The Shark is Still Broken...
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ค. 2024
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The new play about the behind the scenes turmoil of Jaws isn't what you expect...which is both a good and bad thing. - บันเทิง
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The first 1,000 people to use the link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare skl.sh/waitinthewings09231
Hear me out " Connie & Carla" ... the musical! J/S
Before I had even heard of The Sark Is Broken, I had been working on a play based on the making of The Wizard of OZ film. If you don't know there were a lot of horrible things that happened on the set of that film. From special effects nearly killing actors, to Judy garland being assaulted and getting hooked on drugs at just 17. I figured a play about this would be very compelling. Over time I became discouraged and nearly gave up because I thought nobody would care about it. When I heard about The Shark is Broken and how much people loved it, it inspired me to continue my work. I'm currently working on it right now, and I can't wait to stage it.
Just try to make sure that you're looking at reputable sources for your Wizard of Oz play as a lot of the most common things said about what happened on set have been debunked
@@fashionablechangeling1988 Oh believe me, I've been doing my due diligence in that regard. I'm staying away from anything that was written by Garland's husband, as well as any wild urban legends about hanging Munchkins or whatever. I'm only sticking to things that have been corroborated by historians and firsthand accounts. Obviously, some creative liberty needs to be taken since none of us were there, but I'm trying my absolute best to keep it historically accurate. I've done A LOT of research for it, and I can tell you that there's plenty of awful things that happened without any of the misinformation.
@@Pretzils1031 Yeah, 1930s Hollywood was just the worst for movie sets
Asbestos! 😵
@@JS-ou3ot That was one of the debunked 'facts' from the set. The snow was actually made of gypsum
I liked it a whole lot more than you did. It’s not just a play about “Jaws”, it’s the story about three men - two of whom with outsized personalities - forced into cramped quarters together with no end in sight, and how they somehow survived it without killing each other. It didn’t need “more Spielberg” or John Williams. Plenty of material exists that details the troubled production, so why rehash that? The play is a son’s tribute to his father and to the human dynamics behind the pressures of coping with conflicting personalities during what they thought (at the time) was an artistic waste of time and talent.
The casting of Robert Shaw as Quint (played by his son, Ian) couldn’t be more perfect. Even as a young boy, “Jaws” made such a profound impact on me (including Shaw’s performance) that I once recited the USS Indianapolis speech in a children’s theatre class. I know that sounds weird, but in a crazy sort of way, without Robert Shaw & the movie, I would’ve never pursued acting. 🎥🦈🎭
I love the whole concept of this. I read a description and immediately thought "It's Waiting for Godot...but Jaws"
It’s funny you mentioned Shucked during this because I actually saw Shark right after a matinee of Shucked! It was the PERFECT precursor. My friend and I really did have a blast at Shark, it was funny and heartfelt. I actually got close to crying during Ian’s monologue while Alex is playing Richard having a panic attack. Sorry it didn’t impact you, it definitely left an impact on me!
And the stagedoor at Shark could not be beat. Such lovely people all telling stories of how they first saw Jaws and it’s impact on each of us. And Alex didn’t sign but came and talked to us and was so sweet!
This is a great review! My take on the show is that I’m moved to tears by the premise of a man on stage basically forgiving his father and finally seeing him as human. He seems to be speaking directly to kindred souls who are familiar with that certain strained family relationship. Grappling with what the public sees versus what the truth is. I see how the show could almost function like a group therapy in a way. If only to know there’s somebody up here on this stage who gets you. And isn’t afraid to announce it. I felt stunned the first time I saw it.
I totally get why Ian Shaw had the focus on the 3 lead actors, but I also think it's a huge missed opportunity. Imagine if this play was more of an ensemble with various perspectives like Peter Benchley (the author of the book), Steven Spielberg, and even John Williams.
If they really wanted to, they could've leaned into the comedy route because there's a ton of hilarious stories of how much of a shitshow the production of Jaws was. They could even do tongue in cheek humor like John Williams joking he's going to score George's "stupid space movie."
I would love to see this play start from Peter Benchley's success with the book, to the very first screening of Jaws. I feel like there's enough material to have both comedy and dramatic moments.
