| Advertisement |
Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Billy Crystal is set to star in a Broadway musical adaptation of his 1992 comedy drama Mr. Saturday Night. Crystal will be reprising his role as Buddy Young, Jr., a comedian who found fame but not fortune in the early days of television. Buddy returns 40 years later for one more shot at the spotlight.
Advertisement
Performances of Mr. Saturday Night begin at the Nederlander Theatre starting on March 1 with the show officially opening on March 31.
Tickets go on sale for the general public starting on Nov. 22.
Crystal will be joined onstage by Randy Graff as Elaine Young, David Paymer who will be reprising his Oscar-nominated performance as Buddy's brother Stan Yankelman and Chasten Harmon as agent Annie Wells.
More casting will be announced at a later date.
Crystal also penned the book for the stage musical with Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel. Jason Robert Brown is handling the score with lyrics by Amanda Green. John Rando (Urinetown, On the Town) is directing with choreography by Ellenore Scott.
"Creating and portraying the 75-year-old comedian Buddy Young, Jr. in the film Mr. Saturday Night was one of the highlights of my career -- 30 years ago I needed five hours of make-up to play him, now i just show up," Crystal said in a statement.
The Mr. Saturday Night film was Crystal's directorial debut. The actor has also starred in stage play 700 Sundays in 2004 and when it returned in 2013.
