The intersecting histories of a landmark stadium, the unpredictable New York Mets, and music legend Billy Joel are woven together in the documentary THE LAST PLAY AT SHEA, set to premiere on SHOWTIME on Friday, November 11th at 9:30 PM ET/PT.
Through the prism of Billy Joel's extraordinary career and blue collar perspective, THE LAST PLAY AT SHEA chronicles the waning days of Shea Stadium through a tapestry of performance, historical documentary and personal journey while at the same time providing audiences with a pop-culture snapshot of a seminal era in New York history. Set against the backdrop of New York City from the early '60s to present day, the film features interviews with players, performers and exclusive concert footage - featuring special guests like Tony Bennett, Roger Daltrey, Steven Tyler, Garth Brooks and John Mayer, among others.
Upon its theatrical release, Rolling Stone said, "Watching the crowd at Shea scream along to every word of his songs is a powerful reminder of just how important his music is to many generations of Americans," and The New York Times remarked, "Guaranteed to put lumps in the throats of longtime New York residents... the struggle, the teamwork and the glory are captured in this wonderful film."
Long-time Joel Friend and former band mate, Jon Small, directed the concert footage, filmed at each of Joel's sold-out Shea Stadium Shows held on July 16 and July 18, 2008, before a combined 110,000 fans, and were the last performances ever at the historic stadium. After 45 years, two Mets' World Series victories, and a concert that introduced the Beatles to America, the last section of Shea Stadium was torn down and replaced by CitiField.
THE LAST PLAY AT SHEA is directed by Paul Crowder and produced by Steve Cohn and Nigel Sinclair. Todd Kamelhar, Greg Whiteley and Glen Zipper serve as executive producers. For more information about Billy Joel please visit www.billyjoel.com.
