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David Byrne's American Utopia

Opening Date: Sep 17, 2021

Closing Date: Apr 03, 2022

Running Time: 01:40

David Byrne's American Utopia
https://www.americanutopiabroadway.com/ Show Site Icon

Playing @

St James Theatre

246 West 44th Street New York City, NY 10036

View theatre details
DAVID BYRNE’S AMERICAN UTOPIA delivers “an experience unlike anything else”  - Billboard

Innovative pop/rock icon David Byrne (Talking Heads, Here Lies Love) shares the spotlight with a diverse ensemble of 11 musical artists from around the globe and marks a major cultural milestone in the worlds of music and theater.

David Byrne and ensemble deliver “a marvel of staging and motion” (Chicago Tribune) that’s as surprisingly poignant as it is supremely funky.  

COVID Safety Information:
All ticket holders, regardless of vaccination status, must properly wear a mask at all times except while actively eating or drinking when seated. All masks must completely cover the nose and mouth, and must comply with the CDC guidelines for acceptable face coverings.
All ticket holders will need to be fully vaccinated with an FDA or WHO authorized vaccine in order to attend a performance at a Jujamcyn theatre and must provide proof one of the following:
2 doses of an FDA or WHO authorized 2-dose COVID-19 vaccine dated at least 14 days before the performance date, or 
1 dose of an FDA or WHO authorized single-dose COVID-19 vaccine dated at least 14 days before the performance date.
All ticket holders must also present a government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport. Ticket holders younger than 18 may present a government-issued ID or school ID, with or without a photo.
Proof of vaccination (or negative test) must come directly from the healthcare provider that performed the vaccination or test. Ticket holders can present proof via an official governmental mobile app or website containing vaccination or testing information, or a photo or physical copy of a vaccination card or test result.
New York State residents, or anyone who received a COVID-19 vaccine or was administered a COVID-19 test in New York State, may present proof through the use of the Excelsior Pass (for more details, visit: https://epass.ny.gov).Policy exceptions
The only exceptions to the above policy will be for ticket holders under the age of 5, those who need reasonable accommodations due to a medical exception or sincerely held religious belief that prevents vaccination, and those who are not 14 days past their final vaccination. These ticket holders must provide proof of at least one of the following:
A negative COVID-19 PCR test performed by a medical professional taken within 72 hours of the performance start time that clearly shows the date and time of the test, or
A negative COVID-19 antigen test taken within 6 hours of the performance start time that clearly shows the date and time of the test. This test may be performed by a medical professional or by using an over-the-counter testing kit.
Can Can! Seating at Moulin Rouge! The Musical at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre is subject to additional policies and protocols due to its close proximity to the stage and performers. More details on the requirements for these seats here.
This policy is subject to change, but will be clearly communicated to ticket holders in advance of their performance.
For international ticket holders, 2 doses of any “mix and match” combination of FDA or WHO approved COVID-19 vaccines is acceptable. The doses must have been administered at least 17 days apart, and at least 14 days must have passed since your second dose.
At this time, we are not requiring COVID booster shots to attend a performance in a Jujamcyn theatre.
We will be accepting proof-of-vaccination for all FDA and WHO approved vaccines. If your proof-of-vaccination is not in English, please locate a COVID Safety Officer or other Theatre employee for assistance at your time of entry.
Age Guidance

Age Guidance: 15

Show Notes

Show Notes: No Intermission

Performance Schedule:

WEDNESDAY thru FRIDAY @ 8 PM
SATURDAY @ 5:30 PM & 9 PM
SUNDAY @ 3 PM

Music

David Byrne

Director

Annie-B Parson with Alex Timbers as production consultant

Written by

David Byrne - conception

Choreography

Annie-B Parson

TDF Tickets Offers:

TDF member tickets:

Not currently available for this show

Listed atTKTS

Never

Full-price tickets

$59 - $379

Lottery & Rush

A limited number of $44 seats for each performance of David Byrne’s American Utopia will be sold via a digital lottery random drawing powered by Lucky Seat. Enter and find more information at www.luckyseat.com/shows/davidbyrnesamericanutopia-newyork.

