Tyson vs. Ali – Location, Tickets, Reviews
The 2014 COIL Festival opens with a serious right hook. Tyson vs. Ali, a groundbreaking new multimedia play devised by innovative visual artist Reid Farrington, imagines what it would be like if the two greatest heavyweight boxers of all time – Muhammed Ali and Mike Tyson – met in the ring. On a life-size boxing ring that fills the stage at the 3-Legged Dog Arts & Technology Center, four actors take turns playing the two champs and various characters and opponents from each man’s life.
The cast spars in ferocious, intricately choreographed live boxing sequences amidst a forest of mobile screens that stream Tyson and Ali’s actual matches spliced with other archival footage. Along the way, there are meditations, recordings, and monologues about who Tyson and Ali were as athletes, celebrities, and men. For how could two seemingly polar opposite champions – one an American hero, the other a tabloid monster – find success and purpose in the same sport?
Maxamoo
COIL has marketed Tyson vs. Ali as the centerpiece of their festival, and it’s easy to see why. The combination of intense live elements with expertly designed video and sound is as breathtaking as it is groundbreaking. Within a short 60 minute runtime, Farrington and his extraordinary cast of four actor/boxers (without question the hardest working men in show business right now) find new ways to portray Tyson and Ali, resulting in a dream-like unspooling of elegance, introspection, and violence.
The most startling thing about Tyson vs. Ali is that this looks like just the beginning. Farrington only barely scratches the surface of these two men, this sport, and his concept in this short COIL run. With some expansion, storytelling work (boxing history novices might feel lost at times), and a big league technology budget, this thing could become a serious knockout. See Tyson vs. Ali in its promising early form.
Public Opinion
So far, the public response has been warm. Word of mouth among the festival-savvy theater-goers was strong when COIL announced its lineup, and now it’s being talked about as one of the hottest shows in town. In a rare move, COIL has added three performances to its short run, responding to heavy demand.
Critics Reviews
Just a few reviews so far but one is from the loudest kid in class, the New York Times. It’s positive, so we expect Tyson vs. Ali will very soon be a tough ticket to find.
Exeunt Magazine
Tyson vs. Ali comes out swinging and rolls with the punches both real and figurative of professional boxing.
New York Times
A Dream Fight Made Real Onstage
New York Post
Legendary Heavyweights Meet At Last in ‘Tyson vs. Ali’
TICKETS
$20.00 (click here for tickets)
DATES
Extended through February 2, 2014
LOCATION
3-Legged Dog (3LD)
Art & Technology Center
80 Greenwich Street
New York City
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RUNNING TIME
1 hour, no intermission
CAST & CREW
(partial list)
Written by Frank Boudreaux
Conceived, Directed & Story by Reid Farrington
Featuring Dennis A Allen II, Roger Casey, Femi Olagoke, Jonathan Swain & Dave Shelley