Dog Day Afternoon at August Wilson Theatre

“Dog Day Afternoon” offers a finely detailed snapshot of people in crisis with tension-soaked drama shaded in black humor.” – Rotten Tomatoes

Just think about this – and some might even remember this as though it happened yesterday:

It is somewhere in the early 1970s, and news just broke of a bank robbery that is unfolding at the Chase Manhattan bank branch in Brooklyn. What started as means to obtain money, goes awry and results in a hostage situation. 

Some years later, a critically acclaimed film documenting the events is released, becoming a massive box-office hit, to the extent that the film is deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and preserved in the National Film Registry. 

Fast forward to today:

A brand new play based on the Academy Award-winning film is now a gut-wrenching, pulse-pounding, on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of play, and is about to ignite the stage on Broadway! Thus, your chance to experience the true crime story that captivated the world in the 1970s live on stage is finally here, and this is one you simply cannot let slip through your hands! It’s a raw reminder of what happens when passion and desperation collides; it’s pure grit, heart, and humour; it’s a tale of the chaos of a man and a city on edge; it oozes with themes of passion, desperation, and survival – and yes, New York, Stephen Adly Guirgis’ electrifying stage adaptation of Dog Day Afternoon is coming to the August Wilson Theatre for a limited engagement this season!  

Dog Day Afternoon Tickets

Tickets are on sale now from the August Wilson Theatre’s box office and due to the exceptionally high demand, seats are filling up incredibly fast! Head on down to the box office now to secure your top-tier seats to Dog Day Afternoon’s world premiere, or if you’re more keen on simplicity, comfort, and buyer-guaranteed purchases, just click on the ‘Buy Tickets’ link to be redirected to one of the world’s most reliable marketplaces now, and download your tickets straight to your phone! 

“… captures perfectly the zeitgeist of the early 1970s…” – Christopher Null

SYNOPSIS

Set in 1972 Brooklyn, a bank robbery meant to fund a gender reassignment surgery for a lover, led by first-time criminals Sonny Wortzik and Sal Naturile, takes a complete turn in the opposite direction of what was initially planned. With the Vietnam War in full swing and Watergate headlines everywhere, the city is heavily on edge, and the robbery quickly escalates into scenes of pure chaos, and of course, media sensation. What was initially a selfless act of desperation turns into one of the most infamous crime stories in the history of New York City – and finishes with a visceral, gut-wrenching twist. 

Dog Day Afternoon is unlike anything you have ever experienced on stage. Get ready to be on the edge of your seat from the get-go until the curtain has fallen! 

“It plays more today than it ever did then.” – Al Pacino

CREATIVE TEAM & CAST

The brand new stage adaptation of the biographical crime drama film, as adapted by award-winning American playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis (In Arabia We’d All Be Kings; Jesus Hopped The ‘A’ Train; Our Lady of 121st Street; The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot; Between Riverside and Crazy) is set to breathe new life into 1970s New York City. Stephen Adly Guirgis has received multiple awards to date, including the Windham-Campbell Literature Prize, the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and a literature award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. 

The new production of Dog Day Afternoon is headed up by internationally acclaimed and award-winning director Rupert Goold (Macbeth; Enron; King Charles III; Ink; Dear England; True Story).  During his career, Rupert Goold received two Laurence Olivier Awards, among other nominations, including two Tony Award nominations.  

The world premiere of Dog Day Afternoon is stuffed to the brim with Broadway debuts – apart from the production itself, Emmy Award-winner Jon Bernthal (The Odyssey; The Bear) and two-time Emmy Award-winner Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Fantastic Four: First Steps; The Bear) are slated to make their Broadway debuts in the lead roles of Sonny and Sal. 

“… a frank social melodrama that’s also a celebration of quotidian bravery.” – The A.V. Club

HISTORY & LEGACY

Dog Day Afternoon is based on the 1975 film of the same name, featuring Al Pacino, John Cazale, and James Broderick, directed by Sidney Lumet, and produced by Martin Bregman and Martin Elfand. In turn, the acclaimed film is based on the Life magazine article The Boys in the Bank by P.F. Kluge and Thomas Moore, following the real life crime drama that unfolded in 1972 when John Wojtowicz and Salvatore Naturile robbed a Brooklyn bank. The film was a massive box-office hit, garnering no less than two BAFTA Awards and an Academy Award, alongside seven Golden Globe Award nominations. Dog Day Afternoon was also deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress in 2009, and has been preserved in the National Film Registry. 

The stage play version, slated to premiere on Broadway soon, is highly anticipated, and is sure to turn in as big a sensation as its cinematic predecessor. 

“… gut-level human comedy…” – New York Daily News

THE AUGUST WILSON THEATRE

The August Wilson Theatre, situated at 245 West 52nd Street in the Theatre District of Midtown Manhattan, has been a beacon of all things top-tier entertainment for a century. Whether you are a lover of large-scale musical theatre productions or intimate straight plays, there is something for everyone at the August Wilson Theatre!

With the venue’s breathtaking architecture, close proximity to tourist attractions such as Time Square and the Empire State Building, modern amenities that cater for every single want and need, ample safe parking, friendly and helpful staff, your experience at the August Wilson Theatre is guaranteed to be one for the books! The venue also boasts some of the best sight-lines around, pin-drop acoustics, gorgeous design, décor, and furniture, and luxurious seating for up to 1,200 patrons spread across an orchestra floor, a premium section, and a mezzanine. 

Be part of Broadway history in the making – get your tickets now! 

“This is an interesting, powerful piece of work.” – Al Pacino