Billy Crystal in Broadway's "Mr. Saturday Night"

It's a new musical based on an old movie with one major thing in common: Billy Crystal. Tracy Smith catches up with him on Broadway. here he comes... is he going to say "America's new favorite comedian"? Don't stan "Mr. Saturday

night

!" better! When the movie "Mr. Saturday Night" hit the big screen in 1992 it seemed to have it all. There was Billy Crystal as the abrasive comedian Buddy Young Jr. Last

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I came home to find my wife making out and making out with my best friend. Yeah! So I said Lenny, I have to do it, but you? and a top-notch cast like his long-suffering family. my daughter isn't a genius either, oh don't get me started!

It's just a joke, honey, just a joke. It was Crystal's first opportunity as a director and he played the friend from young star to loser. For Billy Crystal the film was a personal victory, but not a success. You know, we talked about "Mr. Saturday Night" and I asked you if "Mr. Saturday Night" was a problem or a professional killer, and you said, "Oh, I thought he was a professional killer." I did, yes. And I thought this was for me my best work, and the fact that it didn't perform as well at the box office as we wanted it to be like, oh, this is, you know, this is the first time you've been hit in the face.

Basically, it hurts and what made it hurt even more is that it came on the heels of some pretty big milestones in her career, like 1989's "When Harry Met Sally." Men and women can't be friends because the sexual part always gets in the way. And what's wrong with that? and 1991's "City Slickers," which reached a whole new level of box office success, but even though Buddy Young Jr.'s story didn't shine as brightly, Billy Crystal never gave up. So you get up, you put it back together, you go, right, what's next? So let me ask you: if it's like getting punched in the face, why revisit it?

What does this boy have? because I thought there was something more to say with it. There was more to it, and what we learned from the movie that didn't work as well as it could, we found in the show. ♫ amazing, it's my last best chance, kitten, I don't know? ♫ the show is "mr

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night", the musical. It's much more than a reworking of the film because, as any Broadway fan knows, sometimes you can say so much more with a song. ♫ all my life I have always been a fighter, right or wrong are things ♫ another difference is Billy himself, who turned 74 last month.

When he played Buddy in the movie, he was only 43 years old and needed hours of makeup to play a 73-year-old man. So it was a disaster, I mean just my skin, it was exhausting. Now I just show up and they have to make me look younger! I'm actually older now than I was originally in the movie. ♫ my opening act was once Eddie Fisher, now I should take this picture's advice ♫ of course, bringing a movie to Broadway isn't a completely new idea. In 2001, Mel Brooks turned his 1967 film "The Producers" into Broadway gold. A few years later, Billy, who by then had his own show on Broadway, the Tony-winning "700 Sundays," received a call from his old friend Mel.

When he was finishing "700 Sundays," Mel Brooks called me and asked, "Billy, could you go across the street and do 'The Producers,' be on 'The Producers,' play Max Bialystock? That's a question." I said, "Mel, I love you and I would. I've been waiting for this call my whole life, but I don't want to be the fifth person to play Max Bialystock." And he said, "You won't, you'll be number 12." and then he said, "But I've had people ask me if you think 'Mr. Saturday Night' could be a musical, so I'm throwing it out there." So that was 2005. ♫ I have no luck, no friends, no hope ♫ and now, more than 800 Sundays later, here we are.

At its core, the show is about a man who has one last chance at greatness and his fear of fading away. It's every comedian's worst nightmare: waking up one day and not being funny, not being relevant, not even being necessary to think about. Is that your worst nightmare? Well, I think everyone who works to know when they're ever going to forget me, how do you stay funny, how do you stay that way, you know? How, you know, how do you stay on the surfboard? ♫ what's the point of talking to you? It's okay, I'm just playing, I'm just playing ♫ he has some help.

In the film, David Paymer played Buddy's long-suffering brother Stan. Now Paymer is back on board to perform on Broadway. We are two slippers, you know we are two old slippers. We have carried these guys in our souls for a long time. If David Paymer didn't exist, do you think you could make it? Isn't it what he wanted? I'm glad I brought a little joy...and what Billy Crystal wants is to do the show right and he's given himself the hardest job. He sings in no less than eight numbers. Of course, we've heard his voice before: ♫ It's a wonderful night for the Oscar!

Oscar, Oscar, who will win? ♫ You didn't think he wasn't going to do this, did you? As an Oscar host, he often began the show with a song. I did the medleys and it was exciting to sing with the big orchestra and the big Mark Shaiman medleys that we put together, but this is really different. "Mr Saturday Night" premieres April 27 and Billy Crystal will do seven shows a week, a tough schedule even for the youngest players. He trained for this like an athlete, at rehearsals (try to get rid of it as fast as you get it) and at home.

I know the Yankees are looking for a shortstop, just saying. Are you ready for this physically? I think so. I'm in great shape. and yeah, you drag your ass home after a show and then you wake up and the first thing you do is go ♫ get upstairs ♫ okay, I've got my to   my you know ♫ show up ♫ okay, I'm here. Is that what you do when you wake up in the morning? Yeah, you want to make sure you're not too tired, you know, or something. Yes, listen, it is the ultimate challenge and right now I feel very strong and ready to do it, but I never thought I would get there until now.

There's an electric feeling, I sing that young duet, you know, and I'm 28 years old. I feel like I'm 28. If I can revisit it seven times a week, it's worth it! Now when you come off the stage do you still feel 28? No, I feel like 97. You'd never know it amazing. Billy Crystal is light and his timing seems perfect. so far it's working, it's working and it's crazy exciting, it's like it goes on, I almost laugh sometimes because I feel like I don't know, I plant my feet, I get my body right and I get there in just five feet, seven strokes. these great notes and it's a kind of joy.

I smile thinking about it. And seeing him on stage in a role he loves, it's hard not to smile with him.