‘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,” “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.

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’: 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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