Broadway play based on the making of ‘Jaws’ to debut this summer

NEW YORK — Beware! “Jaws” will take a bite out of Broadway this summer.

“The Shark Is Broken,” a play based on the making of the 1975 horror blockbuster, is set to bow at the John Golden Theatre in New York City on July 25.

Written by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon, the story tells a fictionalized account of what transpired during the production, which endured numerous weather and mechanical mishaps, lengthy production delays, tempermental crew members and the near fatal drowning of relatively unknown director Steven Spielberg.

Shaw, will also make his Broadway debut portraying his own father, theater veteran Robert Shaw, who starred as Quint in “Jaws.” Film co-stars Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss also play central figures in the story, which centers on the tensions between the three actors on the set.

“The Shark Is Broken” won rave reviews during its overseas runs at Edinburgh Festival Fringe and in London’s West End. The play, directed by Guy Masterson, was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play.

However, “The Shark Is Broken” isn’t the only theatrical work about “Jaws,” which became a phenomenon grossing nearly $800 million at the box office. Last year, the musical “Bruce” — from “Bandstand” creators Robert Taylor and Richard Oberacker — premiered at Seattle Rep.

Bruce was the nickname of the great white shark in the “Jaws” franchise.