Just a heads up - spoke to the video editor for the production a while back. They've been using 4 cleverly placed projectors for the background, not a LED screen. I was astonished at how sharp and well lit it was. Although they may have changed it to LED screens now.. :)
Alex Brightman is in this show and that’s all that matters.
It really isn’t though. He’s great, but he’s far from the only important part of the show.
The fact the shark dysfunction was stressful yet it was the best thing to happen to the movie created that unforgettable suspense and atmosphere big jaws fan
The way you described this play really reminds me of a classic Australian play called The Club; it's just a small play about behind-the-scenes meetings and dealings at an Australian football club, entirely set in a boardroom as different characters move in and out dealing with their own dramas with each other. I'd similarly dedcribe it as 'a drama with jokes' rather than an outright comedy, although it is very funny sometimes; it reads like a play version of a weird series of anecdotes in a Dorktown documentary.
I think part of why The Club works in that area is because it's so obviously small, though, which is something The Shark Is Broken is struggling with. It sounds like it wants to go big for Broadway, but is telling a story that would go far better if it just scaled down and was honesr, to itself and the audience, that it's just a small story about a few people on a movie that was REAL terrible to make.
I want lotto tickets to the show and I was like okay it's probably going to be good Alex Brightman is in it so I went and saw it with not super high expectations and walked out thinking wow this is a really fucking good play and the fact that Robert Shaw's son Ian is playing his dad just give his emotional depth to the character that maybe wouldn't be there otherwise. And they talk to me for like 30 minutes after the show there was such a nice guys
It’s absolutely fair for you to judge this piece. Especially if Shaw is essentially staging and charging for a very public therapy session.
I caught this a couple weeks ago with my S/O (we love Jaws so much that we call it *Jors* like it’s an old friend) and overall really liked it, especially the chemistry and comic timing of the leading trio. I’ve also seen most of the major films of Scheider (ie All That Jazz, Seven-Ups, French Connection), Dreyfuss (Goodbye Girl, American Graffiti, What About Bob), and Shaw (Man for All Seasons, The Sting, Taking of Pelham 123) and liked the thought experiment of how these actors might get along - we know some of what went on but not everything, and it *could* have been something like this - to me it worked and was indeed entertaining. Props also to Colin Donnell, who I thought played a great straight-man to Shaw and Brightman’s big performances while still coming across as Scheider.
My only qualm was that the text near the end of the show got a little too wink-wink nudge-nudge to future events.
SPOILERS AHOY!
I laughed really hard at Shaw asking if dinosaurs would be the next big creature Spielberg played onscreen, but the rest of it, like Scheider saying he’s never be Jaws 2, was a bit on the nose.
In terms of its marketing and the real hook being “it’s a son playing his father”, I can almost guarantee that the marketing dept was told not hype up that hook because of the actor. I work in arts marketing and there are more times than not that the playwright/artist asks things to not be emphasized, which means we have to find alternative, less insightful hooks that ultimately damage the run of the show.
There is a crucial lack of theatrical curiosity within the text, it’s as if nobody told Ian Shaw or Joseph Nixon that one can play with structure in a thematically resonant way. It reads as an underbaked biopic dropped onstage. Retooling back to a minimalist fringe one act would probably be the most successful route forward for the conceit Shaw is going for.
I saw Shark a few weeks back and I share a lot of your sentiments. The show felt like a lot of skits tossed together as an excuse for Ian to do his dad's monologue at the end. I thought the actors did what they could with the material given, but there just wasn't a lot to it. I kept asking myself what the point of it was. Never felt like it elevated the stories, and we never spent enough real time with Shaw to fully connect to his issues. Was it about his alcoholism? His hatred of Dreyfuss? His general anger? There's no solid through line amongst the skits to expand on a solid theme.
Also "Tiger Shark.........a HWHAT?"
Here's my question, if it's a play about how big of a shitshow the production of Jaws was, why isn't the focus on Steven Spielberg? It's a shame the play didn't dive into more of the production aspect of Jaws because this could've been fascinating if we got more perspectives like Spielberg, and Peter Benchley (the author of the book), and yes the 3 lead actors. I think it still could've worked with Ian Shaw playing his Dad because theres ton of stories of Robert Shaw being difficult to work with behind the scenes due his drinking, and maybe he couldve had his moment where he puts down his drink and delivers one of the most iconic monologues in cinematic history.
