Art (Broadway)

ART by Yasmina Reza as translated by Christopher Hampton opened on Broadway at the Royale Theatre on March 1, 1998 and closed on August 8, 1999 after 20 previews and 600 performances.

Produced by David Pugh, Sean Connery and Joan Cullman; Associate Producer: Dafydd Rogers and Stuart Thompson.

Directed by Matthew Warchus; Scenic & Costume Design by Mark Thompson; Lighting Design by Hugh Vanstone; Sound Design by Mic Pool; Incidental music by Gary Yershon; Associate Scenic Design: Nancy Thun.

Starring from opening until Aug 30, 1998: Alan Alda (Marc), Victor Garber (Serge) and Alfred Molina (Yvan).

Replacement cast from September 1, 1998 until December 20, 1998: Brian Cox (Marc), Henry Goodman (Serge) and David Haig (Yvan).

Replacement cast from December 22, 1998 until May 9, 1999: Joe Morton (Serge), Judd Hirsch (Marc) and George Wendt (Yvan).

Replacement cast from May 11, 1999 -until August 8, 1999: Buck Henry (Marc), George Segal (Serge) and Wayne Knight (Yvan).

Understudies: Tom Hewitt (Serge, Yvan) and John Procaccino (Yvan, Marc). Replacement Understudies: Thomas Schall (Yvan, Serge), Henry Strozier (Yvan, Marc) and Jack Willis (Yvan).

General Manager: Stuart Thompson Productions; Company Manager: Eric Muratalla.

Production Stage Manager: William Joseph Barnes; Production Supervisor: Gene O’Donovan; Stage Manager: Jill Cordle.

Casting: Daniel Swee; Press Representative: Boneau / Bryan-Brown; Marketing: FourFront, Inc.; Online Marketing by Toby Simkin / BuyBroadway Online Inc.; Advertising: Serino Coyne, Inc.; Production Properties: Laura Koch.

As Founder and CEO of Theatre.com and BuyBroadway.com. The pioneer in moving the Broadway industry onto the internet. The theatre press branded me as “Toby is the man pushing theatre, kicking and screaming, into cyberspace.” What started in 1989 as a Broadway industry service called ShowCall via dialup BBS for members of the League of American Theatre Producers evolved onto the world wide web in the early 90’s, and shortly after this, the vast majority of Broadway shows (starting with my production of Victor/Victoria) and theatrical organizations followed. The “Super site of Broadway” became a publicly traded company, prior to my re-branding it as Theatre.com at the Minskoff Theatre.

Described by Variety Magazine as a “marketing powerhouse“, it was the single largest theatre community in the world with over 180,000 active members (in the 1990’s this was massive). From buying official Broadway tickets and souvenirs, providing detailed global show listings, interactive show study & educational guides, live streaming shows and events (including many Opening Nights live broadcasts), industry news from major theatre journalists, pictures and videos, games, messaging directly to Broadway cast’s backstage or even licensing a musical, theatre.com offered it all in a single, easy-to-use interface to theatregoers globally.

ART is a French-language play by Yasmina Reza that premiered in 1994 at Comédie des Champs-Élysées in Paris. The play subsequently ran in London in 1996.The comedy, which raises questions about art and friendship, concerns three long-time friends, Serge, Marc, and Yvan. Serge, indulging his penchant for modern art, buys a large, expensive, completely white painting. Marc is horrified, and their relationship suffers considerable strain as a result of their differing opinions about what constitutes “art”. Yvan, caught in the middle of the conflict, tries to please and mollify both of them.