'Fame Becomes Me' comes up Short

NEW YORK, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- "Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me" is like many shows on New York's Broadway that satirize the theater, but this one falls flat, The New York Times said.

Similar to "The Producers" and "Spamalot," the musical comedy that opened Thursday has very little new to say, the Times said.

The Times review was very kind to Short, but said "he has yet to find a show that lets him shine as he was meant to."

Short plays himself, although some of the material is true and other material obviously fictitious -- including a dysfunctional childhood, misspent youth, magnificent redemption and premature death.

Instead of allowing the audience to get to know its star, "Fame Becomes Me," conceived by Short and Scott Wittman, it only sees the celebrity -- which is a main point, the Times said.

"A lot of what I'm telling you tonight will be true," Short said, "a lot I'll be making up. See if you can tell the difference."

The show pokes fun of the American obsession with celebrity. The Canadian comedian has a few good gags, but gets stuck with a lot of moldy jokes and themes that have been covered before, and with more "bite," the Times said.