EUREKA DAY Previews

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 11/24/24 at 12:00am

One school, too many principles.

The new comedy Eureka Day, by Jonathan Spector, begins Broadway previews tomorrow night (November 25). The Main Stem staging — following separate Off-Broadway and London productions in 2019 and 2022 — stars Amber Gray, Jessica Hecht, Bill Irwin, Thomas Middleditch, and Chelsea Yakura-Kurtz; Anna D. Shapiro directs. Eureka Day officially opens on December 16 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre and concludes its limited run on January 19.

“Wildly relevant and bitingly funny, Jonathan Spector’s play comes to Manhattan Theatre Club in an all-new production following an acclaimed London run. Eureka Day is a private California elementary school with a Board of Directors that values inclusion above all else — that is, until an outbreak of the mumps forces everyone in the community to reconsider the school’s liberal vaccine policy. As cases rise, the board realizes with horror that they’ve got to do what they swore they never would: make a choice that won’t please absolutely everybody.”

Who’s bringing a backpack?

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 11/24/24 at 11:24am

This was well reviewed downtown. Critics pick and a lot of 4 or 5 star reviews.
Did anyone see that (different) production?

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 11/24/24 at 3:29pm

I've seen a production of this (and worked on another) and am excited to be in attendance tomorrow. My thoughts will have inherent bias as I'm a big fan of this play. Hope it lives up to what I know the show to be!

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 11/25/24 at 6:43pm

Looking forward to your thoughts, Falsettolands!

MTC lists a 1:40 running time, no intermission. 

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 11/25/24 at 9:11pm

I don’t feel it’s fair to really judge the show where this production is at their current state. SO I’m going to be as polite as possible and simply say they are miles, miles, miles away from finding rhythm, specificity, and clarity on where the humor lands and navigating the narrative.

this was the most preview-est first preview I’ve ever been to. Several light and sound cues called too early, a LOT of paraphrasing, and even a called line moment from Bill Irwin (However, based on the reactions from the other actors, I could tell no one was fully prepared for how truly funny the “zoom” town hall scene is)

Jessica Hecht will absolutely be nominated for a Tony Award for getting a role that REALLY lets her lean into her quirky idiosyncrasies and make sense of a very challenging character.

Everyone else is very much really still scratching the surface. Set is appropriate and functional, sound and lights, too.

I’d give them three or four more performances before giving them a fair assessment. But I will say I think it’s going to be as good as the script allows it to be. It has the makings.

I’ll chime in more about what I think about the writing and direction after others have weighed in. I’m too familiar.

 

Updated On: 11/25/24 at 09:11 PM

[theatergoer3]

Posted: 11/25/24 at 9:43pm

First time seeing or reading it and I liked it overall. It did feel like it crumbled under it's own weight by the end however and lost the subtlety from earlier in the piece. 

Definitely could tell it was a first preview. Hecht had a crucial monologue interrupted by an early cue.

Hecht is also best in show. The Zoom Town Hall scene the easy highlight. 

Out the door by 8:45 with a 7:05 ? start . 

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 11/26/24 at 12:03am

Respectfullly this cast feels like such a downgrade from the London production at the Old Vic with Helen Hunt and Mark McKinney 

 

this play deserved a star-studded production and feels like it is filled with second or third choices

[Smaxie]

Posted: 11/26/24 at 8:09am

I was there last night as well, and apart from the pacing that will come as they learn to play it in front of an audience, I found it in very good shape. It's a remarkable play, and they are well on their way. My companion and I couldn't stop talking about it after we left the theatre, and it has been a while since that happened. The streamed meeting is an incredibly complicated scene in writing, performance, and tech requirements, and I think - as Falsetto notes - they need a few days to account for the huge laughs it generates. Yes, there was a called line and one light and sound cue in the wrong spot, but otherwise, it ran smoothly. I don't agree that anyone is "miles and miles" away from finding the play. These are very well-delineated roles, and I think the characters are already real and recognizable in this cast's hands, with the audience responding audibly to the comedy and microaggressions. And as stated, the sublime Jessica Hecht is already in full form. Her character's major scene is absolutely devastating. Lastly, I think the production is well-cast as it is. Stars would throw off the balance of what is largely an ensemble effort. Sure, give them a few days, but I think this play is going to be the talk of the town. 

Updated On: 11/26/24 at 08:09 AM

[Owen22]

Posted: 11/26/24 at 2:35pm

This is a very sound, very well written and structured play. Very funny and very thoughtful. I am judging this from the London Old Vic production but I can't imagine this cast and this director doing a bad job with the text. And Jessica Hecht is a goddess ...so there is that.

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 11/26/24 at 7:25pm

Upon further reflection, I think what isn't working for this production right now is that Hecht has found dynamic and unexpected choices that help reinforce her character's "argument," while others often are opting for safe and conventional. She takes a lot of big risks in this show, layering a sense of true danger that her way of life is fully compromised and she's going to do everything in her power to stop it.  It's an astounding turn, but in exchange it's going to have to force the others to keep up.

She's also funny as HELL. Transcending satire and really just "gets" this woman. It feels off to say she's finally getting her due because she's Jessica Hecht...but it's a front runner for one of the finest performances this season.

Updated On: 11/26/24 at 07:25 PM

[UWS10023]

Posted: 12/1/24 at 9:33am

I found the production to be very timely and the script had a nice blend of humor and pathos. The show in its current state is bogged down by some sluggish pacing, uneven performances and excess stammering. Further character development, beat examination and not drowning in political correctness will help heighten the conflicts and give the show some extra crackle. If the actors project a bit more it will also keep the audience more engaged. I actually thought the play might have been better served with a bare bones set in a smaller space like the Newhouse at Lincoln Center.

