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.
Better is the sibling friction Crystal and Paymer display, with the irresistibly sad-sack Paymer doing the forever-disappointed also-ran brother convincingly and appealingly. The chemistry between the brothers - or, more accurately, between real-life pals and long-ago co-stars Crystal and Paymer - is easily the most enjoyable thing in a generally enjoyable production. The pleasant score by Jason Robert Brown and Amanda Green keeps things light, putting all that much heavier a dramatic burden on a book (by Crystal, Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel) that can't quite carry it. Buddy's career comeback isn't assured - and never entirely credible, come what may - but the familial reconciliations are as predictable and welcome as a joke that always makes you laugh.
Three decades later, Crystal too is in his 70s, and in the new musical comedy 'Mr. Saturday Night,' which opened on Wednesday night, he slips much more naturally into Buddy's skin. As a piece of theater, the show is a bit of a mess; the jokes, even some of the hoary ones, work better than the storytelling, and the acting styles are all over the place. Still, it makes for a diverting evening - because it will almost surely make you laugh, and because of how acutely tuned into the audience Crystal is.
| 2022 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Billy Crystal |
| 2022 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical | Billy Crystal |
| 2022 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lyrics | Amanda Green |
| 2022 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lyrics | Amanda Green |
| 2022 | Drama League Awards | Contribution to the Theater Award | Billy Crystal |
| 2022 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Awards | Shoshana Bean |
| 2022 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Awards | Billy Crystal |
| 2022 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Musical | Mr. Saturday Night |
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical | Billy Crystal |
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical | Lowell Ganz |
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical | Babaloo Mandel |
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Shoshana Bean |
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Musical | Mr. Saturday Night |
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Video/Projection Design (Play or Musical) | Jeff Sugg |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Book of a Musical | Billy Crystal |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Mr. Saturday Night |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre | Jason Robert Brown |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre | Jason Robert Brown |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Billy Crystal |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical | Shoshana Bean |
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