Billy Crystals's acclaimed solo show, 700 Sundays, has extended its run at the Broadhurst Theatre for 55 more performances through May 21. The show, directed by Des McAnuff, was previously scheduled to run through March 5.
"This show has been the greatest professional experience of my life," Crystal said in a statement. "The audiences have been fantastic and it's great to be part of the Broadway community. I'm thrilled be able to do it 55 more times."
700 Sundays is an original two-act play in which Crystal plays numerous characters that have influenced who he is today. The one-man show deals with family and fate seen through the eyes of the comedian in his youth, growing up in the jazz world of Manhattan, through his surprisingly familiar years of teenage angst and finally into adulthood.
The show earned mostly positive reviews when it opened at the Broadhurst Theatre on December 5. In his Broadway.com Review, William Stevenson wrote: "I found Crystal to be just as entertaining as he has been as an eight-time host of the Academy Awards--in the first act. In the second act, unfortunately, he lays on the pathos a little too thick… Crystal, known for his rapid-fire joke telling, turns out to be a capable silent comedian. In fact, the entire first act is quite successful, as Crystal with help, no doubt, from McAnuff and [Alan] Zweibel combines comedy and sentimental reminiscence. It's sweet but not saccharine. The second act is another story. It's dominated by his discussion of his parents' deaths… There are amusing bits in the second act, but there's also a surfeit of unfunny, crude humor… Still, his legions of fans will go home happy."
The show has been a huge box office success, selling out almost every week since previews began. Even in last week's harsh weather conditions, the show still filled the Broadhurst Theatre to 100.01% capacity and made a whopping $810,281.