Idk man. I saw it and loved it. Maybe go see it again. The show is ISNT objective driven. The objective is to finish the movie, but these three characters barely get to partake in that until the end. Its about them coming to grips with eachother and themselves.
It's a tiny intimate play that's been over produced into something else. It's based on Shaw's diaries ( that his son owns) I thought it should have stayed small and intimate as the story is very slight. It's all about the Indianapolis monologue.
I knew Bruce broke down, but I didn't know why. It's even funnier to me because I'm dealing with something similar with my son, I just bought him a big shark toy, it's battery powered, thrashes its head from left to right, gnashes its teeth, its eyes flash red. Well, naturally he wants to take it in the bath and doesn't get that you can't just submerge electronics so I cringed and let him do it, after taking all the batteries out, and let it completely dry out after the hour he spent in the bath with it. Surprisingly, it still works! It's a miracle! And then I bought him another similar shark toy that doesn't have batteries lol.
Jaws is one of my favorite movies. My dad watched it constantly growing up. To be honest, im a little disappointed hearing it's not funny because you're right. Everything about it makes you believe it will be. But I'm super down for a dramatic take on it. Hopefully as the show progresses it will feel more natural for the actors. I hope i get a chance to see jt.
Interesting insight as anyone I know who has seen it never really talked about it. I was interested in seeing the play as a huge fan of Jaws (also The Jaws Log is a must read!), but I don't think I'll get around to it. Fun fact about me: my great uncle was on the USS Indianapolis. It was eerie to learn that from my brothers while watching the movie.
Actually, it wasn't Spielberg's first studio film. He made Sugarland Express, with Goldie Hawn, the year prior. He had also been working for the studios in TV for years, directing Colombo and countless other shows , not even mentioning the amazing 'Duel', 1972!
It’s not June 29, 1945 it’s July 30, 1945 that drives me nuts as a historian
"...like a dawwl's eyes."
something that really gets me is that
nobody ever talks about the third guy. shaw is obviously notable because this show Is His, and brightman is notable because he’s the star power driving this worn down tugboat. i’ve never seen jaws, so you could have removed that third guy entirely and it would not have changed my experience seeing this play basically at all.
i will say i was absolutely struck by ian shaws portrayal of his father. robert shaw (the character in this play) has lots of lines and monologues about his OWN father and how he was shaped by that relationship, so it was surreal watching the man on stage say those words with the knowledge of their weight. he did a great job 👍
I know you mentioned this was your opinion on the play, and we, of course, are all entitled to our own opinions. But I Definitely enjoyed it a lot more then you did. I understand where you are coming from on “certain” aspects of the show, but I feel all the actors did an Amazing job on their portrayals of their characters, especially Alex Brightman. I felt, at times, as if I was watching Richard Dreyfus on the stage. I didn’t get the vibe you did, when you mentioned, you felt BEETLEJUICE was playing Richard Dreyfus. I’ve seen BEETLEJUICE and had front row center seats to that play and the Shark is Broken and had the opportunity to witness his performances up close and personnel on both occasions. I did not get that vibe from Brightman at all. He did an absolutely amazing, AMAZING Job! I’m going back to see it this coming weekend on the 18th (the day before it ends) because I enjoyed it so much and really feel it’s one of the best plays on Broadway right now. I wish it was going to be around for a lot longer then it’s going to be, because it really is that good. Ian Shaw was Amazing and I’m glad I had the opportunity to talk to and meet with him after the show.
My parents and I love Jaws, we literally watch it at Christmas 🤣
3:40 Wait a minute. Is that why the Great White Shark in Finding Nemo is named Bruce???
Yep!
Correction: The water wasn't the problem. They tested the shark in water and it worked fine. The problem was that they tested it with fresh water, and the salt caused the mechanics to corrode.
I watched this show with a cousin who never saw Jaws in their life. It was really good!!!
