Tony and Emmy Award winner Billy Crystal will return to Broadway in MR. SATURDAY NIGHT, a new musical comedy about one comedian’s meteoric rise to the middle.
Performances begin at the Nederlander Theatre (208 West 41st Street) on 1 March 2022 and the show officially opens on 31 March 2022.
Crystal returns to the role of Buddy Young Jr. that he portrayed in the original 1992 Columbia Pictures film of the same name, which also marked his directorial debut.
MR. SATURDAY NIGHT is the story of Buddy Young Jr., an outrageous and outspoken comedian who found fame, if not fortune, in the early days of television. Now, some 40 years after his TV career flamed out, Buddy seeks one more shot at the spotlight, and while he’s at it, one last shot at fixing the family he fractured along the way.
MR. SATURDAY NIGHT will also feature Tony Award winner Randy Graff as Elaine Young, David Paymer, who is recreating his Oscar-nominated performance as Buddy’s brother Stan Yankelman, and Chasten Harmon as agent Annie Wells. Additional casting will be announced in the coming weeks.
The book for the stage musical is written by Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel. The score for MR. SATURDAY NIGHT features music by three-time Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown (Parade, The Bridges of Madison County) and lyrics by Tony Award nominee Amanda Green (Hands on a Hardbody). Tony Award winner John Rando (Urinetown, On The Town) will direct. The production will feature choreography by Ellenore Scott (associate choreographer, Head Over Heels).
The production will feature scenic design by Scott Pask, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Kenneth Posner, video and projection design by Jeff Sugg, sound design by Kai Harada, and hair and wig design by Charles LaPointe. The production stage manager is Tripp Phillips. Music Direction is by David O. Orchestrations and arrangements are by Jason Robert Brown.
