post closing notices.
A couple days ago,
I had predicted that due to its lackluster box office performance in the already tiny
Helen Hayes Theatre coupled with no Tony wins that it would likely shutter soon. But
its producers say, for now anyway, that it's their goal to remain open through summer.
UPDATE (June 23, 2010) - Next Fall has posted its closing notice for July 4.So what shows
are closing?
So far, none as a direct result of Sunday night's Tony Awards.
In fact, this year's Best Play
Red announced just yesterday that its limited run would close
as scheduled on June 27, which is really too bad because it offers those fortunate enough to see it two of the year's most magnificent stage performances (
Alfred Molina and
Eddie Redmayne). That is, unless you count those being offered over at the
Cort Theatre for this year's Best Revival of a Play
Fences with the two other stellar performances (
Denzel Washington and particularly
Viola Davis).
Fences currently remains on schedule to close its limited engagement on July 11.
But here is the full list of Broadway shows currently scheduled to close:
June 27, 2010:
Hair - Al Hirschfeld Theatre
(
SOB Review: *** out of ****)
On June 9,
it was announced that the 2009 Tony Award-winning Best Revival of a Music otherwise known as "The American Tribal Love Rock Musical" would shutter on June 27, 2010, after 29 previews and 519 regular performances (over and above those
Hair extensions in Central Park during the summer of 2008).
Most of this revival of
Hair's original cast may be seen in
London through September 4. Plus, a
tour commences this October at the
Shubert Performing Arts Center in New Haven, Connecticut.
Red - John Golden Theatre
(
SOB Review: **** out of ****)
An import from London's
Donmar Warehouse, this year's Tony Award-winning Best Play has only been scheduled for a very limited run. That engagement will conclude as scheduled on June 27, 2010.
Red will have played 22 previews and 101 regular performances.
Look for
John Logan's work to be mounted by regional theatres throughout the United States over the next couple years, albeit with different direction and casts.
Sondheim On Sondheim - Studio 54
(
SOB Review: **1/2 out of ****)
This limited engagement initially was set to finish this past Sunday but was extended by two weeks. When it closes on June 27, 2010, this revue will have played 37 previews and 76 regular performances.
As for a life beyond? Unless there's a tour, which seems highly unlikely, it's hard to imagine regional mountings given how a major portion of the show incorporates
Stephen Sondheim's own words via video. Plus, there are already several other Sondheim songbook revues out there.
July 11, 2010:
Everyday Rapture - American Airlines Theatre
(
SOB Review: *** out of ****)
The last-minute, surprise hit run that managed to garner Tony nominations has always been a limited run and is scheduled to close on July 11, 2010. When it shutters,
Everyday Rapture will have played 11 previews and 85 regular performances.
Although
Sherie Rene Scott is portraying a semi-fictionalized version of herself, there's no reason why enterprising regional theatre companies couldn't pick up this show
a la Hunter Bell and
Jeff Bowen's semi-autobiographical
[title of show]. Yet Scott herself
seems to be keeping the door open to returning to her character for a tour, although "it wouldn't be for another year."
Fences - Cort Theatre
(
SOB Review: ***1/2 out of ****)
Director
Kenny Leon's camp at this year's Tony-winning Best Revival of a Play has been so silent over the past few days that you can't help but wonder if they're secretly working toward extending their limited run past July 11, 2010, which is nearly sold out. Or are they waiting to announce something else like a new cast and/or a tour?
If the show closes as scheduled, it will have enjoyed 13 previews and a mere 80 regular performances. But why do I have this hunch....
August 15, 2010:
Lend Me A Tenor - Music Box Theatre
(
SOB Review: ***1/2 out of ****)
The single most hilarious Broadway show I saw all year was initially an open-ended run. But on May 21, a
closing notice was posted for August 15, 2010, which marks the end-date for its ensemble's contracts. Tony-nominated for Best Revival of a Play,
Lend Me A Tenor will have played 25 previews and 153 regular performances.
There's no word on any plans for this production beyond Broadway, but
Ken Ludwig's farce is already regularly mounted by regional and community theatres.
August 21, 2010:
Race - Ethel Barrymore Theatre
(
SOB Review: *1/2 out of ****)
Yesterday,
Eddie Izzard,
Dennis Haysbert and
Afton C. Williamson join the cast of this
David Mamet play as replacements for
James Spader,
David Alan Grier and
Kerry Washington, respectively (
Richard Thomas remains). Currently, the show is scheduled to close August 21, 2010, after 23 previews and 297 regular performances.
Although the show has already recouped its initial investment, don't be surprised to see it close earlier if the box office doesn't experience a bounce from its new cast.
August 22, 2010:
South Pacific - Vivian Beaumont Theatre
(
SOB Review: ***1/2 out of ****)
On February 19,
it was announced that this 2008 Tony Award-winning Best Revival of a Musical would close on August 22, 2010. But when it does, it will have played 37 previews and 1,000 regular performances. The show will go out with a bang as original cast member
Kelli O'Hara returns August 10 and again appears opposite Tony-winner
Paulo Szot (rumors that
Matthew Morrison may also return remain just that -- rumors).
Earlier this year, I caught the
South Pacific national tour and I can tell you that it is nearly as good in every way as the Broadway mounting; that tour will last through 2011. Additionally, when the closing notice was posted, it was
also announced that there are plans to bring the production to London and Australia.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: Broadway, Closing Notices, Closings, Everyday Rapture, Fences, Hair, Lend Me A Tenor, Next Fall, Race, Red, Sondheim On Sonheim, South Pacific
Broadway Box Office Tweets Tony Edition - Week Ending June 13, 2010
Broadway Box Office Tweets Tony Edition - Week Ending June 13, 2010
If you follow me on
Twitter, you'll know that each Monday, I offer my quick analysis of each preceding week's box office on Broadway.
