‘CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY’: Christopher Jackson, Rita Wilson & Nia Vardalos. Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Created by Eugene Pack
Developed & directed by Eugene Pack & Dayle Reyfel
Through August 16, 2026
Shubert Theatre
225 West 44th Street
https://celebrityautobiography.com/

By Scott Harrah

Originally created in 2006, Celebrity Autobiography gained a cult following through recurring engagements at the Triad Theatre Off Broadway after first being developed in Los Angeles, featuring famous actors and show-biz luminaries reading autobiographies, memoirs and poetry by other well-known entertainers. Two decades later, the show has arrived on Broadway with a rotating roster of boldface names. The show’s got a gimmick: Actors read excerpts from celebrity memoirs whose complete sincerity turns them into accidental camp. Since the celebrity lineup changes frequently, audiences should check the website or box office for current casting.

Pulp nonfiction

Bad books, like bad movies, can be unintentionally entertaining. As the late Susan Sontag wrote in Notes on “Camp,” “In naïve, or pure, Camp, the essential element is seriousness, a seriousness that fails.”

As a result, the books selected for the evening offer plenty of examples of the accidental camp Ms. Sontag described, with many of the celebrity memoir excerpts proving far funnier than their authors likely intended.

Celebrities in the readers theater roundup on opening night included morning TV talk-show icon Gayle King; Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz; Tony winner Andrea Martin; former “Saturday Night Live” stars Bobby Moynihan and Kenan Thompson; Nia Vardalos of My Big Fat Greek Wedding fame; actresses Rita Wilson and Jackie Hoffman; Hamilton star Christopher Jackson; comedian Mario Cantone; TV actors Scott Adsit and Emmy winner Jeff Hiller; as well as Celebrity Autobiography creators Dayle Reyfel and Eugene Pack.

The cast at the performance this reviewer attended commits fully to the material and earns steady laughs from passages that often seem unintentionally ridiculous. Mr. Pack pops onstage early in the show to explain that the concept of Celebrity Autobiography was inspired by “Wheel of Fortune” star Vanna White’s 1987 memoir Vanna Speaks, in which she devotes an entire chapter to the grueling task of turning letters on the classic TV game show.

‘Reading’ the stars

Actor Scott Adsit opens the evening by reading a chapter from David Hasselhoff’s 2007 memoir Don’t Hassel the Hoff about the arduous demands of starring on Broadway in the musical Jekyll & Hyde for three months. Theater fans may remember the “Baywatch” star’s performance was savaged by critics and find the passages amusing. However, those unfamiliar with Hasselhoff’s infamous attempt at treading the boards on Broadway might not fully appreciate the unwitting humor.

Highlights include reflections on the late Neil Sedaka’s healthy food choices (and digestive issues). Jeff Hiller gets many laughs reading from one of Cher’s books about why she loves M&Ms and finds eating fruit too much work.

From Dolly to Dion

Dayle Reyfel captures the essence of Dolly Parton’s down-home humor by reading a passage from the country superstar’s memoir Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business about how she eats whatever she wants but only in small portions, chewing and savoring all the flavors and then spitting the food out. To many, this may sound like the country icon has a serious eating disorder, but Ms. Reyfel reads it with winning warmth in Ms. Parton’s bubbly Southern accent, making the concept sound lighthearted and guileless instead of disturbing.

Meanwhile, Rita Wilson is hilarious reading, in a thick French-Canadian accent, an absurd excerpt from Celine Dion’s My Story, My Dream about swimming with a manatee in a canal near her Jupiter, Florida home.

‘CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY’: Mario Cantone & Bobby Moynihan. Photo: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

Carol, Liza & Oprah

Elsewhere, Mario Cantone is outrageous as ever, reading from Carol Channing’s memoir Just Lucky, I Guess in the late star’s inimitable gravelly voice. He milks every laugh from Channing’s reflections on Barbra Streisand and a particularly memorable moment in Broadway and Hollywood history. Mr. Cantone also does spot-on impersonations of Liza Minnelli and Arnold Schwarzenegger with manic aplomb.

Jackie Hoffman elicits chuckles by reading Oprah Winfrey’s ludicrous literary ruminations about why she loves chai tea.

Kenan Thompson and Andrea Martin crack up the audience by poking glorious fun at two often-ridiculed celebrities and their books containing passages about the Louvre and the Mona Lisa in Paris. Mr. Thompson reads a vacuous, narcissistic excerpt from Justin Bieber’s First Step 2 Forever while Ms. Martin reads an equally silly passage from Kris Jenner…and All Things Kardashian.

