Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words was a one-hour comedy television special which premiered on December 5, 2005 on Bravo. The show featured comedians reading actual excerpts from celebrity autobiographies. The special was based on a live show written by Eugene Pack which opened in Los Angeles, California in 1998.
In a modern sense, comedy refers to any discourse or work generally intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, television, film, stand-up comedy, or any other medium of entertainment. The origins of the term are found in Ancient Greece. In the Athenian democracy, the public opinion of voters was influenced by the political satire performed by the comic poets at the theaters. The theatrical genre of Greek comedy can be described as a dramatic performance which pits two groups or societies against each other in an amusing agon or conflict. Northrop Frye depicted these two opposing sides as a "Society of Youth" and a "Society of the Old." A revised view characterizes the essential agon of comedy as a struggle between a relatively powerless youth and the societal conventions that pose obstacles to his hopes. In this struggle, the youth is understood to be constrained by his lack of social authority, and is left with little choice but to take recourse in ruses which engender very dramatic irony which provokes laughter.
A television special is a stand-alone television show which temporarily interrupts episodic programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Specials have been produced which provide a full range of entertainment and informational value available via the television medium, in various formats, and in any viewing lengths.
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might take many forms including jokes, satirical observations, amusing situations, acting foolish or employing prop comedy. A comedian who addresses an audience directly is called a stand-up comedian. Other practises include the sitcom, sketch comedy and improv genres.
Excerpts were chosen because of their melodramatic and/or vacuous nature. Autobiographies which were connected, such as memoirs by former Hollywood couple Burt Reynolds and Loni Anderson, were read together.
A melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, which is typically sensational and designed to appeal strongly to the emotions, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Characters are often simply drawn, and may appear stereotyped. Melodramas are typically set in the private sphere of the home, and focus on morality and family issues, love, and marriage, often with challenges from an outside source, such as a "temptress", or an aristocratic villain.
A memoir is a collection of memories that an individual writes about moments or events, both public or private, that took place in the subject's/person’s life. The assertions made in the work are understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobiography since the late 20th century, the genre is differentiated in form, presenting a narrowed focus. A biography or autobiography tells the story "of a life", while a memoir often tells a story "from a life", such as touchstone events and turning points from the author's life. The author of a memoir may be referred to as a memoirist or a memorialist.
Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. was an American actor, director and producer. He first rose to prominence starring in television series such as Gunsmoke (1962–1965), Hawk (1966), and Dan August (1970–1971).
Celebrities whose autobiographies were read included Burt Reynolds, Loni Anderson, members of 'N Sync, Madonna, Sylvester Stallone, Mr. T, Elizabeth Taylor, Kathie Lee Gifford, Ivana Trump, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Vanna White, Kenny Loggins, Tommy Lee and David Cassidy. Comedians included Bruce Vilanch, Jay Mohr, Cheryl Hines, Kevin Nealon, Doris Roberts, Fred Willard, Niecy Nash, Kel Mitchell, Laraine Newman and Andrea Martin.
Madonna Louise Ciccone is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop" since the 1980s, Madonna is known for pushing the boundaries of songwriting in mainstream popular music and for the imagery she uses onstage and in music videos. She has frequently reinvented her music and image while maintaining autonomy within the recording industry. Although having sparked controversy, her works have been praised by music critics. Madonna is often cited as an influence by other artists.
Sylvester Enzio Stallone is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and producer. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, he won his first critical acclaim as an actor for his co-starring role as Stanley Rosiello in The Lords of Flatbush.
Laurence Tureaud, known professionally as Mr. T, is an American actor, bodyguard, television personality, and retired professional wrestler, known for his roles as B. A. Baracus in the 1980s television series The A-Team and as boxer Clubber Lang in the 1982 film Rocky III.
An off-Broadway production with a rotating cast featuring Matthew Broderick, Kristen Johnston, Rachel Dratch, Kristen Wiig, Sherri Shepherd, Richard Kind, Claudia Shear, Scott Adsit, Fred Armisen, Will Forte, Jason Sudeikis, Kenan Thompson, Casey Wilson, Bobby Moynihan, Bob Balaban, Joy Behar, Richard Belzer, Craig Bierko, Bobby Cannavale, and Alan Cumming, among others, won the Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience.
An Off-Broadway theatre is any professional venue in Manhattan in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than Off-Off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer than 100.
Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words is an entertainment created by Eugene Pack, consisting of comically ironic verbatim readings of memoirs of, and a few poems by, celebrities. Critic Charles Isherwood called it "a merry compendium of the witlessness and wisdom of the rich and famous". A later version was titled Celebrity Autobiography: The Next Chapter.
Matthew Broderick is an American actor and singer. His roles include the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), the voice of the adult Simba in Disney's The Lion King trilogy (1994–2004), and Leo Bloom in both the Broadway musical The Producers and its 2005 film adaptation. Other films he has appeared in include WarGames (1983), Glory (1989), The Freshman (1990), The Cable Guy (1996), Godzilla (1998), Election (1999), Inspector Gadget (1999) and You Can Count on Me (2000). Broderick also directed himself in Infinity (1996) and provided voice work in Good Boy! (2003), Bee Movie (2007), and The Tale of Despereaux (2008).
