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A new play is set to make waves on Broadway as it tells the story behind the making of one of the most iconic films of all time: Jaws. The play, titled “Bruce,” takes audiences behind the scenes of the Steven Spielberg classic and explores the challenges faced by the filmmakers as they attempted to bring a giant great white shark to life on screen.
The play is named after the animatronic shark that played the title role in Jaws. However, as any fan of the movie will tell you, Bruce was notoriously difficult to work with. The mechanical shark repeatedly malfunctioned during filming, leading to delays, frustration, and soaring costs. The play aims to capture the tension and drama of the making of the movie, as well as the personal and creative struggles of the filmmakers.
The play’s co-writer, Robert Shaw, who plays Jaws’ Quint, said in an interview that, “Jaws was a movie that made everyone involved famous, but it was also a movie that almost didn’t get made. It was a huge, expensive risk, and everyone was worried that it would be a flop. But with determination, creativity, and a healthy dose of luck, we were able to turn it into a blockbuster. The play ‘Bruce’ tells the story of that journey, and all the bumps and bruises along the way.”
Shaw is co-writing the play with his partner, Lee Hall, who is best known for writing the Tony Award-winning musical Billy Elliot. The pair have been working on the script for years, and they say that they have taken pains to make sure that the play accurately reflects the real events surrounding the making of Jaws.
“We did a ton of research,” Shaw said. “We talked to people who worked on the movie, we read all the books, we watched all the documentaries. We wanted to make sure that we got the details right, so that the audience feels like they are really there in the room with us.”
One of the biggest challenges of adapting Jaws for the stage is how to effectively portray the shark. In the movie, the shark is an imposing, terrifying presence, looming over the characters and striking fear into the hearts of viewers. On stage, however, a full-sized animatronic shark would be impractical, and would likely detract from the drama of the scenes.
“We had to get creative,” Shaw said. “We can’t have a giant shark on stage, but we still have to give the audience a sense of its presence. So, we’ve come up with some pretty inventive solutions that we think will work.”
Shaw declined to reveal exactly what those solutions are, but he did say that the play would be using a mix of puppetry, projections, and sound effects to create a sense of the shark’s size and power.
Of course, the success of the play ultimately rests on the strength of the acting and the script. Fortunately, it seems that Shaw and Hall have assembled a talented cast of actors to bring their vision to life. The play will star Jeremy Irons as Spielberg, who directed the film, and John Lithgow as the film’s writer, Peter Benchley. Cary Elwes will be playing the role of Richard Dreyfuss, who played the oceanographer Hooper in the movie, and Michael Fassbender will be playing the part of the film’s troubled chief of police, Brody.
The casting process was a long and involved one, according to Shaw. “We went through all kinds of actors before we found the right ones,” he said. “We needed people who would be able to capture the spirit of the characters, but who also had the presence and the range to command the stage.”
In addition to the cast, the play will also feature a live band, led by the composer David Yazbek, who is best known for his work on the Broadway musical The Band’s Visit. The band will play new musical arrangements of some of the iconic music from the Jaws soundtrack, as well as original songs written for the play.
As for the play’s future beyond Broadway, Shaw and Hall are hopeful that it will have a long and successful run. However, they are also realistic about the challenges that lie ahead.
“It’s a tough business,” Shaw said. “We’re competing with hundreds of other shows for people’s attention and money. But we believe that ‘Bruce’ has something special to offer. It’s a story that people know and love, but it also has a fresh perspective that will surprise and delight audiences. We’re excited to see how it all plays out.”