Ben Mankiewicz mines Geraldo Rivera’s memoir Exposing Myself for nonstop laughs as the famed journalist and TV talk-show host brags about his romantic exploits. Nia Vardalos clearly relishes delivering gloriously vapid passages from Khloé Kardashian’s memoir and lifestyle book Strong Looks Better Naked. Christopher Jackson wrings every possible laugh from Type A, Ryan Seacrest’s memoir, including reflections on his love of prosciutto pizza and what he describes as the most erotic experience of his life.

‘CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY’: Kenan Thompson & Andrea Martin. Photo: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

Debbie, Eddie, Liz & Dick

Appropriately, the grand finale revisits one of Hollywood’s most infamous celebrity scandals involving Debbie Reynolds, Eddie Fisher, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Ms. Reyfel draws from Debbie Reynolds’ Unsinkable, Mr. Pack tackles Eddie Fisher’s Been There, Done That, while Rita Wilson delivers excerpts from Elizabeth Takes Off and Mr. Adsit takes on selections from The Richard Burton Diaries. Anyone familiar with the tangled relationships and tabloid frenzy surrounding the stars will appreciate how the production milks the melodrama for wild comic effect.

Direction & design

The staging is intentionally simple, with minimal set pieces and understated lighting that preserve the intimate feel of an old-school readers theater while keeping the focus squarely on the performers and the absurdity of the material.

Mr. Pack and Ms. Reyfel wisely keep the presentation simple and the pace brisk, allowing the performers and the absurdity of the source material to remain center stage. Not every selection lands equally well, however, and some of the evening’s celebrity references may resonate more with audiences old enough to remember when these personalities dominated tabloids, TV and bookstore shelves. Younger theatergoers, for instance, may be unfamiliar with books by figures like football legend Joe Namath or the late “Three’s Company” star Suzanne Somers and miss some of the humor that comes from recognizing their public personas.

Breezy summer fare

Ultimately, the cast’s total commitment keeps the evening entertaining even when the references feel dated. Much of the comedy comes not from mocking celebrities but from hearing stars describe ordinary experiences with complete sincerity and outsized importance. In that sense, Celebrity Autobiography succeeds by embracing exactly the kind of accidental camp Susan Sontag described: seriousness that somehow becomes funny.

Celebrity Autobiography is not a perfect show, but it makes for breezy, lighthearted summer entertainment for audiences eager to watch celebrities “read” the stars of the past and present.

Published May 23, 2026
Reviewed on May 18, 2026.

‘CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY’: Gayle King and Nia Vardalos (top left); Andrea Martin (top right and bottom left); Jeff Hiller (bottom right). Photos: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

‘CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY’: Gayle King. Photo: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

‘CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY’: (left & right) Kenan Thompson. Photo: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

‘CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY’: Rita Wilson. Photo: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

‘CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY’: Jackie Hoffman. Photo: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

‘CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY’: Scott Adsitt & Rita Wilson. Photo: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

‘CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY’: Dayle Reyfel, Christopher Jackson, Eugene Pack & Jackie Hoffman. Photo: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

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‘MCNEAL’: Robert Downey Jr. (center right) & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

MCNEAL
A new play by Ayad Akhtar
Directed by Bartlett Sher
Through November 24, 2024
Lincoln Center Theater
at the Vivian Beaumont
160 West 65^th Street
www.lct.org

By Scott Harrah

One might think McNeal—with Hollywood star Robert Downey Jr. making his Broadway debut in a drama with the controversial topic of AI (artificial intelligence) as a running theme—would be an instant blockbuster. Written by renowned, Pulitzer Prize-winning, Tony-nominated playwright Ayad Akhtar (Disgraced and Junk), the play also features a high-tech set by Michael Yeargan and Jake Barton and clever projections by Jake Barton. While this may sound like a winning formula, not everything works but the show is still thoroughly engrossing.

Mr. Downey Jr. plays Jacob McNeal, a troubled well-known novelist with numerous personal problems, including alcoholism. He is self-centered, rude and egotistical; not the most likeable character. It is difficult to have much sympathy for him.

As the story opens, Jacob is seeing his doctor, Sarah Grewal (Ruthie Ann Miles). She tells him that he’s in poor health and he needs to stop drinking for the sake of his liver. He isn’t interested in hearing about his health because he’s waiting for the Nobel committee to announce who will win the prize for literature.

There is much buzz about his latest novel Evie, but people are questioning its origins. Even before the show opens, a projection of a smartphone is seen with someone typing who will win the Nobel for literature. This is clever foreshadowing because we soon learn that Jacob has been using ChatGPT to help him with his writing, but he is doing more than using it for research and outlines. He is actually using it to have AI rewrite classics from Shakespeare to Ibsen in the “Jacob McNeal style.”