Updated On: 12/1/24 at 09:33 AM

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 12/3/24 at 3:24pm

Looks like someone just did a cut and paste over Mrs Doubtfire. 

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Up-on-the-Marquee-EUREKA-DAY-20241203

[Owen22]

Posted: 12/7/24 at 10:23am

I saw this last night, and I don't know about the reports from early on in previews, but this production is firing on all cylinders now.  For those interested in this kind of thing: it's amazing how casting can change a character. As I previously stated I saw and loved this play at the Old Vic in London (where it actually had a primarily American cast). Some spoilers ahead:

Helen Hunt had the role Jessica Hecht is playing. Where Helen Hunt was very measured and intelligent and actually emotionally intelligent in her approach to the role, Jessica Hecht is a little more passive aggressive and more obviously performative in her wokeness. I also believe this might finally get Jessica her Tony, if not, definitely a nomination. The tech billionaire who was played by the hot guy from the film Pride in London (Ben Schnetzer) is played by Thomas Middlemarch here who is very obviously a nerd so he seemed a little more hypocritical and needy and a little more nefarious in his open relationship and got laughs in a different way.  A little bit more of an obvious interpretation but still valid.  The rest of the cast was as fine as their West End counterparts.

The whole community action sequence with the forum and it's responders' comments (while watching our character's steering committee meeting)  projected behind them was as hilarious as it was in London, maybe even more so. The audience was on the floor, more so than at the Old Vic. Maybe because it's a very American kind of attitude in those responses.  It was so very, very funny!  And the timing is now perfect.

I don't know if this would get a Broadway transfer ala Appropriate. It should.  But if the play's tech isn't too hard to pull off, it could definitely be one of the most produced regional plays 2025/26. 

Updated On: 12/7/24 at 10:23 AM

[yyys]

Posted: 12/7/24 at 11:13am

Samuel J. Friedman is a Broadway theater.  Did you mean transfer to a bigger theater?

Owen22 said: "I don't know if this would get a Broadway transfer ala Appropriate. It should. But if the play's tech isn't too hard to pull off, it could definitely be one of the most produced regional plays 2025/26."

 

Updated On: 12/7/24 at 11:13 AM

[Owen22]

Posted: 12/7/24 at 7:01pm

Yes, for an open-ended or limited run as Manhattan Theater Club has other subscription plays waiting for the Friedman.

[quizking101]

Posted: 12/8/24 at 4:54pm

I went this afternoon and, while it took about 5-10 minutes to get off the ground (very similar to “Thanksgiving Play”), once it got off the ground, it was full steam ahead the entire time. MANY times during the show, I found myself either cringing (in reaction to the story), gasping, or downright cackling with laughter. For such a touchy subject that had gotten touchier since the time it was written, I was not expecting a relatively mild-mannered dramedy to evoke such a response from me.

As a nurse, I’ve been in rooms like this before where the conversation happens and it captures the essence PERFECTLY. 10/10. No notes. Yes, there are crazy Karens out there, but many people are like Chelsea Yakura-Kurtz’s character in that they made decision they thought were safe for them and end up realizing that they were able to acknowledge that they aren’t infallible to human error.

Whatever kinks were previously mentioned in terms of how the ensemble gels seem to have been ironed out because this is some of the tightest ensemble work I’ve seen in quite some time. Watching Hecht was truly a wonder to behold because she created the most perfectly rounded character with a surprising amount of depth. However, I must also acknowledge the excellence of Bill Irwin, who kept a straight face the ENTIRE time that the “town hall chat” scene played out. I was right up front and his face did not move a MUSCLE. Also, Amber Gray was a formidable foil for Hecht - cool, collected, educated, and ready to pounce. 

HIGHLY recommend and I hope this gains enough traction for a commercial run. 

[willep]

Posted: 12/8/24 at 5:02pm

Has anyone sat front row? Looking at the 30 Under 35 tickets but am also seeing that there is a table center stage that I imagine will block a lot from those seats.

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 12/8/24 at 5:18pm

This was a fun, smart and well performed 1 hour and 40 minutes.   The cast is great.  So far Eureka, The Hills of California and English should be up for nominations.  We have yet to see Cult Of Love.

[quizking101]

Posted: 12/8/24 at 5:19pm

willep said: "Has anyone sat front row? Looking at the 30 Under 35 tickets but am also seeing that there is a table center stage that I imagine will block a lot from those seats."

That is exactly where I sat - AA102. You miss nothing at all and I honestly could not imagine being elsewhere

[willep]

Posted: 12/8/24 at 5:33pm

Amazing! Thanks, quizking!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/8/24 at 5:40pm

I was there this afternoon as well and couldn’t have loved this more. I truly don’t remember the last play that made me laugh this hard. It’s absolutely one that I’ll be seeing a q couple more times before it ends. 

[sppunk]

Posted: 12/8/24 at 9:01pm

I too was there today and what a blast. A great play that is timely. 
 

Sidenote. It was almost ruined by the woman next to me talking the entire show, eating candy and smacking her lips nonstop. If it had an intermission I’d have found another seat or asked to stand up somewhere. UGH

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/8/24 at 10:00pm

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

I have to say also, the very last line of the play was just one of the funniest and most perfect lines of dialogue ever. 

 

[witchoftheeast2]

Posted: 12/9/24 at 10:41am

Jordan Catalano said: "

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

I have to say also, the very last line of the play was just one of the funniest and most perfect lines of dialogue ever.

"

Totally agree. Also loved the - that made me crack up!! 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/9/24 at 10:45am

I need to go back just to hear what the dialogue was in those 20 minutes at the meeting. I don’t think I heard one single word anyone on stage said since we were all just reading and laughing non stop. They could have said what the winning Powerball numbers were going to be and nobody would have noticed.