Nick Rashad Burroughs in PURPLE RAIN, which was performed at Radial Park in 2020. (Photo by Tricia Baron.)
April 22, 2021 By Christina Santucci
A movie-performance mashup of The Blues Brothers is slated to debut on the Halletts Point peninsula in Astoria later this spring, and viewers can either watch from their cars—or choose to be seated at picnic tables.
The shows – which will begin Thursday, May 27 at 7 p.m. and subsequently take place at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday evenings through June 26 – will be held at Radial Park, located at 27-50 1st St. on Astoria’s waterfront.
As The Blues Brothers film is shown on a large screen, a live band and Broadway stars will perform in person below – in-sync with the movie.
Radial Park is located on the Hallets Point peninsula by Astoria Houses (GMaps)
The show – dubbed a cinemersive experience – is part of Radial Park’s “Broadway at the Drive-In,” which began in October 2020 with a showing of The Phantom of the Opera.
Radial Park is holding the movie-meets-live-performance shows at The Durst Organization’s Hallets Point Play, a 50,000 square foot open-air venue.
Radial Park Founder and CEO Jeremy Shepard and producing partner Marco Shalma announced the cast for the spring show Tuesday.
The Blues Brothers hybrid show – directed by Kristine Bendul and Waldemar Quinones-Villanueva – is slated to feature Broadway stars Charity Angel Dawson, Nick Rashad Burroughs, F. Michael Haynie, Brian Charles Johnson and Antoine L. Smith.
The crowd at Radial Park (Photo: Tricia Baron)
Spectators can watch the shows from their own cars or reserve picnic tables – positioned to be socially distanced from other viewers. Each ticket, which costs either $125 or $150, secures a 16-by-16 foot demarcated space for up to five adults in a car and four adults seated at a picnic table.
Crowd at Radial Park (Photo: Tricia Baron)
Radial Park has 100 socially distanced spots, according to its website. Organizers said the capacity restrictions are in compliance with pandemic-related guidelines, and additional information about COVID-19 measures is available online.
The Durst Organization said it is providing a number of tickets for the Astoria Houses residents, and a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Friends of Halletts Point, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the peninsula.
Halletts Point Play can be reached by those using public transportation, driving, biking, walking or taking the ferry to the Astoria stop.
Tickets for The Blues Brothers are now on sale at radialpark.com.