AI is rapidly changing the way we do everything, especially in the workforce. Everyone from Hollywood actors and writers to blue-collar workers and journalists are concerned that AI may eventually take away jobs. Many are concerned about the capabilities of ChatGPT and other types of AI because these high-tech applications can do everything from writing an email to composing fiction. All one has to do type in a few keywords and descriptions of what is needed and within a few minutes, AI can produce a grammatically correct and satisfactory but often wooden and stilted email, marketing promotion, and so on. However, AI is never something to use for one’s own writing, but Jacob has become so depressed and down and out from alcoholism and personal problems that he starts using ChatGPT for his novels.

Of course, people soon catch on, and there is a particularly tense scene between Jacob and Natasha Braithwaite (Brittany Bellizeare), a New York Times reporter. The interview was arranged by his savvy literary agent Stephie Banic (Andrea Martin).

Other subplots involve a strained relationship between Jacob and his son, Harlan (Rafi Gavron). The son’s mother was also a struggling writer and died by suicide when Harlan was very young. Harlan cannot stand his father, and there’s a powerful scene in which both have a nasty argument.

Meanwhile, Jacob’s ex-lover Francine Blake (Melora Hardin) is a writer and editor and he is attempting to rekindle their romance. She blasts him for using and exploiting private details about his life for his work.

Despite the final portion of the show unraveling a bit and a grim ending, director Bartlett Sher does a nice job of keeping the show together with all the high-tech projections and lighting. Mr. Sher manages to extract many outstanding performances from the cast. Mr. Downey Jr is the main attraction here, and he definitely delivers, portraying Jacob McNeal as a man with many shortcomings, one whose humanity is often difficult to see on the surface. It’s a big departure for Mr. Downey Jr. after his many Marvel movies and his role in last year’s box-office phenomenon Oppenheimer.  Rafi Gavron gives a heartbreaking performance as Jacob’s son Harlan. Andrea Martin is amazing as Jacob’s agent. It is great seeing Ms. Martin play a serious character for a change, something we have not seen since her Tony-winning performance in the last Pippin revival back in 2013.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published October 9, 2024
Reviewed at October 5, 2024 press performance

‘MCNEAL:’ Robert-Downey Jr. & Brittany Bellizeare. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘MCNEAL’: Robert Downey Jr. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘MCNEAL’: Andrea Martin. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘MCNEAL’: Melora Hardin & Robert Downey Jr. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

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‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’: Campbell Scott. Photo: Joan Marcus

A CHRISTMAS CAROL
By Charles Dickens
Adapted by Jack Thorne
Directed by Matthew Warchus
Through January 5, 2020
Lyceum Theatre
149 West 45th Street
(212-239-6200), www.AChristmasCarolBroadway.com

By David NouNou

Stripped of the treacle and mawkishness usually associated with Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Jack Thorne has adapted and reshaped this tale into what would now be termed an “alternate universe.” Although being a purist at heart, one who normally prefers traditional presentations, I was nonetheless fascinated and enchanted by how this story maintains most of the central characters, with slight tweaks and character modifications. Mr. Thorne’s adaptation has slightly changed the dynamics and perception of an oft-told tale, with all the fat trimmed off.

Thanks in large part to Matthew Warchus’ seamless and fast-paced direction; one doesn’t dwell on the traditional version because Jack Thorne and Mr. Warchus allow the viewer to see Dickens’ classic from a different lens. Ebenezer Scrooge (Campbell Scott) is still a miserly crotchety skinflint but due to Mr. Scott’s youthful appearance, Ebenezer now has some sex appeal. Here, Mr. Thorne inserts Ebenezer’s cruel and drunken father (Chris Hoch), to show how Ebenezer took the wrong fork in the road to become what he is today.

Scrooge here does have psychological problems and doesn’t really see the error of his ways. Scrooge is still visited by the ghost of Marley (Chris Hoch), his late lending partner. Marley warns him about the ghosts that will come to visit him after midnight, and he better change his miserly ways. The Ghost of Christmas Past (Andrea Martin), Ghost of Christmas Present, replete with a Caribbean accent (La Chanze) and Ghost of Christmas Future (Rachel Prather) all make appearances. Ms. Prather doubles as well his late sister Fan in a dual role. His change here isn’t so much out of moral obligation as it is expeditious.

The two standout performances are, of course, Andrea Martin, a delight as usual, and La Chanze is imposing; the Caribbean accent is a bonus in all-too-brief moments. What is lacking is a dynamic Scrooge. It is interesting to note here that Mr. Scott’s father was the late George C. Scott, a formidable actor who gave a brilliant TV rendition of Scrooge. Campbell Scott, although a fine actor, lacks the forcefulness that his father brought to the role.

