Jalen Brunson returned the support Mariska Hargitay has shown him all season, this time from a Broadway seat instead of Madison Square Garden.
The New York Knicks star attended Hargitay’s Friday, June 26 performance of Every Brilliant Thing at the Hudson Theatre in New York City. People reported that Hargitay gave Brunson a surprise shout-out from the stage, turning his Knicks jersey into part of the show.
The moment brought together two New York stories that have been running side by side this month: Hargitay’s Broadway debut and Brunson’s championship season with the Knicks.
Brunson later congratulated Hargitay backstage, continuing a friendship that has grown through his love of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and her very public Knicks fandom.
Hargitay Worked Brunson’s Jersey Into the Play
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Every Brilliant Thing is built around a growing list of small, joyful reasons to keep going. Near the end of Friday’s performance, Hargitay’s character went through a box of items from that list, and one of them was Brunson’s Knicks jersey.
People reported that Hargitay labeled the entry “No. 555,555: Knicks in Five.” Brunson was sitting in the audience, and the crowd gave him a standing ovation after the reveal.
Hargitay has made Brunson and the Knicks part of her Broadway run. People reported earlier this month that she keeps a photo of Brunson in her dressing room, alongside other figures she has used as inspiration while taking on her first Broadway role.
The Knicks Connection Had Already Reached the Stage
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Friday’s ovation was not the first time Hargitay brought the Knicks into Every Brilliant Thing. During another performance earlier in the Knicks’ postseason run, she pulled out a Brunson jersey onstage and drew applause from the audience.
Entertainment Weekly reported that Hargitay also “sprinted” from the Hudson Theatre to Madison Square Garden after a performance to catch Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Her courtside appearances made her one of the Knicks’ most visible celebrity supporters during their title run.
Hargitay also appeared at the Knicks’ championship parade on June 18 wearing a custom Every Brilliant Thing-themed shirt that read, “Brilliant Thing #11: The Knicks,” according to People.
The Friendship Started With Law & Order: SVU
Brunson and Hargitay’s friendship has a pop-culture origin. Brunson has said he grew up watching Law & Order: Special Victims Unit with his family, and he has spoken about the show as part of his routine.
Hargitay has embraced the connection. People reported that she has described Brunson’s focus and discipline as part of what inspires her during her Broadway debut.
Hargitay supported Brunson during the Knicks’ postseason, and Brunson showed up at the Hudson Theatre as she nears the end of her limited Broadway run.
Hargitay’s Broadway Run Ends July 5
Hargitay is starring in Every Brilliant Thing through July 5. The official show site describes the solo play as a story about one person looking back on the small and large things that make life worth living.
Tracee Ellis Ross is scheduled to take over the role on July 7 for a limited run through Aug. 9. Before that handoff, Brunson’s visit gave Hargitay’s run one more New York crossover: an SVU star, a Knicks captain, and a Broadway audience cheering for both.