Mr. Saturday Night | |
---|---|
Music | Jason Robert Brown |
Lyrics | Amanda Green |
Book | Billy Crystal Lowell Ganz Babaloo Mandel |
Basis | Mr. Saturday Night by Billy Crystal |
Premiere | October 16, 2021 : Barrington Stage Company |
Productions | 2021 Barrington Stage 2022 Broadway |
Mr. Saturday Night is a stage musical with music by Jason Robert Brown, lyrics by Amanda Green, and a book by Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz, and Babaloo Mandel, based on the 1992 film. The musical follows comedian Buddy Young, Jr, decades past his prime, as he attempts a second chance at fame and his family. It premiered at Barrington Stage Company in October 2021. The musical moved to Broadway opening on April 27, 2022 at the Nederlander Theatre.
The Broadway production received positive reviews by critics, praising the book and music of the musical, being nominated for five Tony Awards, including for Best Musical. Billy Crystal and Shoshana Bean performances were critical acclaimed, being nominated both at the Tony Award and Drama League Award. The music album received a nomination at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Musical Theater Album.
The musical had its world premiere at Barrington Stage Company on October 22, 2021, for a limited run until October 30.
The production began previews on Broadway at the Nederlander Theatre on March 29, 2022, prior to officially opening on April 27. [1] On July 17, 2022, the production announced its closing for September 4, 2022, after 28 previews and 116 performances. [2]
Barrington Stage (2021) [3]Act I
Act II
| Broadway (2022) [4]Act I
Act II
|
Character | Barrington Stage (2021) [5] | Broadway (2022) [4] |
---|---|---|
Buddy Young, Jr. | Billy Crystal | |
Elaine Young | Randy Graff | |
Stan Yankelman | David Paymer | |
Susan Young | Alysha Umphress | Shoshana Bean |
Annie Wells | Chasten Harmon | |
Joey/Farber/Dr. Jeff/Elderly Actor & Others | Jordan Gelber | |
Bobby/Mr. Jacovitti/Ramon/Larry Myereson & Others | Brian Gonzales | |
Lorraine/NBC Page/Lucille/Karen & Others | Mylinda Hull |
The play officially opened on April 27, 2022 with many in the industry attending opening night including Steve Martin, Martin Short, Tina Fey, Jimmy Fallon, Bryan Cranston, and Alex Borstein. [6]
The show was met with positive reviews from critics particularly for Crystal's lively performance. The New York Times praised Crystal's performance, writing, "Crystal is utterly in his element performing live...It's a pleasure to watch." Critic Adam Feldman of Time Out wrote, "By Broadway standards, Mr. Saturday is a modest little show... But it delivers exactly what it promises: Crystal, completely in his element, with a crowd that is more than happy to buy what he’s selling". [7] Variety called it "the funniest show on Broadway in years, if not the most likable." [8] Peter Marks of The Washington Post described the show as "a slender but agreeable Broadway musical" in which the jokes "are old-school funny, polished and impeccably timed". [9]
William Edward Crystal is an American comedian, actor, and filmmaker. Crystal is known as a standup comedian and for his film and stage roles. Crystal has received numerous accolades, including six Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award as well as nominations for three Grammy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991, the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2007, the Critics' Choice Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2023.
Jason Robert Brown is an American musical theatre composer, lyricist, and playwright. Brown's music sensibility fuses pop-rock stylings with theatrical lyrics. He is the recipient of three Tony Awards for his work on Parade and The Bridges of Madison County.
William Mills Irwin is an American actor, choreographer, clown, and comedian. He began as a vaudeville-style stage performer and has been noted for his contribution to the renaissance of American circus during the 1970s. He has made a number of appearances on film and television, and he won a Tony Award for his role in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. He also worked as a choreographer on Broadway and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Choreography in 1989 for Largely New York. He is also known as Mr. Noodle on the Sesame Street segment Elmo's World, and he appeared in the Sesame Street film short Does Air Move Things?. He has regularly appeared as Dr. Peter Lindstrom on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and had a recurring role as "The Dick & Jane Killer" on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. From 2017 to 2019, he appeared as Cary Loudermilk on the FX television series Legion.
Mr. Saturday Night is a 1992 American comedy-drama film that marked the directorial debut of its star, Billy Crystal.
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The Drama League Awards, created in 1922, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing. Each May, the awards are presented by The Drama League at the Annual Awards Luncheon with performers, directors, producers, and Drama League members in attendance. The Drama League membership comprises the entire theater community, including award-winning actors, designers, directors, playwrights, producers, industry veterans, critics and theater-going audiences from across the U.S.
Amanda Green is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. In 2021, she was elected president of the Dramatists Guild of America, the first woman to hold the role in the Guild's 100-year history.
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