AN UNADULTERATED LOVE LETTER TO THE THEATRE
In the North American streaming premiere of Ian McKellen on Stage, you will experience Sir Ian McKellen present his greatest roles with stories and anecdotes from his illustrious career on stage and screen, Ian McKellen performs extracts from his most iconic performances, including Shakespeare’s King Lear and Tolkien’s Gandalf from Lord of the Rings. While he has done other one-man shows in his career, this is like you’ve never seen him before. Mark Shenton calls it an unadulterated love letter to the theatre, to the actor’s life and the prose and poetry that fuel both, Ian McKellen’s latest one-man show is a thing of sheer joy and utter wonder: an act of selfless generosity and warmth in every regard.
This limited presentation, captured live with stunning clarity, will remind you why you fell in love with theater to begin with. Directed by Sean Mathias, the show was conceived by McKellen in honor of his eightieth birthday and in tribute to his illustrious sixty-year career onstage. Yet it is also a fundraiser: After touring 80 theaters in the UK with all proceeds, over 3 Million GBP, going to UK regional theaters, the production was filmed live in London’s West End by the National Theatre at the Harold Pinter. The 2 and 1/2 hour streaming production is now being released to benefit community, amateur, educational and regional theaters affected by the Covid-19 crisis.
Tony Award-winning producer Hunter Arnold (Hadestown, Little Shop of Horrors) and his company TBD Pictures bring this to you from Friday, September 17 through October 3, 2021 via On The Stage streaming platform. Tickets ($29.99) at IAN80 can be pre-ordered now for a $10 discount.
Arnold says, “Sir McKellen was so focused on supporting local theaters with this project in the UK, we thought it was only fitting that that support continues across the pond here in North America. These theaters, the work they produce, and the artists and workers they support are a crucial part of our culture. It’s up to each of us to do as much as we can to bring them back stronger than they were before this crisis.”
Recommended for ages 12 and up. The show runs 2 hours and 32 minutes. Tickets are $29.99 at www.ian80.com. Pre-order now for a $10 discount.
Ian McKellen has starred on stage and screen for nearly sixty years, having made his professional debut in 1961. His career spans genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and sci-fi. He has been awarded six Laurence Olivier Awards, a Tony Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a BIF Award, two Saturn Awards, four Drama Desk Awards, and two Critics Choice Awards, as well as receiving nominations for two Academy Awards, five Primetime Emmy Awards and four BAFTAs. He is famous worldwide for his film roles, including the titular King in Richard III, Magneto in the X-Men films, and Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
