*** Celebrity Autobiography
Out of the mouths of idols ... mush
Nia Vardalos channels Miley Cyrus. Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
A proven crowd-pleaser at the intimate Triad Theater uptown, this collection of cringe-inducing excerpts from books by celebs – culled over the past three decades by anthologist Eugene Pack, who co-directs with fellow performer Dayle Reyfel – reveals our supposed role models at their cheesiest. Did you know that Matthew McConnaughy, self-styled prince of coolness, fancies himself a poet? Much like Suzanne Sommers, with comparable results. But no star is spared here: Even Oprah, long upheld as our national sage, comes in for a drubbing over a meditative ode to chai.
The material translates surprisingly well to a big Broadway stage – the latest in a run of bare brick walls this season. Designer Derek McLane manages, minimally, to suggest a spacious bookstore.
For an optimal experience, scan the schedule (pre-posted online) to see which eight actors out of a pool of four dozen will be on tap for any given show. Though the script is pretty much cast-proof, why not cherry-pick your preferred performers? I’d place my bets on any combo featuring Jeff Hiller (his Cher is perfection), Jackie Hoffman, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, Molly Shannon, and Nia Vardalos, who – surprise! – does a mean Miley Cyrus.
The final third of the program bogs down a bit in some very old news: a four-character, three-way reconstruction of the Burton/Taylor/Reynolds/Fisher marital scandal of the early ‘60s. Right up to then, though, it’s nonstop LOL. When the group as a whole is really cooking, you can enjoy a double kick by watching the performers enjoy watching their castmates.
Details: Celebrity Autobiography, to August 16