The Story
The story is all Crystal, as he performs as a one-man show. The setting is his childhood home in suburban New York, and the play even incorporates Crystal’s family’s home movies in order to add context to the overall presentation. Several of Crystal’s family members “appear” in the play, either in the home movies or through Crystal’s interpretation of them.
Although many people know the basics of Crystal’s interests, the play goes a bit deeper into his love for things that include baseball, jazz, comedy and social acceptance. The seminal event upon which the plot is based is the sudden death of Crystal’s father in 1963. That night was especially painful for Crystal, as he had just finished an argument with his father. After the argument, Jack Crystal goes bowling with his wife and dies of a heart attack. Billy Crystal never had a chance to apologize to his father for the argument, and that’s a pain that stuck with him for the rest of his life and is emotionally portrayed on the stage.
The rest of the story takes a look at the figures in Crystal’s life who made an impression on him either directly or indirectly, including his uncles Berns and Milt, his hero, Mickey Mantle, and any number of jazz musicians who helped Crystal through some difficult times both as an adolescent and an adult. This is why 700 Sundays tickets are so varied in their reach - they allow you to see several different views and norms of society through the eyes of one person.
Crystal’s Life and Motivation for this Story
Crystal wound up being one of the most prominent comics of his time, and he appeared on Saturday Night Live, performed stand-up routines all over the world and appeared in several films. His career was a smashing success, and even before he put this story together, he had nothing to prove to the general public.
However, he never quite got over the pain of losing his father the way he did, and when his mother died in 2001, all the old pain came back to the forefront. At that point, Crystal hadn’t performed in the stand-up world for more than 15 years, but losing his second parent motivated him to put this story together and to “get back into it” in a way that was both therapeutic for him and engaging for theater audiences everywhere.
If you enjoy the musings of one of the great comics of modern times, then 700 Sundays tickets are sure to provide you with a memorable night at the theater.
