“The Curious Incident” Recoups on Broadway

Posted on January 30, 2015 by Jennifer R Jones

A Financial Coup for a Straight Play

This week, it was announced that the Broadway production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time has recouped its capitalization. The budget was reported to be $4.75 million, which is high for a straight play, though low compared to most musicals. This is therefore an extraordinary achievement, not only because it is a financial success with a high capitalization for its genre, but also because it is difficult and statistically unlikely for straight plays to recoup on Broadway in general. Whereas audiences generally flock to uplifting musicals with glitzy spectacle and catchy scores, it is more difficult for a play to gain traction and for positive word of mouth to spread enough for ticket sales to reach the level of profits. It is even more unusual for this to happen when there are no Hollywood stars leading the cast. The star of The Curious Incident is Alex Sharp, a recent Juilliard graduate who plays a 15 year-old boy with Asperger’s syndrome (although this diagnosis is never specifically mentioned in the play).

A Transatlantic Success Story

However, this play does have one thing going for it that can be considered a predictable factor: that is transferred from London. It is more likely due to the fact that London breeds theatre of such immense quality due to a strong theatrical tradition, than that ticket buyers have a bias towards British content, that this is a trend. However, time and again, if a show transfers from London and gets good reviews, people take notice more than they might have with a homegrown production. For instance, One Man, Two Guv’nors was a critical and commercial hit that made its lead actor a talk show star in America. Like One Man, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time also transferred from the National Theatre via the West End. This play is based on a novel of the same name by Mark Haddon, which may have also contributed to its recognition, but most importantly the show has built up strong word of mouth due solely to excellent reviews from critics and audience members alike.

An Open Ended Run

Whereas most straight plays will announce limited engagements of 12, 16, or 20 weeks, and then perhaps announce an extension if the play is doing well, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time has not yet said when it will close. The open-ended run began with the first preview on September 10, 2014, and its official opening night was on October 5, 2014. It has since run for over 130 performances in addition to the 23 preview performances, and it may not be stopping anytime soon. Whereas only a quarter of shows ever enter profits, this play managed to do so after only 4 and a half months. This quirky play is said to be spectacular in design, brilliantly clever in construction, and flawless in execution, which overcomes its less than commercial subject matter and cast. The play is written by Simon Stephens and directed by Marianne Elliott, who won the Tony Award for her direction of War Horse, another excellent example of a British transfer that won over America while still proving a great success at home.

“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” Opens

Posted on October 10, 2014 by Jennifer R Jones

A Unanimous Hit, Now Let the Numbers Roll In

On October 5, 2014, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway. A transfer from the National Theatre in London, this clever and heartfelt play won over critics in the U.S. as much as it did in Britain. Unanimous raves began to pour in following the show’s official opening, which occurred after 23 preview performances. Marilyn Stasio of Variety alerted readers to “believe the buzz,” as the show is spectacular. Ben Brantley of The New York Times was so rhapsodized by the play’s immersive effect that he declared it a Critic’s Pick. Extremely positive reviews also came in from Time Out New York, the Associated Press, the Hollywood Reporter, NY Daily News, and NPR. As for box office performance, the last reported numbers are from the week ending October 5, 2014, which does not take into account any performances since the reviews all came out. Therefore, the next few weeks will be crucial to determine whether this play’s positive notices will translate into dollars, in a way only British plays seem to be particularly adept at.

The Route to Broadway

Simon Stephens’ adaptation of Mark Haddon’s 2003 award-winning novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time premiered in the Cottesloe Theatre in London’s National Theatre on August 2, 2012, and ran there until October 2012. A month prior to closing, the National Theatre Live programme screened a taping of the play, live to movie theaters around the world. In March of the following year, the production transferred to the West End (the commercial sector of London theatre), with the intent to run for years. However, just over a year later, part of the Apollo Theatre’s roof collapsed and performances had to be suspended until after the winter holidays. In the new year, it was announced the balcony would need to undergo thorough restoration, rendering the continuation of performances impossible. Over the course of months, the cast kept fresh by giving free performances in schools. In June, the play finally re-opened at another West End venue, the Gielgud Theatre. Fortunately, it had already won acclaim in the spring 2013 awards season; it earned the most Olivier Award nominations with eight, and it won seven of them: Best New Play, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Sound, Lighting, and Set.

Creative Team and Cast

Alex Sharp

The play is directed by Marianne Elliot, whose production travelled from London to New York where it found a new cast. The lead role of Christopher Boone is played by Alex Sharp, a Juilliard grad making his Broadway debut. The set is a black box with three sides, and a network of lines break up into smaller boxes lined in white. Whenever anyone intrudes into Christopher’s world, the perfectly orderly arrangement goes berserk with light and sound and video. The scenic designer is Bunny Christie, who collaborated with Paule Constable on lights, Finn Ross on video, and Ian Dickinson for Autograph on sound. The story involves a 15 year-old boy, unspokenly with Asperger’s disease, who goes off to search for the murderer of his neighbor’s dog. In the meanwhile, he encounters facts about his family that lead him on an altogether unexpected journey. His mother Judy is played by Enid Graham, and his father is played by Ian Barford. His teacher Siobhan is played radiantly by Francesca Faridany. The show is slated for an open-ended run.

