Billy Crystal's '700 Sundays' is 'Mahvelous'

The Australian rock band "Little River Band" had a hit song called "Reminiscing".  This certainly could be another name for Billy Crystal's Tony-winning epic story of his life now playing through Thursday, September 18 at Washington's National Theatre. 

I was fortunate to see the show on Broadway during its sold-out run during the 2004-2005  season. The show then ran about 2 hours and 20 minutes. Did I care the show ended around 11 p.m.? Not at all. I could have stayed much longer.

I observed Crystal on "Late Night with David Letterman" just prior to his opening in DC. He commented he last did the show two and a half years ago in Australia. The preview performance I attended was his first performance since then.  After the show, he quieted his audience in the middle of its standing ovation, and mentioned this as well.  He expressed his gratitude and mentioned it is not the same rehearsing his show in an empty theater.  Crystal had nothing to worry about.

You would have to a sports connoisseur to recognize the voice of the famous New York Yankee public address announcer  Bob Sheppard who before he makes the requisite announcement about shutting of  cell phones added his famous phrase "Your attention please ladies and gentlemen".  There were only a few chuckles in the audience of those in the audience who recognized this mellifluous voice. What a way to start.

700 Sundays is named to recall the amount of Sundays he was able to share with his father Jack who passed away in his early '50s while bowling when Crystal was only 15.  Even if great jazz artists  like Count Basie and Duke Ellington did not attend Jack's funeral, even if the great Baltimore legend Billie Holliday wasn't a friend of the family (Crystal's Uncle Milt recorded her controversial "Strange Fruit"), there's enough material for Crystal to reflect upon.   

The show started at the La Jolla Playhouse and the set design (a small scale replica of Crystal's ancestral home at 549 East Park Avenue in Long Beach , Long Island)  was used there, on Broadway and now accompanies the show on the tour.  The house  (recently on the real estate market) also doubles as a movie screen to show the 8-millimeter home movies shot by his dad of family events.

The show has been updated with comments about Joe Biden, Tom DeLay (on "Dancing with the Stars"), President Obama speaking to school children, and a long segment about one of Crystal's first loves, the New York Yankees.  He shows the video of him playing in an actual spring training game. "The Yankees signed me for $14 million. But they were kind to let me pay over time." Clearly, this was a highlight of his life. (You can even purchase Crystal autographed baseballs (with the play's logo) for $25, or $10 without the autograph).

Des McAnuff is credited with directing Crystal and sees to it that the play moves swiftly. Alan Zweibel gets a writing credit for assisting Crystal.

700 Sundays ends its short Washington run on Thursday, September 17 (probably due to the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah which runs from September 18-20).  But, frustrated theater-goers have another opportunity to see this show.  Make the effort and head up I-95 to Philadelphia where it plays the Merriam Theatre from September 30 to October 11.

How much is this show worth? To me...it's priceless!

700 Sundays runs at the National Theatre in DC until Sept.17.

It then heads to the Merriam Theatre in Philadelphia.

For tickets in either city, call 800-447-7400 or visit www.telecharge.com.

For comments, write to cgshubow@broadwayworld.com.           

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