The Last Play at Shea | |
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Directed by | Paul Crowder |
Written by | Mark Monroe |
Produced by |
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Narrated by | Alec Baldwin |
Cinematography | Roderick A. Santiano |
Edited by | Paul Crowder Mike J. Nichols |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Newmarket Films Wrekin Hill Entertainment |
Release dates |
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Running time | 90 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
The Last Play at Shea is a 2010 American documentary film written by Mark Monroe, directed by Paul Crowder, produced by Steve Cohen and Nigel Sinclair, in conjunction with Billy Joel's Maritime Pictures and Spitfire Films. [1] The film is centered on Billy Joel's 2008 concerts of the same name that occurred at Shea Stadium. The shows were staged on July 16 and 18, 2008, before a combined 110,000 fans, and were the last performances ever to play the historic stadium before it was demolished. [1] The film debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 26, 2010. The film was released on DVD on February 8, 2011. The CD and DVD from the show were released on March 8, 2011, by Sony. [2]
The film premiered on August 21, 2010, at Citi Field, Shea Stadium's successor, in front of around 20,000 moviegoers. [3] [4] Earlier that day, Joel watched it himself, and there was an announcement from him that he liked it and said: "I haven't puked from it," which was shown right before the film's premiere. [5] [6] [7]
The 90-minute film uses historical footage and animation. It uses the concerts to tell a broader story of Shea Stadium's history and how that related to changes that occurred in American suburban life and how they affected Long Island and Billy Joel. The film reveals several previously unknown facts.
Pete Flynn was a Shea groundskeeper who did the improbable by driving the Beatles from the stage to a centerfield gate in 1965, and then driving Paul McCartney from the stadium's rear entrance to the stage to perform at Billy Joel's "Last Play at Shea" concert 43 years later in 2008. [8]
Shea Stadium, formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City. Opened in 1964, it was home to the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1964 to 2008, as well as the New York Jets of the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 to 1983.
William Martin Joel is an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man" after his signature 1973 song of the same name, Joel has had a successful career as a solo artist since the 1970s. From 1971 to 1993, he released 12 studio albums spanning the genres of pop and rock, and in 2001 released a one-off studio album of classical compositions. Joel is one of the world's best-selling music artists and the fourth-best-selling solo artist in the United States, with over 160 million records sold worldwide. His 1985 compilation album, Greatest Hits – Volume I & Volume II, is one of the best-selling albums in the United States.
Kontsert is the second live album by Billy Joel, released in 1987. The album was recorded during the Soviet leg of Joel's 1987 The Bridge tour. This album was co-produced by Jim Boyer and Brian Ruggles and mixed by Jim Boyer.
Citi Field is a baseball stadium located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, in the borough of Queens, New York City, United States. Opened in 2009, Citi Field is the home of Major League Baseball’s New York Mets. The ballpark was built as a replacement for the adjacent Shea Stadium, which had opened in 1964.
Alexa Ray Joel is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She is the only mutual child of singer/songwriter Billy Joel and model Christie Brinkley. Joel released an EP Sketches (2006) and several singles on independent record labels. She has performed at numerous charity events and New York City fashion events.
"New York State of Mind" is a song written by Billy Joel that is featured on his fourth studio album, Turnstiles (1976). Although it was never released as a single, it has become a fan favorite and a song that Joel plays regularly in concert. Joel famously played the song at The Concert for New York City, the October 2001 benefit concert for the New York City Fire and Police Departments, as well as the loved ones and families of first responders lost during 9/11. He reprised the song and theme, playing it during his set at 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief at Madison Square Garden in New York City on December 12, 2012, where he changed lyrics to include the likes of "Breezy Point".
The Beatles staged their second concert tour of the United States in the late summer of 1965. At the peak of American Beatlemania, they played a mixture of outdoor stadiums and indoor arenas, with historic concerts at Shea Stadium in New York and the Hollywood Bowl. Typically of the era, the tour was a "package" presentation, with several artists on the bill. The Beatles played for just 30 minutes at each show, following sets by support acts such as Brenda Holloway and the King Curtis Band, Cannibal & the Headhunters, and Sounds Incorporated.
The Entertainer is the name of a 5-disc Garth Brooks DVD collection of previously aired television specials and music videos. The collection was released on November 1, 2006 and was sold exclusively at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores. Most of the footage is from different angles than seen on the original broadcast.