THANK YOU FOR THIS! I would have never known about this show if not for your video! With Jaws as my all time favorite film since I was a 6 year old little booger eater (idk why my parents let me watch it but hey, it didn't scar me for life, I appreciated it instead), this play is definitely something I should see. I recall watching all the behind the scenes that came with the 90s VHS all the time, instead of just fast forwarding it to get to the movie, so a play about the behind the scenes is actually for me specifically it feels like lol. I didn't think that there would be an audience for this other than weirdos like me and yourself! That said, I would never have expected a comedy, at least, not in the conventional sense for this premise. I am sad that it seems confused about its identity, and that it overall seems boring, otherwise I would definitely be paying to see it!
Saw it in the West End and those actors were spectacular in it imo. Unfortunately it was the understudy and not Ian Shaw, but he was still amazing
I saw the shark is broken just last Sunday and, I haven’t seen many shows, but that was the best show I’ve ever seen
Have you hear of the musical "Bruce" by Richard Oberacker (Bandstand)? It showed in Seattle a couple of years ago, but it centers around Steven Spielberg making Jaws. Pretty interesting. Was hoping for broadway but I havent heard anything more about it since it closed its limited run.
I was actually confused through a good part of this video, thinking this play was the Bruce musical, but with a new name. I didn't get to see Bruce, but I heard it was pretty good.
My birthday gift is seeing this show. Can't wait! I only watched a few minutes of this video for fear of spoilers
Alex Brightman really looks SO much like Dreyfus too, it’s crazy.
Sugarland Express was Speilberg's first feature film.
Hey this isn't about Jaws but I saw Beetlejuice on tour last month and it's largely because of you. Thank you for introducing it into my life.
I can't believe you didn't comment on how cool the boat is that it looks like a shark. Perhaps it can be seen better from the mezzanine and you didn't even notice.
Idk if there are any manga fans down here but this story reminds me of Oshi no Ko in a way
You know, from the sound of it (and from doing an online search), you ended up seeing the wrong play based on the making of Jaws. Because you see, there is actually another production based on the making of Jaws that recently was made. Only this one is a MUSICAL!! 😀
You see, last year, I went to go see a musical at the Seattle Repertory theatre called Bruce. And this musical is ALL behind the scenes stuff. Starting from choosing a book to adapt, to choosing the director, to casting to the shoots to assembling the shark. But that's where I think the musical manages to use the natural production cycles to create a proper through line compared to what you were describing about The Shark is Broken.
The main through line is Spielberg's determination not to give up in the face of adversity. Juggling between actor personalities, producer foibles, technical limitations and weather coincidences to create something that works. And the main conflict against him is that this production when it hit the ground became a MESS. Hence why the show is called Bruce. The Shark was a brilliant idea in concept thanks to animatronic assembly. But because they forgot that they'd be putting Bruce in salt water, it kept breaking down when it was obviously the important cornerstone of the whole thing.
It's why the climax of the show works so well in my opinion. Bruce broke down AGAIN, and Steven tells everyone that he can't do this anymore. They haven't gotten proper footage, and the executives are coming on site tomorrow. He'll take all the blame, and they'll move on to better things outside of this failure. But instead, Spielberg's producer friend works with the entire crew to create a scenario where they can get something together, get the shark working for at least 10 seconds, and show that they're going to be able to finish soon. Things go off, the shoot eventually wraps up, and it closes on a note of how someone in post production created the the finishing touch for everything. (no spoilers for structural reasons on how the show turned out rather than historical secrecy)
The audience knows what comes next, and we can all be proud of how everyone grew together, struggled and created the first blockbuster in the process. As a history man who wrote a high school paper on this phenomenon, I loved it to death. I hope that one day you might get a chance to see it too if it ever swims your way..somehow. After all, as a big musical guy with this channel, I'm sure you can combine this kind of review with your WWTW on the whole thing if something works out.
I saw it back when it was on and i personally thought Brightman did a good job especially after having to play such a eccentric over the top character like BeeJ right before. Although I agree it was treated in writing and performances as a comedy
I'm in a Jaws group that's going to hate this review, lol. I keep explaining it needs to broaden it's reach, it's written for fans
A good thing to remember about Jaws is Spielberg was a child when he made it.
He was 27.
I have shoes older than 27.
🤣
Ew.
Anyone else remember when a musical with almost the same premise was supposed to open at Paper Mill a few years back?
