Comedy favorite Celebrity Autobiography will bow on Broadway later this month. The show, with a rotating cast of stage and screen favorites, will come to the Shubert Theatre beginning May 16, officially opening May 20.
The show, created by Eugene Pack and co-developed with Dayle Reyfel, is coming to the Main Stem after several hit runs internationally, including an Off-Broadway run that won the 2009 Drama Desk for Unique Theatrical Experience and other bows in London’s West End, Sydney Opera House, and more. Pack and Reyfel will direct the Broadway bow.
The performance features a rotating company reading actual excerpts from celebrity memoirs. According to press notes, each performance could and will be different. Most stars will have one-to two-week stints, but others might appear for a performance or two, and press notes share that audiences should expect “surprise guests … from time to time” as well.
“This is show is inspired by the ‘important’ revealing details recounted in celebrity memoirs—what they eat in every restaurant, how they stack their clothes, what they keep in their freezer, and how hard hard their jobs are,” shares Pack.
The opening cast will feature Scott Adsit (30 Rock), Mario Cantone (Sex and the City), Jeff Hiller (Somebody Somewhere), Jackie Hoffman (Only Murders in the Building), Christopher Jackson (Hamilton), Gayle King (CBS Mornings), Andrea Martin (McNeal), Bobby Moynihan (SNL), Ben Mankiewicz (Turner Classic Movies), Kenan Thompson (SNL), Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), and Rita Wilson (Sleepless in Seattle). Wilson is also on the producing team.
As for after that, we’re told to expect some combination of people from a “constantly-expanding” roster that includes Brooke Adams, Pamela Adlon, Lewis Black, Christie Brinkley, Danny Burstein, Bob Costas, Tate Donovan, Chloe Fineman, Will Forte, Gina Gershon, Kathy Griffin, Ken Jeong, Stewart Lane, Susan Lucci, Ralph Macchio, Donna McKechnie, Eric McCormack, Laraine Newman, Oscar Nunez, Cheri Oteri, Tiler Peck, Billy Porter, Phil Rosenthall, Tony Shalhoub, Sherri Shepherd, Molly Shannon, Jennifer Tilly, Bruce Vilanch, and Alan Zweibel. Co-directors and show creators Pack and Reyfel will join each night’s celebrity guests on stage. More casting will be announced. Performance schedules are at Telecharge.com.
“Celebrity Autobiography has been bringing laughter to people around the world since its first performance,” says the show’s original producer, Angelo Fraboni, in a statement. “So when Douglas Denoff called me and said, ‘It’s time to start laughing again!’ I immediately agreed. I had seen the show several times at the Triad Theatre and felt the hilarity and comedic genius of Celebrity Autobiography deserves a proper run on Broadway…now more than ever!”
“All the celebrity performers are thrilled to work/play together—many working together for the first time,” adds Reyfel. “It is so exciting to bring these hilarious ‘you can’t believe they wrote em,’ making each night, unique, raw, live and spontaneous—a comedy rock concert!”
The staging will feature scenic design by Derek McLane, lighting design by Ed McCarthy, and sound design by Palmer Hefferan. The Broadway run will be produced by Wilson, Eric Falkenstein, Douglas Denoff, Fraboni, Peter Martin, and EP Productions. Foundation Theatrical’s Erich Jungwirth is general managing.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source playbill.com ’
