Mr. Saturday Night (musical)
| Mr. Saturday Night | |
|---|---|
 Broadway promotional poster | |
| Music | Jason Robert Brown |
| Lyrics | Amanda Green |
| Book | Billy Crystal Lowell Ganz Babaloo Mandel |
| Basis | Mr. Saturday Night by Billy Crystal |
| Premiere | October 16, 2021: Barrington Stage Company |
| Productions | 2021 Barrington Stage 2022 Broadway |
Mr. Saturday Night is a musical with music by Jason Robert Brown, lyrics by Amanda Green, and a book by Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz, and Babaloo Mandel, based on the 1992 film. The musical follows comedian Buddy Young, Jr, decades past his prime, as he attempts a second chance at fame and his family. It premiered at Barrington Stage Company in October 2021. The musical moved to Broadway opening on April 27, 2022 at the Nederlander Theatre.
The Broadway production received positive reviews by critics, praising the book and music of the musical, being nominated for five Tony Awards, including for Best Musical. The performances of Billy Crystal and Shoshana Bean were positively reviewed, and the two were nominated for Tony Awards. The show's cast recording received a nomination for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
Production history
[edit]The musical had its world premiere at Barrington Stage Company on October 22, 2021, for a limited run until October 30.
The production began previews on Broadway at the Nederlander Theatre on March 29, 2022, prior to officially opening on April 27.[1] On July 17, 2022, the production announced its closing for September 4, 2022, after 28 previews and 116 performances.[2]
Musical numbers
[edit]
Act I[edit]
Act II[edit]
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Act I[edit]
Act II[edit]
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Cast and characters
[edit]| Character | Barrington Stage (2021)[5] | Broadway (2022)[4] |
|---|---|---|
| Buddy Young, Jr. | Billy Crystal | |
| Elaine Young | Randy Graff | |
| Stan Yankelman | David Paymer | |
| Susan Young | Alysha Umphress | Shoshana Bean |
| Annie Wells | Chasten Harmon | |
| Joey/Farber/Dr. Jeff/Elderly Actor & Others | Jordan Gelber | |
| Bobby/Mr. Jacovitti/Ramon/Larry Myereson & Others | Brian Gonzales | |
| Lorraine/NBC Page/Lucille/Karen & Others | Mylinda Hull | |
Reception
[edit]The play officially opened on April 27, 2022 with many in the industry attending opening night including Steve Martin, Martin Short, Tina Fey, Jimmy Fallon, Bryan Cranston, and Alex Borstein.[6]
The show was met with positive reviews from critics particularly for Crystal's lively performance. The New York Times praised Crystal's performance, writing, "Crystal is utterly in his element performing live...It's a pleasure to watch." Critic Adam Feldman of Time Out wrote, "By Broadway standards, Mr. Saturday is a modest little show... But it delivers exactly what it promises: Crystal, completely in his element, with a crowd that is more than happy to buy what he’s selling".[7] Variety called it "the funniest show on Broadway in years, if not the most likable."[8] Peter Marks of The Washington Post described the show as "a slender but agreeable Broadway musical" in which the jokes "are old-school funny, polished and impeccably timed".[9]
Awards and nominations
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ Rabinowitz, Chloe (January 12, 2022). "Shoshana Bean & More Complete the Cast of MR. SATURDAY NIGHT on Broadway". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
- ^ Hall, Margaret (July 17, 2022). "Broadway's Mr. Saturday Night Sets Closing Date". Playbill. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
- ^ "Mr. Saturday Night (program)" (PDF). Barrington Stage Company. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
- ^ a b "Mr. Saturday Night (Broadway, Nederlander Theatre, 2022)". Playbill.
- ^ "Mr. Saturday Night". BarringtonStageCo.org. 2020-10-22. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
- ^ "Bryan Cranston and Alex Borstein Fan Over Billy Crystal in N.Y.C". People. April 27, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
- ^ Feldman, Adam (April 27, 2022). "Mr. Saturday Night - Review". Time Out. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
- ^ Rizzo, Frank (April 28, 2022). "'Mr. Saturday Night' Review: Billy Crystal Brings the Laughs in His New Broadway Musical". Variety.
- ^ Marks, Peter (April 27, 2022). "Billy Crystal, bringing the funny in Broadway's 'Mr. Saturday Night'". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
- ^ "66th Drama Desk Awards". Drama Desk Awards. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
- ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (June 8, 2022). "Clyde's, Company, SIX: The Musical Lead 2022 Drama Desk Awards; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
- ^ Lewis, Hilary (June 12, 2022). "Tony Awards: Winners List (Updating Live)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
- ^ Shoshana Bean, Billy Crystal, Randy Graff and David Paymer, principal soloists; Jason Robert Brown, Sean Patrick Flahaven and Jeffrey Lesser, producers; Jason Robert Brown, composer; Amanda Green, lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)