“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” Begins Performances

Posted on September 14, 2014 by Jennifer R Jones

An Eventful London Run

A new import from London’s National Theatre has begun performances on Broadway. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time took London by storm, first playing at the National’s Cottesloe Theatre from August 2, 2012 until late October 2012, when it transferred to the West End’s Apollo Theatre. It ran at the Apollo until December 19, 2013, when the theatre’s roof collapsed, forcing performances to be postponed until June 24, 2014, when the show re-opened at the West End’s Gielgud Theatre, where it is still presently running. These incidents aside, the show has been proved a veritable hit. It was nominated for eight Olivier Awards (the British equivalent of the Tonys), winning seven: those for Best New Play, Best Director for Marianne Elliott, Best Actor for Luke Treadaway, Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Nicola Walker, Best Sound Design, Best Lighting Design, and Best Set Design. Now beginning September 10, 2014, this production under the helm of Marianne Elliott has transferred to Broadway’s Ethel Barrymore Theatre. Its official opening night is scheduled for October 5, 2014.

A Sense of Wonder

Adapted for the stage by Simon Stephens (Punk Rock, Pornography, On the Shore of the Wide World), the play is based on a novel of the same name written by Mark Haddon in 2003. It is the story of a 15 year-old boy named Christopher John Francis Boone, who is supposed to have some form of Asperger’s Syndrome, although this is never referred to in the play. Rather, the character exhibits the characteristic asocial behavior of this condition, coupled with a remarkable sense of wonder regarding everything he experiences. The incident denoted in the play’s title involves the murder of the dog of one of Christopher’s neighbors. A sort of self-made Sherlock Holmes, Christopher takes it upon himself to solve this mystery. Along the way, he ends up discovering facts about his own family that take him on an unexpected journey. The play received intense acclaim for its delicate performances and brilliant design and staging. It looks poised to perform as well in the transatlantic transfer as did its National Theatre predecessor, War Horse.

The American Cast

Alex Sharp

As the show is still running in the West End, it has transferred to the United States with an entirely new cast. The principal role of 15 year-old Christopher is portrayed by 25 year-old recent Juilliard graduate Alex Sharp, making his Broadway debut. Sharp has been documented saying that this was one of his mother’s favorite books, and thus he has long been very familiar with its story. The rest of the main cast members are Helen Carey (Tony nominated for London Assurance), Ian Barford (August: Osage County), Francesca Faridany (Man and Boy), and Enid Graham (Dinner at Eight). Additional cast members include Ben Horner (War Horse), Mercedes Herrero (The Laramie Project), Jocelyn Bioh (Off Broadway’s An Octoroon), Richard Hollis (Hit-Lit), and David Manis (War Horse). Furthermore, the role of Christopher will occasionally be played by Taylor Trensch (Matilda the Musical). Like in London, the show is directed by Marianne Elliott, who also directed War Horse.

Broadway Fall 2014 Line-Up Falling into Place

Posted on May 15, 2014 by Carly White

This fall looks to be an exciting one on Broadway! Let’s face it – every new season is pretty exciting. But with the Tony Awards still a month away to commend the brilliant plays and musicals of the 2013-2014 season, announcements are already being made for shows to open next fall.

It was recently announced that Hugh Jackman will be returning to Broadway this fall in Jez Butterworth’s play The River. Jez Butterworth’s work was last seen on Broadway with the 2011 production of Jerusalem starring Mark Rylance, directed by Ian Rickson, and produced by London-based powerhouse theatre production company Sonia Friedman Productions. Sonia Friedman will be shepherding a Butterworth play once again, after having watched over its production at the Royal Court Theatre, where Jerusalem also premiered. The partnership between Ian Rickson and Jez Butterworth also holds strong, as Rickson is on board to direct this play. The River is about a loner on a remote island and the two women in his life, who will be played by British actresses Laura Donnelly and Cush Jumbo. The River will begin performances at the Circle in the Square Theatre on October 31, 2014. A favorite of the Great White Way, Hugh Jackman sold out his 2011 one-man show Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway, and he will host the Tony Awards this year for the fourth time.

In addition to the proven partnership between director Ian Rickson and playwright Jez Butterworth, another fall show will see the recurrence of a proven Broadway partnership, this time between two beloved actors. Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, who famously co-starred in 2001’s The Producers, will join forces this fall for a Terrence McNally play called It’s Only a Play, directed by Jack O’Brien. Like The Producers, It’s Only a Play is also a comedy based in the world of show biz. Having premiered at the Manhattan Theater Club in 1986, It’s Only a Play is the story of a nervous playwright (Broderick) at the opening night party for a play he has written, and his interactions with his backstabbing friend (Lane). Produced by Tom Kirdahy, who is married to Terrence McNally, the play will begin performances in September at a theatre yet to be announced.

Producer Scott Rudin also has a starry play up his sleeve for this fall. This Is Our Youth, written by Kenneth Lonergan (You Can Count on Me, Margaret, The Starry Messenger) first premiered Off-Broadway in a production by The New Group in 1996. The play centers on three aimless teenagers in New York City, and this Broadway production will star Michael Cera, Kieran Culkin, and Tavi Gevinson. Directed by Anna D. Shapiro (Motherf**ker with the Hat), the show will have an out-of-town pre-Broadway run at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago over the summer, and it will then transfer to Broadway’s Cort Theatre with performances beginning August 18, 2014. Michael Cera and Kieran Culkin also appeared in their same roles in an Australian production of this play in 2012, directed by Mark Brokaw.

Further fall productions that have been announced include Simon Stephens’ play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, which is a transfer from London’s National Theatre via the West End. The play will occupy the Ethel Barrymore Theatre with previews beginning September 15, 2014. In addition, The Country House by Donald Margulies will star Blythe Danner at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, with previews beginning September 9, 2014 in a Manhattan Theatre Club production. Finally, it has also been announced that a production of Tom Stoppard’s The Real Thing will play at the American Airlines Theatre in a Roundabout Theatre Company production, starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ewan McGregor, and Cynthia Nixon, and directed by Sam Gold. This is just the tip of the iceberg, however, as many more exciting shows are sure to be announced for the Broadway fall season in the coming months.