Life (X 3) goes on...

Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 06:33:18 GMT
Newsgroups: alt.fan.helen-hunt
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Playbill sez:
Life Begins for Life X 3 on Broadway as Reza Play Previews March 11
By Robert Simonson
11 Mar 2003
While the ongoing strike has put nearly all the Broadway musicals
temporarily out of business, life goes on for Broadway plays. And so
Life x 3 begins its existence as scheduled on March 11 at Circle in
the Square.
Helen Hunt, John Turturro, Brent Spiner and Linda Emond play two
couples acting out three versions of the same evening in Yasmina
Reza's drama, which will open at Circle in the Square on March 31.
The story begins as a couple are putting their son to bed and their
dinner guests arrive -- 24 hours early! The unexpected evening then
splits into a trio of possible outcomes.
Matthew Warchus, who piloted Art, will stage Life. Since Art, Warchus
has scored a hit with True West and a miss with the Broadway revival
of Follies. Ron Kastner is producing.
Helen Hunt played Viola in a Lincoln Center Theater production of
Twelfth Night -- her only major New York theatre credit of recent
vintage. "Star Trek" vet Spiner starred on Broadway in the Roundabout
Theatre Company's praised production of 1776 several seasons back
(opposite Linda Emond, no less). His other theatre credits include Big
River and Sunday in the Park with George.
Emond last acted in Homebody/Kabul and Turturro has appeared in
such plays as Waiting for Godot and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui.
French playwright Reza had a big hit with her first Broadway play,
Art, which won a Tony Award for Best Play. Her second New York
premiere, The Unexpected Man played Off-Broadway in 2000.
Reza has never lacked for star talent in her works. Art debuted in
New York with Victor Garber, Alan Alda and Alfred Molina and
proceeded to host a series of boldface casts, as did the original
London production. Unexpected Man, meanwhile, starred Eileen
Atkins and Alan Bates.
*
Recently, much ado was made as both the new musical Urban
Cowboy and the new play Life x 3 announced the March 27
opening. The double opening, a more common occurrence in
the '20s, '30s and '40s, in recent years had been avoided as shows
would log in their scheduled openings with League of American
Theaters and Producers so that no two shows would share a date.
The coveted Thursday night opening became commonplace as
it allowed for optimum media coverage the following day.
Both shows stubbornly stood their ground for a while. Finally,
producer Ron Kastner stated in a release, "I do not wish to cause
complications for either production by splitting critical and media
attention which would happen if we opened the same evening.
Life x 3 has a very tight schedule, with the commitments of our
director and creative team, but luckily we are able to move to
Monday night (March 31)."
Tickets for Life are now on sale at Telecharge, (212) 239-6200.