Shakespeare in the Park Returning This Summer!!!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/16/21 at 10:51am

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Breaking-Public-Theaters-Shakespeare-In-The-Park-Will-Return-for-Summer-2021-with-Jocelyn-Biohs-MERRY-WIVES-20210316

Fantastic news!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/16/21 at 10:51am

It’s not letting me post a clickable link. Weird.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 3/16/21 at 11:01am

Exciting news! 

And it looks like a great project to open it up with. I wonder whether this adaptation will have fully original text, or whether it will predominately be constructed from Shakespeare's text. I'm sure it will be great either way, but Merry Wives of Windsor is one of the few Shakespeare plays I've never seen live, and I'd love to cross it off my list. 

But like I said, I'll be delighted to see it either way! 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/16/21 at 11:08am

I don’t care if they just stand there and read the script, I’ll be happy to see anything live. But damn, I can’t even imagine how impossible it’s going to be to get tickets to this.

[Wick3]

Posted: 3/16/21 at 11:33am

Yay! SOOO EXCITED!

Link from Public Theatre: https://publictheater.org/programs/shakespeare-in-the-park/free-shakespeare-in-the-park/

I do think they will limit the number of free tickets they give out but given how it's open air and most likely majority of the people in tri-state area will be vaccinated by then, I hope this will be a success!

Updated On: 3/16/21 at 11:33 AM

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 3/16/21 at 11:39am

Exciting!

I wonder what safety precautions will still be needed (aside from masks) for this to happen, but I had a good feeling that SITP was going to find a way to come back strong this summer. And the first show back is a modern adaptation written by a female POC on the rise in Bioh.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 3/16/21 at 12:23pm

This is going to be an impossible ticket to get this summer.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/16/21 at 12:29pm

Maybe they’ll be able to do a rotating cast or something to add performances every day. It would be a great way to get money from “donors” or whatever they call the people who buy tickets (without buying them) and help them out now, plus to give us simple folk a way to get in, also.

[Kad]

Posted: 3/16/21 at 12:31pm

Shakespeare in the Park is always a magical experience that, I think, is one of the best theatre-going experiences in the country. Even when the production itself isn't great- which is, yknow, not uncommon- the experience of being in the Delacorte on a summer night is just something special. But this summer will be even more so.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 3/16/21 at 12:43pm

This is amazing! Just imagine how amazing the cast will be? Oh boy! Glad to be a member. 

[Tag]

Posted: 3/16/21 at 9:03pm

Let's hope they do two cast/crew bubbles.  So if one goes down, they can continue with performances.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 3/16/21 at 9:50pm

This will not happen unless/until all cast/crew has been vaccinated. 

I love the idea of 2 casts but it is not really practical for a single show (unless they design them separately which would be bizarre but who knows?). An alternative would be a different show that can run in daylight, on the same set or something close to it.  

[Wick3]

Posted: 3/16/21 at 11:52pm

ACL2006 said: "This is going to be an impossible ticket to get this summer."

Especially if they cast an A-list star.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 3/17/21 at 12:05am

Wick3 said: "Especially if they cast an A-list star."

 

Based on the past few years, it seems that the days of A-list movie stars at the Delacorte are sadly behind us. What I wouldn't give to go back in time to see some of those legendary productions. Glad I got to see Amy Adams in Into the Woods. We definitely still get some great stars like Danielle Brooks, Phylicia Rashad, Corey Stoll, etc. But those aren't the kinds of names that make tickets impossible to get - which is definitely one of the major benefits of having fewer A-listers. Not to mention all the actors I just named (and most of the SITP cast members in recent years) are incredibly talented. 

But also, who knows what post-COVID will bring? Maybe there is some A-lister who is dying to get back onstage, and help The Public. 

 

Updated On: 3/17/21 at 12:05 AM

[HogansHero]

Posted: 3/17/21 at 12:24am

who knows, but I think a lot of folks think there are a lot of A-listers dying to get back on stage. 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 3/17/21 at 12:44am

HogansHero said: "who knows, but I think a lot of folks think there are a lot of A-listers dying to get back on stage."