Video

Reviews

Quotation Mark

Teaming up with a crew of 11 prodigiously talented and hard-working musicians, backup singers and dancers of diverse ages and ethnicities, Byrne gathers a vibrant community onstage, over which he presides as part professor, part preacher, part partying proletarian. The sheer jubilation being transmitted by the performers, not to mention the dynamic staging, seem to demand a new kind of sensory intake. It's less a concert than a participatory religious experience, honoring the primal pleasures of music, dance and song as collective celebration, a rite to be savored more than ever in dark times.

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Although he has been recording and performing since the 1970s, Byrne’s voice is in wonderful shape; in fact it has ripened into a more nuanced instrument since the days when he was often just barking in an almost emotion-less tenor, with the newest songs (like the opening “Here”) often bringing out the widest variety of tonal colors. But he raises the volume at certain points, particularly on “Hell You Talmbout,” the only non-Byrne song included, a protest song by Janelle Monáe that is performed with an audience-galvanizing intensity. It decries the killings of black Americans by police over the past years, invoking the victims’ names — sadly too many to list here — as angry incantations. 

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The  show, with its muted costumes and setting, and its choreography, has a New Wave feel to it. You will hear old favorites like “Crazy,” “Once in a Lifetime,” and—with a caution that dancing in the aisles is forbidden by the Fire Department—the crowd takes to its feet for “Burning Down The House.” Do not, as quite a few people did, leave the theater too quickly, or you will miss a wonderful encore: “Road To Nowhere"

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Accessibility:

Box Office

Outer lobby. Counter 42".

Parking

Valet parking garage: 1st garage: South side of 44th St. between 6th & 7th Aves. Vertical clearance: 105". 2nd garage: East of Shubert Alley, on north side of 44th St. between Broadway & 8th Ave. No vans.

Curb Ramps

(3" lip) NW corner of 44th St. & Broadway; (2.5" lip) SE corner of 44th St. & Broadway; (3.5” lip) SW corner of 44th St. & Broadway.

Restroom

There is a wheelchair accessible unisex restroom located on the main level. Stall 34". Clear space 40" x 60".Commode 18".

Directions Subway

1, 2, 3, 7, S, N, R, W, Q, A, C, E to 42nd St / Times Square. Theatre is two blocks north.

Seating

Wheelchair-accessible seating on the Orchestra level of the theatre for all performances for patrons who use wheelchairs and their companions. There are no steps leading into the Orchestra level of the theatre from the sidewalk. There are steps to access seating on other levels of the theatre.

Elevator\Escalator

There are no elevators or escalators at this theatre.

Telephone

None on premises

Entrance

Double doors in series: 1st set (each 27.5", heavy) to outer lobby; 2nd set (each 28", heavy) to inner lobby; 3rd set (each 29.5", heavy) to orchestra.

Visual Assistance

Low vision seats available for purchase in person, online or over the phone

Water Fountain

None available.

Assisted Listening System

Reservations are not necessary. Drivers license or ID with printed address required as a deposit. Please call: (212) 582-7678 to reserve in advance.

Wheelchair Info

Wheelchair seating available. Theatre is not completely wheelchair accessible. There are no steps to designated wheelchair seating locations. Wheelchair seating is in the orchestra only.

Directions Bus

Take the M7, M20, M42 or M104 bus.

Folding Armrests

Seats with folding armrests plus a companion seat available for purchase in person, online, or over the phone.

Translation

Subtitled language translations available in Spanish, Portuguese,Japanese, Korean & Chinese for $5 on the GalaPro app. For more information, go to https://www.galapro.com/

 

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Public Transportation

Subway Icon

By Subway:

1, 2, 3, 7, S, N, R, W, Q, A, C, E to 42nd St / Times Square. Theatre is two blocks north.

Bus Icon

By Bus:

Take the M7, M20, M42 or M104 bus.