Point Break Live!
| Point Break Live! | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Jaime Keeling |
| Characters |
Johnny Utah Bodhi Pappas Tyler |
| Date premiered | 2003 |
| Place premiered |
Little Theatre, Northwest Film Forum Seattle, Washington |
| Original language | English |
| Subject | Point Break |
| Genre | Comedy, parody |
Point Break Live! is a parody by Jaime Keeling[1] of the 1991 Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze extreme sports movie Point Break.[2] Sometimes credited as the first-ever "reality-play",[3][4] each performance features a new, unrehearsed actor in the protagonist role of "Keanu", reading their lines from cue-cards delivered by a production assistant.[2]
How it works
At the start of the show, audience members who wish to play Johnny Utah are called on stage and put through a quick faux-audition. The winner is then selected by audience Applause-o-meter. A cue card assistant (cast member) leads Utah around the stage throughout the play and shows him or her the lines on laminated cards. The play is an over-the-top, action-packed comedy.[2]
History
The play premiered in a sold-out 2 month run co-directed by Jaime Keeling and Jamie Hook at Seattle's Northwest Film Forum[5] and has since toured throughout the country, including extended runs at the Bryant-Lake Bowl in Minneapolis[6] and Galapagos Art Space in Brooklyn, New York.[7] The show played recently at the La Tea Theater in Manhattan. It previously played at Charlie O's Lounge in the Hotel Alexandria in downtown Los Angeles,[8] where much of the movie took place, and premiered on October 1, 2008 at the V Theater at the Miracle Mile Shops in Las Vegas.[9] Producer-Director Eve Hars brought the show to Chicago's New Rock Theater, where it ran from March to October 2010, and reopened for a short spring run in 2011.[10]
The show's longest run to date is in LA/Hollywood, where it opened in 2007.[11]
Current productions
Point Break Live! is currently running at:
- The Dragonfly in Hollywood[12][13]
- The DNA Lounge in San Francisco
- The Theatre Guild of Ancon (Community Theatre in English) in Panama City, Panama - June 20 – 29, 2013[14][15]
- The Alley Theater in Louisville, Kentucky.
The San Francisco production ran sequentially across 4 different venues between April 11, 2008 and July 31, 2010.[16] All but 2 of its performances sold out. During this period, the show closed out its first venue (The Xenodrome) and last venue (The Metreon) due to impending reconstruction projects.
Cast
- Notable figures who have played Johnny Utah in the production include: Lori Petty (who played Utah's girlfriend Tyler Endicott in the movie),[17] Justin Pierre from the band Motion City Soundtrack, Juli Crockett, Andre Ethier (outfielder for the LA Dodgers),[18] and stand-up comedian Jake Weisman.[19]
- Gary Busey made a special appearance on stage at the Dragonfly production.[20] (See video.)
- Patrick O'Sullivan from the ABC sitcom "The Neighbors" played Angelo Pappas/Gary Busey in the show from 2011-2013.
- Other celebrity attendees include Kirsten Dunst and Justin Long,[21][22] writer Peter Iliff,[23] and director Kathryn Bigelow.[24]
Awards
- Mayor Gavin Newsom declared April 11, 2008 "Point Break Live! Day" in San Francisco.[25]
- Point Break Live! hit the #1 spot on E! Daily 10 in 2008.[26]
- ABC News Nightline aired a segment about Point Break Live! in 2009.[27]
- WGN aired a segment of Chicago's Best with Brittney Payton, daughter of Walter Payton interviewing the cast[28]
References
- ↑ Klasfield, Adam. "Writer Can Copyright 'Point Break' Parody". Courthouse News Service. Retrieved 2012-12-27.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Adcock, Joe (2003-08-22). "'Point Break Live!' takes its cue from the ridiculous". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2006-09-01.
- ↑ Martín Lazzarini. "To The Point of Being Ridiculed: The First Ever 'Reality-Play', as another L.A. phenomenon". Latino Weekly Review. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
- ↑ Jeff Connell. "Remembering Bodhi". face2face film. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- ↑ "History: A Cinematheque". Northwest Film Forum.
- ↑ "Bryant Lake Bowl schedule for 2005-01-20". Retrieved 2006-08-01.
- ↑ "Galapagos art space events Feb 13-19". Retrieved 2006-08-01.
- ↑ "The Guide: Point Break Live! at Charlie O's Cocktail Lounge". Archived from the original on 2008-01-13. Retrieved 2008-03-30.
- ↑ GroovesGirlVegas. "Point Break Live! in Las Vegas...". What's Happening, Vegas?. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
- ↑ BWW News Desk. "POINT BREAK LIVE! Begins Open-Ended Chicago Run 3/19". Chicago Broadway World. Retrieved 2010-03-19.
- ↑ Erin Broadley. "LA People 2009: Point Break Live!'s Punk Theater Impresario — Thomas Blake". LAWeekly. Retrieved 2009-04-20.
- ↑ Nichols, David C. "Point Break Live! (Critic's Choice)". Los Angeles Times: Entertainment Section. Retrieved 2007-11-09.
- ↑ "Point Break Live! info & tickets". TheaterMania. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
- ↑ "Point Break Live! Panama info & tickets". The Theatre Guild Ancon. Retrieved 2013-06-20.
- ↑ "‘Casting’ en vivo y el público elige". PanamaAmerica. Retrieved 2013-06-20.
- ↑ "Point Break Live! info & tickets". TheaterMania. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
- ↑ Mancini, Vince. "INTERVIEW: 16 Questions with Point Break Live! Director/Producer Thomas Blake".
- ↑ Brown, David. "Andre Ethier stars as Keanu Reeves' Johnny Utah in 'Point Break LIVE'".
- ↑ Juli Crockett. "today was an underpants day…". Juli Crockett Loves You (blog). Retrieved 2008-02-11.
- ↑ Erin Broadley. "Utah, Get Me Two! Gary Busey Joins Point Break Live! at the Dragonfly". LAWeekly. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
- ↑ "Kirsten Dunst visits Point Break Live!". pointbreaklive blog & photos. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
- ↑ Christopher Buttner. "Can You Keanu?". PRThatRocks. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
- ↑ "The writer of "Point Break" is a fan!!". pointbreaklive blog & photos. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
- ↑ "Kathryn Bigelow, the director...". pointbreaklive blog & photos. Retrieved 2007-10-14.
- ↑ Christopher Buttner. "Mayor Gavin Newsom Proclaims April 11, 2008, Point Break Live! Day". PRThatRocks. Retrieved 2008-04-12.
- ↑ Christopher Buttner. "Point Break Live, E! Daily 10". E! Daily 10. Retrieved 2008-04-12.
- ↑ Brian Rooney. "Vaya Con Dios". ABC News Nightline. Retrieved 2009-12-08.
- ↑ Ted Brunson and Brittney Payton. "'Point Break Live:' Action, Thrills & Beer!". Chicago's Best. Retrieved 2010-05-23.