Broadway Comedy “Celebrity Autobiography” to Perform First Arizona Show
By Claire Natale -
Monday Apr 08, 2024
The Madison Center for the Arts is excited to present the acclaimed award-winning, international comedy Broadway sensation “Celebrity Autobiography” for one night only April 13 at 7:30 p.m. with an all-star cast including Chris Parnell, Steven Weber, Julie Brown and Tate Donovan. Created by Emmy nominee Eugene Pack and developed with Dayle Reyfel, who will also be performing, the show features stars acting out hilarious passages from other star’s memoirs.
Called the “funniest show in town, hands down!” by The New York Post and Critics’ Picks – The New York Times, “Celebrity Autobiography” has been critically acclaimed around the world from the United States to London’s West End, Edinburgh, Australia’s Sydney Opera House and an engagement on Broadway. The show originally opened in New York to rave reviews and won the Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience.
How does Vanna flip her panels? What does Stallone store in his freezer? Why did Justin Bieber get stuck in the trunk of a car? What does Hasselhoff reveal about the beauties of Baywatch? The passages run the gamut from the “poetry” of Matthew McConaughey to tips from the Kardashians to the most famous Hollywood love triangle in history – Elizabeth Taylor, Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, told from all sides. The remarkable and unforgettably hilarious detail is that this is performed in “their own words.”
The talent lineup for the Phoenix performance of “Celebrity Autobiography” will include:
Chris Parnell
Parnell is widely recognized for his work as a cast member of “Saturday Night Live” from 1998-2006. He also portrayed the standout role of Dr. Leo Spaceman on seven seasons of NBC’s “30 Rock” and starred as Fred Shay on three seasons of ABC’s “Suburgatory.” Weber has made television guest appearances on “Grownish,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Blackish,” “Inside Amy Schumer,” “Will and Grace,” “The Goldbergs” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” His previous film work includes “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,” “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues,” “The Five-Year Engagement,” “21 Jump Street,” “Walk Hard: Thew Dewey Cox Story” and “Hot Rod.”
Tate Donovan
Emmy award winner Donovan has appeared in over 45 films, including “The Holdovers,” “Worth,” “Rocketman,” “The Upside,” “Manchester by the Sea,” “Memphis Belle,” “Good Night, and Good Luck,” “Love Potion #9” and the title voice in Disney’s “Hercules.” His TV credits include “Friends,” “Macgyver,” “Man in the High Castle,” “24,” “Damages” and “The OC” amongst others.
Steven Weber
Weber is best-known for his role as Brian Hackett, a skirt-chasing airplane pilot on the sitcom, “Wings.” He is currently a series regular on the NBC hit “Chicago Med.” He also starred in “Cursed, “Once and Again,” “The D.A.,” “Single White Female” and “Jeffrey.” Weber’s Broadway appearances include “The Real Thing” by Tom Stoppard, “The Producers,” “National Anthems.” Additionally, he wrote and produced “Clubland.”
Julie Brown
After graduating ACT in San Francisco, Julie began guest-starring in sitcoms, like "Happy Days,” “Laverne & Shirley,” "The Jeffersons" "Newhart" and "Quantum Leap" and then produced her own EP called "Goddess in Progress" with hit songs like "The Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun" and "Earth Girls Are Easy" which through a miraculous stroke of show business luck, became a movie which she starred in with Geena Davis, Jeff Goldblum and Jim Carrey. She went on to star in her own show "Just Say Julie" on MTV which led to her FOX sketch comedy series, "The Edge" starring herself and Jennifer Aniston. Since then, Julie's gone on to do many other TV shows and films. This year, she has a new movie coming out called, "Alien Vacation,” which will be her fourth alien comedy.
Dayle Reyfel
Reyfel developed “Celebrity Autobiography” with Eugene Pack. She produced and starred in the show during its Broadway run and is one of the original stars of the show. Her television credits include executive producing the critically acclaimed Bravo special of “Celebrity Autobiography,” E! Entertainment’s In Their Own Words, Bravo’s A List Awards and the G4 Network. She is a Drama Desk Award winner for co-creating “Celebrity Autobiography.”
Eugene Pack
Pack is an Emmy award-nominated performer, writer and producer. For creating “Celebrity Autobiography”, he won the Drama Desk Award. He was the recipient of the Peabody Award and nominated for Outstanding Writing for Variety, Comedy or Music for the special America: A Tribute to Heroes, which won the Emmy for Outstanding Special. He is the creator and executive producer of the long running CMT series “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team.”
Daniele Gaither
Gaither is a versatile actor renowned for sketch comedy, celebrity impressions and improvisational skills. Notable television credits include “Mad TV,” “The Thundermans,” “Key & Peele” and “2 Broke Girls,” and animated series “The Great North,” “Bojack Horseman” and “Battle Kitty.”
“We are so excited to welcome ‘Celebrity Autobiography’ and its incredible lineup of well-known stars to Arizona for its first-ever Valley performance,” Ari Levin, executive director of The Madison Center of the Arts. “The show is truly a can’t-miss performance that will leave you at the edge of your seat wanting more.”
Celebrity Autobiography performers have included Jennifer Coolidge, Kristen Wiig, Rob Reiner, Paul Rudd, Ryan Reynolds, Colin Jost, Pamela Adlon, Bobby Cannavale, Maya Rudolph, Joy Reid, Debbie Harry, Billy Crystal, Mandy Patinkin, Whoopi Goldberg Tracee Ellis Ross, John Goodman, Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Andrea Martin, Lily Tomlin, Sherri Shepherd, Fred Armisen, Cecily Strong, Lewis Black, Kenan Thompson, Jason Sudeikis, Alan Cumming, Laraine Newman, Ray Romano, Rita Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rachel Dratch, John Cho, Marty Short, John Leguizamo, Carol Kane, Rosie Perez, Will Forte, and more.
Tickets for “Celebrity Autobiography” are available for purchase online at http://www.themadison.org/ or by calling the box office at The Madison Center for the Arts at 602-664-7777.
About The Madison Center for the Arts:
The Madison Center for the Arts is a state-of-the-art venue featuring a 904-seat auditorium, extensive veranda and spacious lobby with a soaring 40-foot ceiling. The elegant versatility of this venue makes it an ideal choice for the performing arts, corporate events, galas, weddings, and other large life celebrations. The Madison features a variety of performances throughout the year, from Broadway to community arts. All proceeds from events at the Madison benefit the students of Madison Elementary School District through arts education and performances. For more information, visit http://www.themadison.org/.