 

When you say "a lot of folks" do you mean industry people who have heard from A-listers? Or do you mean people on this message board speculating / wishfully thinking? I couldn't say how accurate it is either way. It's so case-by-case - I don't see any reason why there would necessarily be a rush for A-listers to swarm back to the stage. But a few might want to. We've obviously seen the likes of Hugh Jackman and Samuel L. Jackson affirm, and/or re-affirm their intention to come back to Broadway, and there may be more. But I'm sure plenty of them are perfectly happy to stay in their Hollywood Ivory tower, just as they were before. The question is whether or not The Public can nab someone for this.

Keenan Thompson for Fallstaff, anyone? (not that I'd call Thompson an A-lister - it's just a potential dreamcast that occurred to me).

But I wouldn't be at all surprised if they end up not casting a big star, and instead go with an "old faithful" theatre staple like Chuck Cooper. 

Updated On: 3/17/21 at 12:44 AM

[HogansHero]

Posted: 3/17/21 at 1:15am

JBroadway said: "When you say "a lot of folks" do you mean industry people who have heard from A-listers? Or do you mean people on this message board speculating / wishfully thinking?"

I meant the latter. There was a time when, on a Tuesday night in March I might have run into someone who ran into someone and actually knew something, but alas not March of 2021. 

 

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 3/17/21 at 7:01am

I am so happy to hear the news...

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 3/23/21 at 9:54pm

Wick3 said: "I do think they will limit the number of free tickets they give out but given how it's open air and most likely majority of the people in tri-state area will be vaccinated by then, I hope this will be a success!"

I know it's going to play more dates but I wouldn't be surprised if the ticket distribution was mostly handled online like Hercules. Why make people line up in the park or gather inside the lobby of one of their buildings? I hope it's not too difficult to get a ticket but this really does seem like the perfect way to usher people back into seeing live theater.

[Wick3]

Posted: 6/6/21 at 9:38pm

You're right! First performance starts July 6th, which is a month from today! Wow time flies!

https://publictheater.org/productions/season/2021/sitp/merry-wives/

From the site, it says all free ticket distribution will be online through a new partner called GOLDSTAR. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/7/21 at 7:15am

And IN ADVANCE!   (Woot....giving an out of towner like me a chance!)

 

 

 

[ArtMan]

Posted: 6/7/21 at 7:43am

Wick3 said: "You're right! First performance starts July 6th, which is a month from today! Wow time flies!

https://publictheater.org/productions/season/2021/sitp/merry-wives/

From the site, it says all free ticket distribution will be online through a new partner called GOLDSTAR."

I would suggest setting up your Goldstar account in advance.  Also as a heads up, Goldstar usually charges a fee even for the free events.  It is not very much and not sure if they will do it for this.  Just letting everyone know, because there will be that one person who complains that they didn't know or asking why they are charging a fee for a free event.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/10/21 at 7:54am

Just looking at the info on their site:  

1. The cast is announced

2. They are stating that each Goldstar account will only be able to obtain one set of tickets. 

 

Very excited.

[bigjoec2]

Posted: 6/22/21 at 10:28am

Anyone know what became of the plans to remodel the Delacorte?

There were articles about in 2018, saying it would go dark this summer, but I've seen zilch since. E.g. https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Breaking-Public-Theaters-Shakespeare-In-The-Park-Will-Return-for-Summer-2021-with-Jocelyn-Biohs-MERRY-WIVES-20210316
 

To be clear -- I'm thrilled they're performing this summer and not going dark for a remodel, but I remember thinking last summer that if they were going to do it, they should've done it then when they were shut down anyway.

[kade.ivy]

Posted: 6/24/21 at 4:50pm

Rehearsal photos and increased capacity news:

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Flash-Go-Inside-Rehearsals-for-Shakespeare-in-the-Parks-MERRY-WIVES-Increased-Audience-Capacity-Announced-20210624

Masks outdoors, especially in the vaccinated section, seems a bit…overboard to me?