"Goodnight Saigon" is a song written by Billy Joel, originally appearing on his 1982 album The Nylon Curtain, about the Vietnam War. It depicts the situation and attitude of United States Marines beginning with their military training on Parris Island and then into different aspects of Vietnam combat.
David Rosenthal is an American keyboardist, musical director, music producer, synthesizer programmer, orchestrator, and songwriter, mostly known for working with the hard rock band Rainbow and Billy Joel. Rosenthal has been nominated for three Grammy Awards, and in addition to Rainbow and Joel, has worked with Bruce Springsteen, Enrique Iglesias, Robert Palmer, Steve Vai, Cyndi Lauper, Whitesnake, Little Steven, and Happy the Man. Additionally, Rosenthal has perfect pitch.
The Beatles at Shea Stadium is a fifty-minute-long documentary of the Beatles' concert at Shea Stadium in New York City on 15 August 1965, the highlight of the group's 1965 tour. The documentary was directed and produced by Bob Precht, NEMS Enterprises, and the Beatles company Subafilms. The project, placed under the direction of manager of production operations M. Clay Adams, was filmed by a large crew led by cinematographer Andrew Laszlo. Fourteen cameras were used to capture the euphoria and mass hysteria that was Beatlemania in America in 1965. The documentary first aired on BBC1 on 1 March 1966. In West Germany, it aired on 2 August that year. It aired in the United States on ABC on 10 January 1967.
"Shameless" is a song written by American singer Billy Joel and recorded on his 1989 album Storm Front. His version peaked at No. 40 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts. Two years later, the song was covered by country music artist Garth Brooks on his third studio album, 1991's Ropin' the Wind. Brooks' rendering of the song was his seventh No. 1 hit on the Billboard country charts in late 1991. It also reached No. 71 on the UK Singles Chart.
The Summer Live '09 tour was the fourth North American concert tour of the 21st century by Paul McCartney. The tour began on 11 July 2009 at the Halifax Common in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and closed at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on 19 August 2009. It visited 7 cities across North America, earning $36 million from ten shows.
Good Evening New York City is a CD/DVD double live album by Paul McCartney consisting of material performed over three nights as the inaugural concerts at New York City's Citi Field, 17, 18 and 21 July 2009, part of his Summer Live '09 concert tour. Over 180,000 tickets were sold within hours of the shows being announced. The album is McCartney's third release for Hear Music, following 2007 album Memory Almost Full and the live EP Amoeba's Secret. Previous McCartney live albums such as Back in the US proved to be huge sellers based on his record-breaking live shows from the 2000s.
Live at Shea Stadium: The Concert is the fifth live album as well as a CD and DVD music compilation of songs performed by American singer/songwriter Billy Joel during two concerts at Shea Stadium in New York City on July 16 and 18, 2008. It was released on March 8, 2011. The documentary film, released as The Last Play at Shea on October 21, 2010, was produced by Jon Small, Joel's former bandmate in the 1960s groups The Hassles and Attila. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and aired on PBS as part of Great Performances.
The Lords of 52nd Street is an American rock band that primarily comprises members of the line-up which backed singer-songwriter Billy Joel from 1976 to 1981, the period during which Joel initiated a run of albums that reached the top ten on the Billboard charts.
Garth: Live from Central Park was a concert held by American country pop musician Garth Brooks on August 7, 1997 at Central Park in New York City. Dubbed "Garthstock", the concert was free of charge and became the largest concert ever held in the park, with an estimated audience of over 1,000,000. It was filmed and broadcast live on HBO, as well as later included in Brooks' The Entertainer DVD collection, released in 2006.
The Garth Brooks Stadium Tour was a concert tour by American singer Garth Brooks. It began on October 20, 2018, in Notre Dame, Indiana, at Notre Dame Stadium and concluded with 5 sold-out shows at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland ending on September 17, 2022.
Billy Joel: Live at Yankee Stadium is the fourth video album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel. It was recorded during two concerts of the Storm Front Tour at Yankee Stadium in New York City on June 22 and 23, 1990. It was televised on September 2, 1990, released on VHS later that year, and released on DVD in late 2000. The video album was certified Platinum by the RIAA.
The River of Dreams Tour was a 1993–1995 concert tour by singer-songwriter Billy Joel. This tour was the first tour by Joel in two and a half years.