Posted: 4/18/19 at 5:13pm
Am surprised by this move as I didn't think the evening was that well received. Anyone have buzz on which theater it will move to? Given the short run, feels like it could grab the Jacobs or the Cort. Maybe the Belasco? The Hudson would probably be too quick of a turnaround, but it's not impossible...
Posted: 4/18/19 at 5:15pm
Posted: 4/18/19 at 5:20pm
Interesting. But not completely out of left field given the star-caliber involved. And while there were definitely mixed reactions (in various senses of that term), I think it was more well-received than not.
I'm very curious how they will treat this in terms of Tony eligibility. Sea Wall has been around for over a decade, and has been performed and brought back enough times that it, in ordinary circumstances, it would probably fall under the "classics rule." Meanwhile A Life is a totally new piece. So will they treat the performance as one new piece? Or will they let make Sea Wall eligible as a revival, and let A Life compete as a new play?
Posted: 4/18/19 at 5:30pm
Since they're only doing a 9 week run, I wonder if they will just not bother with inviting Tony voters and remove themselves from eligibility a la Sunday in the Park.
Posted: 4/18/19 at 5:56pm
It's the same producers (and the same star) as SUNDAY IN THE PARK, so I can easily see them not wanting to bother with paying for a Tony campaign (and giving up all those seats for Tony Voters) for such a limited run.
Posted: 4/18/19 at 6:04pm
Darn it I was hoping for Jake and Ellen in Little Shop of Horros again....grrrr
Updated On: 4/18/19 at 06:04 PM
Posted: 4/18/19 at 6:08pm
Posted: 4/18/19 at 6:20pm
Glad that more people will get a chance to see it! I found it to be a moving show at the Public (particularly the latter half), but I feel like it might lose some of its intimacy in a bigger venue.
Posted: 4/18/19 at 6:35pm
JSquared2 said: "It's the same producers (and the same star) as SUNDAY IN THE PARK, so I can easily see them not wanting to bother with paying for a Tony campaign (and giving up all those seats for Tony Voters) for such a limited run."
You could very well be right. But unfortunately that will leave me very much in suspense over how they WOULD have categorized it!
Posted: 4/18/19 at 6:50pm
We should assume that Tony voters will be invited, unless we are told otherwise. Sunday in the Park was one of the ONLY times in modern history I can remember a non-special-event play or musical making itself ineligible to Tony voters. That show also knew it was not going to win Best Revival; this is happening early in the season, when anything is possible.
I would venture to guess (with no background) that it would be categorized as a New Play, because the two are being performed together as one evening.
Posted: 4/18/19 at 10:20pm
Sauja said: "Am surprised by this move as I didn't think the evening was that well received. Anyone have buzz on which theater it will move to? Given the short run, feels like it could grab the Jacobs or the Cort. Maybe the Belasco? The Hudson would probably be too quick of a turnaround, but it's not impossible..."
The Hudson it is ~
http://www.thehudsonbroadway.com/whatson/sea-wall-a-life/
Posted: 4/19/19 at 8:23am
I love the Hudson but I feel it's too large a house for such an intimate play. I'm quite happy with my experience watching it at the public theatre (managed to get front row seats) so will skip this Broadway run but hope it does well!
Posted: 4/19/19 at 9:32am
Posted: 4/19/19 at 9:44am
Posted: 4/19/19 at 12:45pm
I agree I hope this doesn't get the Sunday treatment either. Sunday had a larger cast whereas this production will only have 2.
I'd think Jake Gyllenhaal is a household name in the USA but not sure about Tom Sturridge.
Posted: 4/19/19 at 6:25pm
Posted: 4/25/19 at 9:22am
Posted: 4/25/19 at 1:29pm
Jordan Catalano said: "I’m so angry at my husband Jake, for this. I’m thrilled he’s back on Broadway but sitting through this again so soon after I saw it downtown is something I really don’t want to do. It was one of the most powerful and depressing evenings I’ve ever spent in the theatre but I have to go support the show. I have no choice. It’s JAKE.
I guess I’ll just stock up on Kleenex."
An old sock is just as effective.
Posted: 5/14/19 at 8:59am
FYI, regarding seating, if the Public's staging is kept, Jake Gyllenhaal stands stage right/house left for the entirety of his play. It's possible that this will change, and he'll move to center stage, but I just figured I'd give a heads-up.
Posted: 5/14/19 at 9:12am
On a side note, I was in Mexico City last week and Jake was at the Freida Kahlo Museum, the same time I was.
Updated On: 5/14/19 at 09:12 AM
Posted: 5/14/19 at 1:15pm
CT2NYC said: "FYI, regarding seating, if the Public's staging is kept, Jake Gyllenhaal stands stage right/house left for the entirety of his play. It's possible that this will change, and he'll move to center stage, but I just figured I'd give a heads-up."
I'm not sure when you saw the show at The Public, but when I saw it (during the final week of the run), this was not at all the case. He moved around quite a bit.
Posted: 5/14/19 at 1:29pm
JSquared2 said: "CT2NYC said: "FYI, regarding seating, if the Public's staging is kept, Jake Gyllenhaal stands stage right/house left for the entirety of his play. It's possible that this will change, and he'll move to center stage, but I just figured I'd give a heads-up."
I'm not sure when you saw the show at The Public, but when I saw it (during the final week of the run), this was not at all the case. He moved around quite a bit."
I saw it on 3/13, 2 1/2 weeks before the end of the run. He stood in a single spotlight which didn't move for the entirety of A Life. He shuffled a bit within the spotlight, but he was never dead center stage or stage right.
Updated On: 5/14/19 at 01:29 PM
Posted: 5/14/19 at 1:43pm
So, I saw the show at the Public and as many have mentioned, it's slightly depressing.
The Broadway production posted a montage and I hope that people don't see the video and think that it's an uplifting romp because it's totally giving off a different vibe that what it is (or at least was from the Public version): https://youtu.be/LiuJmWZg4cA
Posted: 5/14/19 at 9:35pm
CT2NYC said: I saw it on 3/13, 2 1/2 weeks before the end of the run. He stood in a single spotlight which didn't move for the entirety of A Life. He shuffled a bit within the spotlight, but he was never dead center stage or stage right."
I saw it the day before it closed, and this is exactly how I would describe it. I was really glad that I'd gotten seats in the center of the audience.
Posted: 5/14/19 at 9:57pm
sm33 said: "CT2NYC said: I saw it on 3/13, 2 1/2 weeks before the end of the run. He stood in a single spotlight which didn't move for the entirety of A Life. He shuffled a bit within the spotlight, but he was never dead center stage or stage right."
I saw it the day before it closed, and this is exactly how I would describe it. I was really glad that I'd gotten seats in the center of the audience."
Thanks, I have friends who also confirmed it. Of course, there was the very brief part when...
he came down off the stage and ran through the audience, but, when he was up there, he pretty much stayed put.
Updated On: 5/14/19 at 09:57 PM
