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After weeks of preview performances, Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter’s Broadway revival of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot officially opened on Friday and will run through January 4. If you aren’t familiar with the material, it’s an absurdist play about two men who debate existential and philosophical topics as they wait underneath a tree for a mysterious Godot, believing he will give them salvation.
Alex Winter has worked both on and off Broadway several times since the 1970s. Although Keanu’s done theatre before, this was his Broadway debut. That didn’t stop either of them from being nervous about how their excellent Broadway adventure would be received by their fellow thespians. During a recent panel at The New Yorker Festival, they shared those fears with host Naomi Fry. They also revealed Alex’s advice to Keanu in regards to performing on the Great White Way.
“I kept saying, which he just kept laughing at me about, which deserved laughter, was it’s just a stage,” Winter recalled of Reeves. “It’s just another stage. I mean, Keanu had done Hamlet, back in the day [and] we were doing Bogus Journey. He was doing all this, you know, Shakespeare workshops, like he knows theater very well.”
Winter said he reassured Reeves not to overthink performing on Broadway, and thankfully, others in the industry have been just as easy-going.
“Don’t let it zap your head. Like it’s an audience and it’s a stage,” Winter said. “It does have significance. It’s Broadway.”
“They’ve been very warm to us. We came and did that Tony thing in June and everyone has been really lovely,” he continued, referring to them presenting an award at the Tony Awards.
Winter, who previously starred with Reeves in the Bill & Ted film franchise, said “there’s a specific Broadway world” with its own culture, but everyone has been “quite inviting” about Reeves’ debut in Waiting for Godot.
“But, that’s not to say that we didn’t, you know, both quietly,” he added, trailing off, as Reeves chimed in, “What the f—”
“Exactly. Thank you. I didn’t want to do that, but I’m glad someone did,” Winter said.
Despite the pleasant welcome, Winter confessed they were both “panicking.”
“I looked up at him and I was like, ‘Oh, he’s similarly paralyzed,’” Winter said of Reeves. “That’s good. And then the thing that went up and we did the show and it was honestly one of my favorite shows we’ve done.”
”[T]here’s a specific Broadway world [with its own culture]”. Ain’t that the truth. I’ve heard some grumbling over the last few years about the increase in Hollywood actors starring in Broadway shows. Everyone wants an EGOT nowadays, ya know? I feel like in this case, Alex and Keanu both get a pass. Alex was likely already accepted into Broadway world, and let’s be honest, there’s probably a bit of Bill & Ted nostalgia factor going on here for everyone, fans and professionals alike. Plus, it’s Keanu-freaking-Reeves! Who wouldn’t welcome him into their community? He could randomly show up on a stranger’s doorstep in the middle of Thanksgiving dinner and still be invited in. Keanu gets a free pass for being an all-around amazing human being.
As for the show itself, it’s gotten a couple of mixed, but mostly positive reviews. I’m so happy it’s being well-received! Keanu claims that the idea for their reunion came to him in a “vision” a few years ago, which is pretty perfect all-around. That said, there’s also been some scary moments. Last week, a video went viral of a woman who chased Keanu out of the stage door as he was getting into his car. His security did a great job at keeping him safe. I hope that’s just a one-off. I’m also sad that I most likely will not get a chance to get to NYC to see this play. If you’ve seen it/get to see it, I’m so jealous!
Photos credit: Jennifer Graylock-Graylock.com/Avalon and Getty