In all honesty, as a BIG Jaws fan, I was kinda frustrated whenever it started getting super Shaw-centric? I came in wanting a fun play about Jaws, and while sure, I got some of that, an uncomfortable amount of it just seemed to be Ian Shaw bringing up things he should be discussing with a therapist instead, lol. It occasionally felt a bit like paying for someone else’s therapy bill and then being forced to sit in on their session. I think it would’ve been much less awkward if someone else had played Robert Shaw, maybe? You would still get the intimacy knowing that it was written by Ian, without feeling like you were watching something super personal that you really shouldn’t have seen. Overall, it really felt like it existed solely to air out Ian Shaw’s dirty laundry and give him an excuse to throw his hat in the ring for the Indianapolis monologue, with some stuff about Dreyfuss and Scheider sprinkled in so he could save face. Might’ve been better with the visuals, though! I only listened to an audio recording.
I've only seen clips on line but it looks to me like the guy playing Dreyfuss is working way too hard to be "HOOPER" rather than Richard Dreyfuss. The camera's aren't rolling here. I think he needed to watch a few more 70's interviews with Dreyfuss and less of Jaws.
@@roquefortfilesOH YEAH TOTALLY! Richard is just a completely different guy from Hooper, and I feel like the differences between the characters and the actors just… weren’t emphasized enough a lot of the time. Like they marketed it as a show about the actors, but they knew that fans would enjoy it more if they just played the characters. I’m not super well versed in Richard Dreyfuss as a person, but I feel like the show REALLY wanted to portray him as just the walking embodiment of neurosis when, from what I’ve seen, his much more defining trait was being a pompous ass? A pompous ass who had untreated mental health issues and was on cocaine, sure, but I feel like what I’ve seen from Dreyfuss just… wasn’t what they ended up with in the show. It’s not an awful show but it just really wasn’t what they claimed it was gonna be.
There is quite a lengthy interview with Dreyfuss and Brian Linehan on his "City Lights" show out of Toronto from about 1974 so it is right around Jaws. Dreyfuss just comes off as full of himself and on the pompous side. You can easily see why Shaw would want to take the piss out of him. All of the guys who have played Dreyfuss in the play seem to be doing "Hooper" rather than the actor. I think, other than Ian, they needed to watch more candid interviews from the time. Like Roy is actually quite a confident fellow he's not the nervous nelly he is in Jaws. @@auriolly
Spielbergs first studio film was Sugarland Express
Hiiiiii! If you are going to be covering plays at all from now on, could you consider covering "the buried child" or "ghosts"? Or even "The Woodsman"? All three are available on Broadway HD right now if you don't know which place I'm talking about
Seeing this in November!
i plan to see the play this coming fall
I feel like this show has the potential to be a really good film or miniseries.
I think your takeaway is very similar to some of the criticism about the show when it was at Edinburgh Fringe.
yoooooooo hope you are well dude!!!
I wanted to like it sooo much, saw the Toronto production before it moved to Broadway and it felt so blah. Comedy didn't land and showing their boredom just bored out audience. Was confused as to what the writers wanted me to take away from it in the end other then a surface level "they were bored and had problems". I needed more from it.
Cut out the WHOLE game scene....
Seems like this should have been brought about more like the movie the disaster artist instead of a play
Saw this in previews and had zero expectations. And I must respectfully disagree-the play (which is definitely not a comedy) just blew me away (I also collect magnets, so yeah, that one is brilliant). I do not buy your comparison between The Shark Is Broken and Back to the Future. The Shark Is Broken had me by the throat the entire time (and I'm someone who has seen the original many times, including the day the original opened). I thought the casting here was flawless. So far as Back to the Future goes, well, uh, nice try but the score is decidedly mediocre and I was often bored. Shark never bored me.
Do you ever think we'll get a Kaiju Musical?
The shark didn't break bc it was heavy. It broke bc it was made to be used with fresh water, not with sea water. The SALT fked up its mechanisms
I’m a part of the theatre community in NYC. this was the first and only show I have ever walked out of. I have seen the movie before, but I just felt so alienated as an audience member, as I didn’t know the backstory. But the set & tech elements were great!
Did you seriously just call Jaws a "monster movie"??
Yes because it is.
@@theangryholmesian4556 What a braindead take. Do sharks look like monsters to you?