All in all, if you are looking for a slightly reimagined A Christmas Carol, along with Christmas carols, including “Joy to the World”, Silent Night, and “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” and a surprising immersive, interactive Christmas experience, I highly recommend this version. Coming out of the show, one feels the Christmas season has officially begun.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published November 24, 2019
Reviewed at November 23, 2019 press performance.

‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ (left to right) Andrea Martin, LaChanze, Campbell Scott (center) & Rachel Prather. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’: Campbell Scott & Dashiell Eaves. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’: Andrea Martin. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’: Campbell Scott & LaChanze. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’: Sarah Hunt & Campbell Scott. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’: Chris Hoch & Campbell Scott. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’: Campbell Scott. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’: Campbell Scott. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’: The cast. Photo: Joan Marcus

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‘NOISES OFF’: (left to right) Daniel Davis, Kate Jennings Grant, Andrea Martin, Jeremy Shamos & Megan Hilty. Photo: Joan Marcus

NOISES OFF
Written by Michael Frayn
Directed by Jeremy Herrin
Through March 6, 2016
American Airlines Theatre
227 West 42nd Street
(212-719-1300), www.RoundaboutTheatre.org

By David NouNou

There was a time when comedy was a staple on Broadway, now it is a rarity, and a fun-loving farce is nonexistent. So whenever Noises Off is revived, it is a welcome addition to any theatrical season. Mr. Frayn’s comedy has never been considered high art, but is a wonderful, gut-splitting tale about a regional touring company of a bad show, with second-rate actors, from the time of a final dress rehearsal to final performance of the tour. It could be about any American touring company, but this particular one is set in the British hinterlands.

The setup is brilliant: Act I is set at the final dress rehearsal hours before curtain time; you get to see the dreadful play being performed onstage. A lot of the plot centers on sardines, missed cues, slamming doors, pratfalls, bloated egos, affairs souring; in short, every conceivable disaster that a farce faces. Act II is a month later, with all the action taking place backstage at a performance of said dreadful play where the performance starts unraveling. Act III is two months later at the end of the tour and everything has unraveled.

Whether you are a seasoned or a first-time theatergoer, the fun here is the situation is so relatable. You might think that some of the action is so outlandish and far-fetched, but in the theatre it really isn’t, and that is the nature of a farce and one is supposed to go with the flow. With the theme being so universal, I’ve often wondered why when this show is done in America, why Mr. Frayn hasn’t given license to change the setting from England to the USA. This farce would work in any country that has a touring company and it wouldn’t saddle the actors doing atrocious British accents, and most of the actors onstage can’t do a proper English accent to save their life and this is not a deliberate part of the play. The cumulative accents of the actors in this production go in and out of their accents throughout the play, and you wonder why not just drop the British accent and just do it as a straightforward farce without the audience having to strain to understand what is said on stage?

That being said, just sit back and enjoy the high jinks taking place onstage. As this is an ensemble piece, I can’t help but mention the entire cast: Tracee Chimo, Daniel Davis, David Furr, Kate Jennings Grant, Megan Hilty, Andrea Martin, Rob McClure, Campbell Scott and Jeremy Shamos. All lend their comedic talents to this exhausting farce and it is no small feat. Jeremy Herrin, who last year directed Wolf Hall, keeps the cast moving at a frantic pace. All you have to do as the audience is sit back and enjoy an hysterical evening of high jinks in the theatre.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published January 18, 2016
Reviewed at press performance on January 17, 2016

‘NOISES OFF’: (left to right) Megan Hilty, Daniel Davis, Kate Jennings Grant, Jeremy Shamos, David Furr & Andrea Martin. Photo: Joan Marcus

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ACT ONE
Written and directed by James Lapine
From the Autobiography of Moss Hart
Through June 15, 2014
Vivian Beaumont Theatre
150 West 65th Street
(212-239-6200), www.ltc.org

By David NouNou

Adapting a legendary autobiography about the theatre is a risky and tricky matter, especially when the legend being discussed died in 1961, and writing about his early struggles of getting his foot in the theatrical door occurred in 1930. What makes it tricky is Act One came out in 1959, and it became a theatrical bible. People read books and didn’t go on Wikipedia to get instant summarization of a book or a man’s life. The man here is Moss Hart and he is legendary when you read his accomplishments as director, playwright, and screenwriter. He was a giant of his day. After all, he had just directed My Fair Lady, Broadway’s mega hit of 1956 and Camelot was to follow in 1960 just before his death. As a playwright, he co-wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning You Can’t Take It With You and The Man Who Came To Dinner, both with George S. Kaufman. His screenplays consist of 1947’s Oscar-winning best picture Gentlemen’s Agreement and 1954’s A Star is Born, among others. The man was a prolific genius in every sense of the word.

