Third Street Vegas launches BRUCE musical celebrating 50th anniversary of Jaws
Third Street Vegas is bringing the behind-the-scenes story of Steven Spielberg’s iconic film Jaws to Las Vegas with an exclusive concert reading of BRUCE, a new musical that explores the chaotic production of the world’s first summer blockbuster.
One-night concert event
The special performance is scheduled for Friday, August 15, 2025, at 6:00 PM at Third Street Vegas, located at 814 S 3rd Street in downtown Las Vegas. The evening will feature a full cast concert reading of the musical, with doors opening for drinks and appetizers before the performance begins at 7:30 PM.
Co-lyricist and author Robert Taylor, along with Third Street Vegas CEO and Artistic Director Daz Weller, are spearheading this Las Vegas presentation of the musical, which offers theater fans an immersive look into one of Hollywood’s most legendary film productions.
The story behind the shark
BRUCE tells the remarkable true story of how a 26-year-old, virtually unknown director named Steven Spielberg attempted to film a bestselling novel on the open ocean with a mechanical shark that refused to work. The production faced countless challenges including bad weather, hostile locals, exploding budgets, and constant delays.
The musical is based on “The Jaws Log” by Carl Gottlieb, who served as screenwriter on the original film. With music by Richard Oberacker and book and lyrics by Oberacker and Robert Taylor—the creative team behind the Broadway musical Bandstand—BRUCE transforms the troubled production into what the creators call “a musical love letter to collaboration, crisis, and creativity.”
Celebrating cinematic history
The timing of this Las Vegas presentation coincides with the 50th anniversary of the original Jaws film, which premiered in 1975 and became the world’s first summer blockbuster, launching Steven Spielberg’s legendary career and changing American cinema forever.
The musical explores how the young director was forced to rely on “guts, grit, and imagination when everything fell apart,” ultimately creating a cinematic miracle despite the numerous production disasters.
An evening supporting local arts
This exclusive reading serves as a benefit for Third Street Vegas, which aims to become the city’s future hub for bold, community-rooted performance and education. The organization is working to establish itself as a significant player in Las Vegas’s growing performing arts scene beyond the Strip.
The evening event will conclude with dessert, drinks, and conversation with the artists from 9:15 PM to 10:30 PM, offering attendees a chance to engage directly with the creative team behind this innovative musical.
Musical theater meets movie magic
BRUCE represents a unique addition to the growing trend of musicals based on beloved films, but with a twist—rather than adapting the movie itself, it dramatizes the fascinating true story of its creation. The show promises to reveal how a production plagued by technical failures and natural disasters transformed into one of the most influential films in cinema history.
For Las Vegas audiences, this concert reading offers a rare opportunity to experience a new musical in development while supporting the growth of local theater venues and programming in the downtown arts district.
Image Sources: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/articles/third-street-vegas-official-launch-231712328.html
Category: Culture
Subcategory: Theater & Performing Arts
Date: 08/12/2025
