The Shark Is Broken: New cast images released upon Broadway preview
You'd be forgiven for thinking that you were looking at the shark hunter Quint, Amity Island's Chief Brody and the oceanographer Matt Hooper from JAWS, but this is the first cast in costume photo from the Broadway run of The Shark Is Broken.
The costumes and set of the Orca - it's like being the audience are the fourth crew member - are amazingly detailed and drag you back to 1974 when filming of JAWS took place. This beautiful and sometimes moving Olivier-nominated comedy is directed by Guy Masterson and is playing at the Golden Theater.
Someone show the cast of The Shark Is Broken the way to go home (image by Matthew Murphy)
It's curtain up on the first preview show, which charts the behind the scenes making issues of the Steven Spielberg shark classic with the characters of Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss.
Playing them are Robert's son, Ian Shaw, who is also on writing duties alongside Joseph Nixon.
Ian, here in his Broadway debut, trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, having obtained a BA in American Studies at Sussex University.
His Theatre includes War Horse and Common (National Theatre); Widowers’ Houses, The Importance of Being Earnest, Nude with Violin, The Philadelphia Story, and The Brothers Karamazov (Manchester Royal Exchange); Three Sisters (Nuffield and Theatre Royal Bath); Private Lives and Closer (Birmingham Rep); The Rivals (Derby Playhouse and Philadelphia Walnut St); The Tempest (SRT) and Much Ado About Nothing in London’s West End.
Ian Shaw as his dad, JAWS legend Robert Shaw (image by Oliver Rosser)
Television includes “Sharpe,” “Soldier, Soldier,” “Medics,” “Wuthering Heights,” “The Queen,” “Ghost Hour,” “Silent Witness,” “Cambridge Spies” and the Emmy award-winning “Hiroshima.” Film includes Century, Moondance, The Boys and Girl from County Clare, The Contract and Johnny English Reborn.
Then we've New York resident Colin Donnell starring as Roy Scheider. Donnell, who can most recently be seen as the all-out lead of Peacock’s “Irreverent”, is known for his work as Dr. Connor Rhodes in NBC’s drama “Chicago Med” and as Tommy Merlyn in CW’s “Arrow.”
Other appearances include Scott Lockhart in Showtime’s hit series “The Affair”, “Pan Am,” “Person of Interest” and “The Mysteries of Laura.”
His film appearances include “Every Secret Thing,” which also starred Diane Lane and Elizabeth Banks, and “Almost Love” opposite Michelle Buteau.
Getting chummy: Colin Donnell as Roy Scheider (image by Mark J Franklin)
On stage, Colin Donnell recently starred as Russell Hammond in the musical adaptation of Cameron Crowe’s acclaimed show Almost Famous at The Old Globe. His Broadway work includes “Violet,” “Anything Goes” (which garnered him Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Astaire nominations), and “Jersey Boys.” Among his other notable stage appearances are “Follies,” “Merrily We Roll Along,” “Lady Be Good” at the New York City Center, the Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park production of “Loves Labours Lost” and “Meet Me in St. Louis.” Additionally, he’s toured with productions of “Wicked” and “Mamma Mia.”
Rounding out the talented trio is Alex Brightman (Richard Dreyfuss), who is a two-time Tony-nominated actor for his performances in Beetlejuice the Musical and School of Rock.
Other Broadway credits include Matilda, Big Fish, Wicked & Glory Days. Alex can be seen on the current (and final) season of The Blacklist on NBC as forensic analyst Herbie Hambright.
Those proportions are correct - Alex Brightman as Richard Dreyfuss (image by Mark J Franklin)
Other TV credits include Law & Order: SVU, Documentary Now!, The Good Fight, Blue Bloods, and Important Things w/ Demetri Martin. Alex is the voice of Pugsley/Temeluchus on the acclaimed Netflix animated series Dead End: Paranormal Park as well as the voice of Fizzarolli on Helluva Boss.
As a writer, Alex has developed series with NBC, Universal, 20th Century, and Warner Brothers. Alex’s play, Everything Is Fine, recently received a developmental reading at Manhattan Theatre Club directed by Cynthia Nixon.
With such an amazing cast in place, don’t wait for me to buy tickets for The Shark Is Broken on Broadway, To paraphrase Mayor Vaughn, this is going to be the best summer you’ve ever had.
You can part with your summer dollars and buy tickets here.