J.J. Abrams is making his debut as a theater producer with The Play That Goes Wrong on Broadway … but they just can’t get his name right.
A new teaser stars Abrams opposite Henry Lewis, who appears in character as Robert Grove and showcases the play’s signature British comedy.
Abrams is first introduced as a “Hollywood heavyweight and director of Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” but then the filmmaker can’t get it across that his name is just J.J., not Jack, Judy, Jesus, Julie or Jay. It’s also not Jealous Joe — since he’s probably “jealous of people with names,” explains Grove — or that of Star Wars character Jar Jar Binks.
The brainchild of Mischief Theatre company members Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, The Play That Goes Wrong is an intricately plotted physical comedy that revolves around the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society’s efforts to stage a 1920s murder mystery as accident-prone actors battle against all odds to make it to the final curtain call. The show drew rave reviews in London, where it is currently in the third year of its run.
Directed by Mark Bell, The Play That Goes Wrong is currently in previews at Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre and opens April 2.
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