BoxOffice® Pro - December 2010

Black Eyed Peas cranking the multiplex’s
speakers up to 11.
Last Play at Shea is one of the best, though
I’d actually call it more of a documentary
than a concert film. Joel’s performance and
his life story are intercut with the
history of Shea Stadium—which,
despite being a Yankees fan since
birth, is where I saw my first baseball
game. It’s clear that the Piano Man is
still pinching himself that his childhood
dreams became a reality. Joel
came from humble beginnings in
Long Island, and became one of the
world’s biggest rock stars, selling millions
of records and even marrying a
supermodel.
Joining Joel in his toast to Shea
Stadium are Tony Bennett with a
stirring rendition of New York State
of Mind, and John Mayer, who adds
some improvised guitar licks to These
Are The Times to Remember. But it’s
Paul McCartney, taking the stage for
I Saw Her Standing There and Let It Be,
that steals the show. It’s fitting Mc-
Cartney helps close out Shea—The
Beatles delivered a legendary concert
there over four decades ago. McCartney’s
miraculous appearance adss to
the drama of The Last Play at Shea. It
looks as though the legendary rocker’s
tight schedule won’t allow him to
play with Joel. But thanks to the help
of a fast flight and a police escort, Mc-
Cartney made it to Shea on time for a
triumphant standing ovation.
Last Play at Shea was given a
one-night-only engagement at 120
theaters across New York, Los Angeles,
San Francisco, Miami, Chicago,
Boston, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Dallas
and Washington, DC. Sure, it’s
tailor-made for New Yorkers, but its
emotional punch goes beyond the
Big Apple.
“You don’t have to be a Mets fan—
or even have ever attended a ballgame
or concert at Shea—to appreciate
its story,” says producer Steve
Cohen, complimenting his directors.
“Paul Crowder and Mark Monroe
have done an incredible job of crafting
a story that makes Shea feel like a living,
breathing character. They invest you in its
origins, its growing pains, its life and its history.
By the end of the film, you understand
what the stadium meant to a city and its
people—and it’s this human connection that
speaks to audiences no matter where they’re
from or where their sports allegiances may
lie. This is not just a New York tale—it’s a
uniquely American tale.”
DECEMBER 2010 BOXOFFICE 29