Two New York icons meet for one final time with the DVD, Digital Download and On Demand release of the documentary “The Last Play At Shea” from Lionsgate. Paul Crowder (Director, “Amazing Journey: The Story of the Who”) and Mark Monroe (Writer, The Cove, Academy Award Winning Best Documentary Feature, 2010) chronicle the intersecting histories of the landmark Shea Stadium and the legendary performer Billy Joel. An engaging look at the highs and lows of the New York Mets and the life and musical career of Joel, “The Last Play At Shea” interweaves interviews with players and performers with exclusive concert footage from the goodbye performances in July 2008.
New York City serves as a background for those who were there – including Sting, Garth Brooks, Steven Tyler, Tony Bennett, John Mellencamp, John Mayer and Roger Daltrey, to share their stories of these electric summer nights. The film, narrated by New Yorker Alec Baldwin (TV's “30 Rock”), also highlights a special performance by Paul McCartney.
Making its DVD debut on February 8th, the release of “The Last Play At Shea” also contains special features including two deleted scenes: Billy Joel's Front Row “Ticket Santa” (a segment showing audiences Billy Joel's tradition of finding fans with the worst seats in the house and moving them to the front row) and an interview with popular rock and sports journalist Chuck Klosterman.
“'The Last Play At Shea’ was one of the most memorable concerts I have ever performed,” said Billy Joel. “I’m proud to have experienced that history.” Variety says “the pic's portrait of Joel is one of enormous sincerity and genuine amazement … from the shooting to the soundtrack, production values are extraordinary.”
“The Last Play At Shea” is great fun,” said The New York Observer. “Part music documentary, part concert film, and part sports documentary…the film is a beautiful love letter to the musician that brought us “Piano Man” and the building that Mets fans affectionately call “a dump” (but it’s their dump). The sections following the team and the stadium are funny, poignant and something anyone can enjoy…The documentary also does an incredible job of capturing the life of Joel as he grew up in Long Island through his rise in the music industry,” said CINEMABLEND.com.
“I had a tremendous experience. I had forgotten how much Shea Stadium meant to me. ‘The Last Play At Shea’ is not just a concert film, it goes into Billy’s history, the history of Shea Stadium. It was beautiful I really truly loved it,” said Howard Stern.