Jean Smart in 'Call Me Izzy' kicks off the new B'way season

[Ali Gator]

Emmy winning actress Jean Smart returns to the Broadway stage for the first time in 25 years in the new one-woman play,, 'Call Me Izzy', which is one of the first productions to kick off the 2025-26 season.  The show runs for '12 weeks only' at Studio 54, though some who have seen the show in previews wonder if it will last that long. The show opened last night to mostly mixed reviews, with most critics praising Smart's performance but bored by the play itself.   A look at seat availability for the next few weeks shows plenty of seats available throughout the theater (not a good sign).

This past Sunday morning, Smart sat down for an interview on 'CBS Sunday Morning' (which was recorded the end of May). The interviewer discusses her return to B'way at the beginning and tells her 'tickets have been selling briskly' since going on sale a day before. Included here is the longer, unedited interview which took place. 

 

[samhexum]

 

[AtticusBK]

I finally saw CALL ME IZZY this week, and continue to LOVE Jean Smart. This is a much darker play than I expected / the comedic things that she normally does, but it has many funny moments. It also didn’t feel incredibly modern (to me), but I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend seeing it before it closes.

[Ali Gator]

5 hours ago, AtticusBK said:

I finally saw CALL ME IZZY this week, and continue to LOVE Jean Smart. This is a much darker play than I expected / the comedic things that she normally does, but it has many funny moments. It also didn’t feel incredibly modern (to me), but I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend seeing it before it closes.

It is scheduled to close mid-August, but if the box office is any indication, it may close much sooner. Smart will get her full salary, but the show should cut its losses...soon.