Josh Grisetti is working his way through his bucket list. First, he made his long-awaited Broadway debut in It Shoulda Been You (OCC & Drama Desk nomination + a Clarence Derwent Award), and now he makes his solo debut with Don’t Bother, I’m Here at 54 Below. The Theatre World Award winner takes the stage on September 23 & 24.
Lucky for us, Grisetti took time away to participate in BroadwayBox’s dreamcast challenge. The premise is simple: you get two theatre fans together for more than 15 minutes and someone is going to start dreamcasting some revival; but you know what? Actual theatre stars are just as nerdy and do the same things. So let’s take it away.
What musical are we tackling today, Broadway’s Josh Grisetti?The newly revised script/score of My Favorite Year. What was your first introduction to My Favorite Year?
I got the soundtrack in college, I think... Sorry, I got the Original Cast Album in college. But when I met Andrea Martin and told her that she was great in My Favorite Year (meaning, she was great on the album), she said, "You saw it?", and I panicked and said "yes." It was total lie. I was 11-years-old when that show played 36 performances and flopped. No chance I saw it. Don't tell Andrea. If someone out there doesn’t know this show, what’s the one number they should look up to get a sense of it?
To understand both sides of this delicious beast, you need to listen to two songs: "Professional Showbusiness Comedy" and "If The World Were Like The Movies". Ugh. I love it so much. Sweet and salty, the best of all possible worlds!
THE CAST:
Josh Grisetti as "Benjy Stone", a young Mel Brooks-type of comedy writer. Who else in this town could play a funny, young Jew besides me? ("If you could see me like I do, I wouldn't look Italian at all...")
Jim Carrey as "Alan Swann", an aging, alcoholic movie star. This is not stunt casting, Carrey is actually ideal for it. He's old enough to have a 16-year-old daughter, he's dashing enough to be a Hollywood leading man, and I have second-hand knowledge that he is interested in starring in a Broadway show. Just sayin'.
Mel Brooks as "King Kaiser", an old Sid Caesar-type. Sure, Mel probably can't do eight-shows-a-week anymore, but we'll give him a B-12 shot and matinees off. He'll be fine. Dreamcast!
Robert Picardo as "Sy Bensen", a TV writer who acts tough but is actually a terrified boob. I just love Bob Picardo ("The Doctor" from Star Trek: Voyager, anyone?) and I think he'd be funny in this.
Andrea Martin as "Alice Miller", the tough, witty, female TV writer in the all-male TV-writing world. Yes, Andrea originated this role (her Broadway debut) and won a Tony for it. But I don't want to see anyone else play it. (Plus, I owe it to her for lying about having seen her in it originally.) It's my dreamcast, piss off. ANDREA IS BACK, YA'LL!!
Christy Altomare as "K.C. Downing", the pretty producer's assistant who's not comically inclined. You probably don't know who Christy is (I just met her myself) but she was a "Sophie" in Mamma Mia! on Broadway once upon a time, and I just have a crush on her. I mean, she also happens to be right for the role (I'm not completely insane). There should always be one fresh new face in every show, anyway. Since this is MY dreamcast, that fresh new face is Altomare. And there will be extra kissing scenes in the revival, FYI. Maybe a whole third act of just "Benjy" and "K.C." making out... DREAMCAST!
Tyne Daly as "Belle May Steinberg Carroca", Benjy's super intense Brooklyn mom. I have first-hand knowledge of Tyne's super-intense Jewish mom capabilities from It Shoulda Been You this past summer. "Belle" turns the volume up even higher on that spectrum, and I can't get enough of Madam Daly, so... she's in!
I do have a list of my favorite Broadway chorus girls if you want a complete casting announcement, but you only asked for principle casting, so I left my little black book in the drawer.
What’s the Tony Awards number?A 3-minute version of the opening number, "Twenty Million People." Full company. Big, Broadway, Beautiful.
What theatre is this revival of My Favorite Year playing?
The Lunt-Fontanne. Sizable, but not too big. Centrally located. Fun to say. And finally, describe the poster:
Jim Carrey is swinging on a rope, in Errol Flynn-style swashbuckling-garb, brandishing a sword and a bottle of gin. Me, Christy Altomare and Tyne Daly are behind him on the rope, looking panicked -- except, Tyne has pen & paper and is really just trying to get his autograph. In the background, we see a "musketeer set" on a TV soundstage, maybe an old-school rolling camera, as well as Mel Brooks, Andrea Martin and Bob Picardo looking like helpless writers. Guys... Broadway 2016!! DREAMCAST!!!!
Don’t miss Josh Grisetti in Don’t Bother, I’m Here at 54 Below on September 23 & 24.
