Video: Inside Opening Night of THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA
Oct 8, 2024
The Hills of California are alive on Broadway! Jez Butterworth's new play celebrated its opening night earlier this week at the Broadhurst Theatre.
Watch as we take you inside the big opening night with the entire cast and cretive team in this video.
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0:00
It feels exactly like I hoped and dreamed it would feel
0:03
I mean, really. I don't want to be too saccharine, but it really is. It's the dream
0:09
It feels amazing. I said to Sam, our director, just now, I feel like I've been in the best way thrown out of a plane
0:15
and I'm like flying, and all I can see is kind of clouds going past me
0:19
but it's amazing. Everyone said Broadway was special, and it really is. Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World
0:27
Tony and Olivier Award-winning playwright, Jess Butterworth's new play, The Hills of California
0:32
which is directed by Sam Mendez, has come to Broadway, and we're here at the Art House
0:36
on opening night to celebrate with the company. It's lovely. It's lovely
0:41
I mean, I was, you know, just saying, it doesn't feel like six years ago we were here with the ferryman
0:46
and three years ago we were here with Lehman, so it feels like those things happened
0:51
very recently to me. So it feels like I never went away, which is a nice feeling
0:55
And I'm delighted, because I think this show is better than it was stronger than it was in London
1:00
I think it's, you know, I felt this about the ferryman. It's really at its strongest now
1:05
And audiences have been responding wonderfully, and I'm excited for people to see it
1:10
Audiences fell in love with this show first in London, and we all fell in love with it the other night as they continue to do so
1:15
What have you enjoyed the most about working on it here for Broadway? I think getting it right
1:20
I felt like we felt the last act now is like a bonfire
1:24
It just feels like it really cooks off. I think that it resembles the last acts of Jerusalem and the ferrymen And I felt like all these plays for me like continue to evolve
1:37
And I was really thrilled to be able to make those changes to the last act
1:41
and then see the response to it. I mean, the proof really is in the pudding
1:46
Well, now I can say it, welcome home to Broadway. How does it feel
1:50
That feels amazing. The fact that this is not my first time
1:55
and therefore I knew what I was kind of looking forward to coming back to
2:00
And it all is exactly as I remember. It is as exciting, as big, as spectacular as I kind of remembered it was
2:07
And that's just lovely. What's made this all so special with working on this play
2:12
The women. My sisters, on stage and off stage, the rest of the cast
2:17
San Mendez, who is brilliant and kind and fearless. and you can throw yourself completely in his care
2:27
and he will take care of you and build you a structure from which you can fly, hopefully
2:32
and jazz. Just, you know, the man that wrote the play is the man that wrote the play
2:36
and it's, I really, really love it. I love the play and I love the people
2:40
So, you know, it's no good front of house at the back of house isn't quite as special
2:45
and it happens so rarely. It feels like a dream. Honestly, this is the kind of thing
2:50
that when you are a little kid and you're 10 years old and you're acting in a kind of, you know
2:55
insisting your parents watch you, and then you think, one day I'm going to be on Broadway, and then you're here
2:59
It a dream come true Then your director Sam Mendez I mean having him in the room is not a big pinch moment like the first day you were in the room with him Sam Mendez has a way of directing you that makes you feel completely at ease
3:12
So, yes, you know, it would be disingenuous to think, oh, it doesn't matter
3:16
But as soon as you're in the room, you think, oh, we are just in a room, we're just individuals that care about a play
3:22
and we're going to tell it as beautifully as we can. He's full of detail, he's never prescribed
3:29
He's, he has such, he's got pure joy for directing, especially when you're in the rehearsal room, and that we really feed off his enthusiasm
3:40
What's it like living in the world of Jess's words and his play? It's like, I don't know if you've ever done an escape room, but it's like the doors close and you have a puzzle to solve together, and then it's over and you've done it, and the only way out was through is the only way I can describe it
3:59
It's amazing. I mean, it's such a treat to never ever have to fix a nanosecond of anything
4:06
You're just in it and it carries you. It's amazing. Welcome to Broadway. How does it feel
4:11
So surreal. The atmosphere is crazy. And I feel so lucky and so grateful
4:18
Unbelievable. But also everything I hoped it would be. It's been really, really special, magical
4:23
I think when we stepped on stage, that was when I was like, oh, this is happening. It's happening
4:27
And like this now, it's just so nice to celebrate and be with everyone
4:31
So, yeah. I mean we were really nervous But like as soon as you step out they kind of drop away and you just feel like it was really electric out there and like the audience were amazing
4:42
It was, yeah, it was, I enjoyed it so much. It's mean the absolute world to me
4:46
These, this cast and this company are some of the people I hold very close to my heart
4:51
We have shared experiences together that not many people get to. And the love that we all share for each other is what this play is about, you know
5:00
these women coming together to share these stories is so, so, so important
5:04
and it's been a dream come true. We're like family. It was like coming home
5:07
Coming back into that rehearsal room was like coming home. It felt really special and warm and comforting like a hog
5:13
And then getting to come over here with everyone. We're really holding tightly onto each other
5:18
And there's just so much love and you can really feel it. It must be so cool to all experience like making debuts together
5:24
and all coming over as a company. Yeah, well, we were laughing. You know, Laura's the old
5:28
She threes the charm. but what's so lovely is she was saying
5:33
like you know it never gets old this is it just never gets old and even the other day
5:37
like you know it's tech week and then it's previews and you're working really hard and you're a bit tired
5:42
and you're running your notes and you're kind of going over the thing on the subway and kind of came out of the subway
5:46
and just went oh my God like it's time square like I'm going to the stage door
5:52
at the Broadhurst theater on Broadway you know it's just it really is magical
5:56
and I think that the notion of the dream and trying to get there and make it, whatever that means for any of us
6:04
I feel a little bit like I made it today
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