But Act One isn’t about any of those historic events; it’s about his early childhood growing in the Bronx and Brooklyn in total poverty. His parents were Jewish immigrants from England, leading a dreary life, and the theatre was his only outlet. His Aunt Kate took him to a play and the bug bit. His life and passion became the theatre. He worked as a theatrical office boy, actor in the Catskills, wrote horrible plays that flopped and then wrote Once In A Lifetime and started collaboration with the celebrated master of the day, George S. Kaufman. The second act is all about the trials and tribulations of getting this play on its feet and to the Music Box Theatre on Broadway.

As I said earlier, writing about the theatre is a tricky matter, so the biggest challenge here is: Do modern audiences remember Moss Hart? They barely remember Rex Harrison and he was the actor who starred in My Fair Lady on Broadway and the movies. James Lapine has adapted the book into the play and pays reverential homage to the source by not omitting nary a single semicolon, which can be a good thing. Unfortunately, James Lapine the director didn’t take notes from his subject matter George S. Kaufman and delete a lot of his own written pages. For what actor, playwright, director didn’t grow up having a dreary life, being poor and had to work hard to get in the business? Ultimately, if they pay their dues, maybe, just maybe some do end up having the rags-to-riches story. Mr. Lapine had an interesting subject matter to deal with (Moss Hart) but unfortunately the book doesn’t deal with the interesting and later timeframe of his life to which modern audiences could relate. Mr. Lapine needed a Mr. Kaufman to edit a lot of the early unnecessary scenes and repetitious dialogue from Act II.

Having said all that and getting the storyline out of the way, there are a couple of hosannas on their way. Not since 1966 when the Beaumont opened and as a school project we had to go and discover the wonders of Lincoln Center, and the shows they were presenting, Danton’s Death and The Condemned of Altona (yes, I was a drama major) both dreary and bleak, but what struck me the most was the vastness of its stage. The revival of South Pacific tried to fill some of the vastness, but nothing compares to the set designed by Beowulf Boritt. The set is a revolving masterpiece that fills the entire stage and is very reminiscent of Oliver Smith’s sets. Mr. Smith, the premier set designer of his day, did the sets for My Fair Lady, Camelot, Hello Dolly, among many others. To see a show with awe-inspiring sets that is absolutely breathtaking; consisting of tenements, theatres, hotel rooms, offices and posh suites all on a revolving turntable are a vision to behold. Students studying theatrical design should see this show if for no other reason but the sheer magnificence of what Mr. Boritt has designed.

My other kudo goes to Tony Shalhoub, giving what might be his best stage performance to date. He plays three different roles succinctly: the older Moss Hart (who oversees the proceedings and how it all started); Moss’ father; as well as George S. Kaufman. His largest part is that of George S. Kaufman and he plays him to the hilt. Santino Fontana as the struggling young Moss Hart does an admirable  and energetic job as the passionate and charming playwright. Then there is Andrea Martin, also playing three parts: Moss’ Aunt Kate with a cloying English accent; Frieda Fishbein, the agent, the name says it all; and finally Beatrice Kaufman, George’s socialite wife; that’s her best part, she plays her demurely and gives her a quiet touch of class.

The rest of the cast supported unevenly, the worst being Mimi Lieber as Moss’ mother, Lillie. At any given line, she had four accents going on in the same sentence: they consisted of an abominable English accent, Jewish, Bronx and Brooklynese. You never knew with which accent she would start, continue and then end the sentence. Where were Mr. Lapine, the director and the dialogue coach? Was the fake English accent really necessary? I don’t think the audience would have minded if Moss’ mother, father, and aunt, had spoken with a Jewish New York accent because at least that would have been relatable. There is a lot of good in Act One and Moss Hart was a provocative person to write about, but unfortunately it wasn’t the right time of his life that modern audiences could identify with and be riveted by in a long biographical stage drama. I still recommend seeing Act One for Beowulf Boritt’s astounding set and Tony Shalhoub’s remarkable performance.

THE THESPIAN LIFE: Santino Fontana & Andrea Martin. Photo: Joan Marcus

Five Tony Nominations, including: Best Play, Best Actor – Tony Shalhoub, Costumes, Sound

WINNER: Beowulf Boritt, Best Set Designer

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 23, 2014
Reviewed at press performance on April 22, 2014

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