Call it “Bill and Ted’s Existential Adventure.”
The wait is over: Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter come to Broadway in a fourth revival of Waiting for Godot, directed by Jamie Lloyd. Rounding out the cast of Samuel Beckett’s iconic tragicomedy are Michael Patrick Thornton, Brandon J. Dirden, Zaynn Arora, and Eric Williams. Previews start tomorrow (September 13) before a September 28 official opening at the Hudson Theatre; the limited run concludes on January 4.
“Celebrated actors Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter are real-life friends who will be starring on Broadway as two friends searching for meaning in an absurd world. Waiting for Godot is the greatest play ever written about nothing. Nothing and everything. But mostly nothing. Seriously, nothing happens.”
Who’s seeing this one?!
Looks like Jesse Aaronson (LEOPOLDSTADT) is the standby for Winter and Thornton, and Franklin Bonjio (one of Arian Moayed’s understudies in A DOLL’S HOUSE) will cover Reeves and Dirden.
Also, TodayTix says 2:15 runtime, including a 15-minute intermission.
Can’t wait to hear about tonight and what new tricks Lloyd has up his sleeve!
How was it???
Also, who played the little boy tonight, Zaynn or Eric?
That set looks incredible…
and Beckett would hate it?
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/27/19
Early reports say it does have Keanu in his underwear, so typical Jamie Lloyd.
He's in his boxer briefs for a very short time. Don't worry.
The set is gorgeous. Thank goodness there is no single tree.
Love the optical illusion of that set and lighting.
That set piece looks stunning.
Can we also be thankful for a simple t shirt design, just the play’s logo nothing over the top. Simple and perfect!
thirtythirtyninety said: "That set looks incredible…
and Beckett would hate it?"
Not only that, but I'm surprised the estate allowed it! Usually the tree is mandatory.
BJR said: "Not only that, but I'm surprised the estate allowed it! Usually the tree is mandatory."
The estate seemed asleep at the wheel on this one, given the teeny tiny font size of Beckett's name in the early advertising materials for the show...it's custom for the author's name to be no smaller than the director. (That now seems to have been resolved.)
Considering how hard they've come down on much less notable productions in the past, perhaps they just see this as too high-profile and lucrative a production to be so strict with?
Quite possibly. But famously Maggie Smith and Judi Dench wanted to do it years back but weren’t allowed because it has to be men. I imagine that would’ve been a huge hit and quite profitable.
Okay hear me out....I think the set itself is the tree. The tunnel, made out of wood, is evocative (deliberately?) of a cross section of a tree trunk.
Also, the text does actually call for Estragon's trousers to fall down in act two, so Reeves being in his underwear is, for once, entirely on Becket rather than on Lloyd
ChairinMain said: "Okay hear me out....I think the set itself is the tree. The tunnel, made out of wood, is evocative (deliberately?) of a cross section of a tree trunk."
I wonder if it might also evoke the moon, as in "Two Men Contemplating the Moon"?
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/27/19
ChairinMain said: "Also, the text does actually call for Estragon's trousers to fall down in act two, so Reeves being in his underwear is, for once, entirely on Becket rather than on Lloyd"
But having them be dark boxer briefs--pure Lloyd.
John Adams said: "ChairinMain said: "Okay hear me out....I think the set itself is the tree. The tunnel, made out of wood, is evocative (deliberately?) of a cross section of a tree trunk."
I wonder if it might also evoke the moon, as in "Two Men Contemplating the Moon"?"
I also thought it was evocative of a large eye watching them.
Kad said: "I also thought it was evocative of a large eye watching them."
I was thinking about Becket's connection with the painting, but I really like the idea of a watching eye, too.
Videos