This past week was a particularly good one for the Great White Way as box office totals swelled by just over $2 million more than the previous week, no doubt as audiences flocked to see all the Tony nominated shows prior to Sunday night's award ceremonies.
For your viewing pleasure, here are my tweets in chronological order for the
week ending June 13, 2010:
4:30 pm June 13 - WICKED/LION KING/ADDAMS FAMILY/BILLY ELLIOT/PROMISES PROMISES/JERSEY BOYS/FENCES each grossed $1 million+ last week
4:31 pm June 13 - Sold-out WICKED last week's top grossing Broadway show with $1,614,485. Average ticket price: $111.56
4:32 pm June 13 - Standing room only FENCES week's top grossing play $1,057,269 & week's highest capacity: 101.5%. Av tx priced $120.65
4:33 pm June 13 - A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC was week's highest priced ticket. Av price: $122.26. Grosses $911,429 on 100.1% capacity
4:34 pm June 13 - COLLECTED STORIES had last week's lowest gross: $117,408 & last week's lowest av tix priced: $30.55 (73.9% capacity)
4:35 pm June 13 - RACE had last week's lowest capacity of 59.1% grossing $358,328 & average tickets priced $71.64.
4:36 pm June 13 - AMERICAN IDIOT had biggest increase in capacity. Up 20.5% to 73.3%. Grosses w/av tix priced $86,66
4:37 pm June 13 - EVERYDAY RAPTURE & FENCES had week's "biggest" capacity drop of .1% & .2% respectively. Every other show gained
4:38 pm June 13 - WICKED stayed steady in 100% capacity week over week. They don't sell standing room only tickets
4:39 pm June 13 - Overall, Broadway box office was up 9.14% week over week. Grosses up more than $2 million to $21,958,013
6:14 pm June 13 - NEXT FALL producer Richard Willis
hopes to keep show open through summer despite no Tony wins & low box office demand
Feel free to comment and let me know if you're surprised by any of these results.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: A Little Night Music, American Idiot, Broadway Box Office, Collected Stories, Fences, Next Fall, Race, Tony Awards, Wicked
Race (The SOB Review) - Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York City, New York
*1/2 (out of ****)Rarely in my decades of theatregoing have I been as absolutely repulsed or so thoroughly infuriated by a play as I have been by the incendiary polemics embodied within
David Mamet's
Race.
Not since
Avenue Q has everyone been called just a little bit racist. Ever the provocateur, Mamet has raised the stakes exponentially in this racially-infused drama about a wealthy white man (a limp, miscast
Richard Thomas) accused of raping an African-American woman and the ensuing behind-the-scenes legal wrangling (and accompanying hand-wringing) by his mixed race defense team consisting of Jack (
James Spader), Henry (
David Alan Grier) and Susan (an ineffectual
Kerry Washington).
While both Spader and Grier acquit themselves with solid performances, their characters' diatribes are guilty of making the same sort of sweeping generalizations you might have expected a couple generations ago. By virtually ridiculing any progress America has made in improving race relations, Mamet effectively sets the clock back on what has been achieved by suggesting it's been completely specious. It's a disgrace and one in which I wanted to stand up and shout to Spader that his jerk of an attorney didn't speak for me or any of my friends.
How dare David Mamet lob this provocative time-warped bomb on us? Can't we all just get along? I dare say, most of us already are. But I would remind Mamet that when you're busy pointing your finger at your audience, there are always three pointing right back at you.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: Broadway, David Alan Grier, David Mamet, James Spader, Kerry Washington, Play, Race, Richard Thomas, The SOB Review
Race To The StartThere's no disputing that with five of his plays having trod Broadway's boards over as many recent years, playwright, screenwriter and provocateur
David Mamet is back with a vengeance.
Now, the world premiere for his latest work
Race is set to begin previews November 16 at Rialto's
Ethel Barrymore Theatre, the same venue that gave birth to the Broadway premieres of Mamet's
American Buffalo (1977) and
November (2008), as well as the acclaimed revival of
Speed-The-Plow (2008-09). Marking Mamet's directorial debut on the Great White Way,
Race will open December 6 for an open-ended engagement.
While the contents of
Race are highly secretive, there's no doubt it's another super-charged, combustible work. Indeed, the play's advertising campaign succinctly describes
Race:
From Pulitzer Prize winner David Mamet, comes his most explosive four-letter word yet. Race.
And they're not talking about a sporting event in which humans, horses or cars circle around a track. With
David Alan Grier,
James Spader,
Richard Thomas and
Kerry Washington on deck, it's safe to say that this show revolves, at least in part, around the color of one's skin.
While not tipping his hat regarding the plot, Thomas has been quoted by blogger
Jon Sobel saying
Race is:
so complex, so many perspectives -- to talk about the plot would be reductive. A quick summation would make it seem much simpler than it is. It's about things that no one says. It's strong stuff. Provocative, but not shocking for the sake of being shocking.
As Mamet enjoys a renaissance with a decidedly
less liberal voice, my curiosity is once again piqued.
I loved Speed-The-Plow and
was quite blown away by the current Broadway revival of
Oleanna, but
I wasn't quite as enthused by Mamet's last new work
November.
Still, as one of America's foremost playwrights, Mamet is likely to challenge your mind in a
Race to the finish.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, David Alan Grier, David Mamet, First Word On New Show, James Spader, Kerry Washington, Play, Race, Richard Thomas, World Premiere