It was not Spielbergs first feature.
SHAVE!
Sounds like from what I heard from in the review we need a bigger and better show. But I do love jaws so I’m a bit disappointed to hear that the play is not very good. And it kills me to say this because I love jaws and Alex as well. Especially since it’s the first show Alex has done on Broadway since bettlejuice and by the sounds of it it’s very disappointing. Hopefully Ian dose a rewrite of the script to really focus on the relationship between him, the movie and most importantly his dad.
I saw it last month in NYC and loved it. My ONLY issue with it is that some of the tone shifts are really, really abrupt, and sometimes come off as a tad unrealistic. That said, the play is well worth the price of admission just to see Ian Shaw playing his father, Robert. Because Ian does an absolutely extraordinary job. A bonus when I went on a Wednesday night: I had purchased a cheapo balcony ticket but since the show wasn't sold out and they wanted the floor to appear full, I got a free upgrade to a beautiful aisle seat on the floor -- which would have cost me at least twice as much, had I actually bought that floor seat!
I saw this show just after seeing back to the future and these two shows are polar opposites I’ve never seen jaws but I thought shark was very funny and even though I came to see Alex I do agree Ian Shaw was the highlight of the show and I wish there was more drama to it
Always remember to de-ess your audio.
The uss Indianapolis brought the bomb
I saw it in the Toronto run and when I heard about it, I was so excited. I love the story of the making of Jaws and I was excited to see some comedy of errors about the actors needing to deal with the mess, that's what the promos kept saying after all. "It's a comedy, it's a laugh riot!" all the banners screamed. Expectation versus reality. Sure, the show had some funny moments, but it's not a comedy. Honestly, I don't know what it is. It's like that one episode of Family Guy that takes itself way too seriously yet cuts in really stupid comedic bits, only to really punch in the dramatic climax of one character having a gun stashed away for the sole purpose of eventually killing himself. The tonal whiplash made me leave the theater with deep dissatisfaction.
What's always fascinated me as a film student and raging film snob (In my wife's considered opinion 😁) is that the problem with movie became the reason that it works. You barely see the shark at all--and that's what makes it work. If you constantly saw that awful animitronic, it would have gone into B-movie awfulness. Let's leave that to Spielberg's friend Lucas. (DUCK...) Not seeing the monster until the very end makes this movie work so so well--the mysterious is always more terrifying.
Merchandise? This is the movie that pioneered the concept. Universal went all in; spending an unprecedented 700,000 dollars on advertising. They also pushed the film heavily in merchandising, which became a massive cash cow--but not for Spielberg. He gave a friend of his some advice: "Merchandising." and paid for the second and third "Star Wars" films.
The reason Jaws is great is because of great writing. Not because of some "Fluke" with the shark. It was in the script that the shark makes its entrance in the third act. It was not a function of it not working. It was in the script that the full reveal of the shark was the third act. That is writing it is not some "fluke" that made the film great. As if it happened by mistake. The use of the barrels was in the script. The barrels were used to amp up the suspense. The barrels were in the book and they were in the script. Joe Alves is on record saying that every single story boarded shot of the shark was eventually photographed.
I love Jaws but the damage it did to the global shark population makes me kinda wish it hadn't been made to begin with.
"The damage" actually after Jaws more and more research was done into shark behavior and conservation efforts started to be taken seriously. It's not like sharks reputations before Jaws were stellar.
Completely disagree. I saw the show a couple of months ago and I thought it was brilliant, especially Ian Shaw's performance.
10:23 Just by seeing people dancing At A Back to the Future show makes No sense at all. The movie is never a musical.
I First heard about it when it was on stage in London. Then and now I thought it sounded like a gimmick that would work well at a French festival, but not a full-fledged West End or Broadway production.
The question must be asked, would this play work if anyone, but Robert Shaw‘s son was playing Robert Shaw? it sounds like the entire premise of the play is based on the ego stretched writing and self-casting of himself in the role. If Shaw Jr were to play Hamlet, would he play the ghost of his father as well?
I hated this show. I enjoy Jaws but this story didn’t feel like a story that needed to be told. It has too many boring stretches and could’ve been 20 minutes.
Shaw's son actually looks like a cross between him and Michael Palin......lol