Celebrity Autobiography Broadway preview at Shubert

Celebrity Autobiography is finally getting a real Broadway run, and that matters more than it might sound at first. This isn’t a new play trying to prove itself. It’s a long-running comedy format that has already built a cult following by having famous people read other famous people’s memoirs out loud — seriously, dramatically, and with the exact wrong amount of dignity. (playbill.com) Now it lands at the Shubert Theatre, with previews starting Saturday, May 16, 2026, and an official opening on Monday, May 18. ### What is the show, exactly? The basic trick is simple and very good. (shubert.nyc) Celebrities perform selections from autobiographies written by other celebrities, and the comedy comes from how unintentionally wild those books can be when someone commits to every word onstage. The Broadway production is billed as a 90-minute show with no intermission, created by Eugene Pack, with Pack and Dayle Reyfel also in the performing company. (playbill.com) ### Why is this Broadway run a real step up? Because this is being sold as the Broadway premiere, not just another revival or one-off special. The show has had a long life before this, but the Shubert booking gives it a bigger commercial platform and puts it into the new Broadway season in one of the district’s marquee houses. That changes the scale — more visibility, more tourist traffic, and a stronger chance that stunt casting becomes part of the appeal. (playbill.com) ### Who’s actually in it? The producers announced a big rotating bench instead of one fixed cast, which is the whole point. Names attached so far include Rita Wilson, Kenan Thompson, Gayle King, Andrea Martin, Bobby Moynihan, Jackie Hoffman, Mario Cantone, Jeff Hiller, Nia Vardalos, Molly Shannon, Kathy Griffin, Will Forte, Chloe Fineman, Billy Porter, Tony Shalhoub, and more. (playbill.com) For opening night, the announced lineup is narrower and includes Wilson, Thompson, King, Martin, Moynihan, Hoffman, Cantone, Hiller, Christopher Jackson, Ben Mankiewicz, and Vardalos. ### Why does the rotating cast matter so much? Because the cast is basically the product. A normal Broadway comedy sells you the script, the stars, and the reviews. This one sells unpredictability. (playbill.com) The official site and production listing both lean hard on the idea that the cast is “constantly expanding,” which means one night’s show can feel different from the next even if the format stays the same. ### What does the schedule look like? The first preview is set for May 16 at 7:30 p.m. Then there are two performances on May 17, followed by opening night on May 18. The currently posted run stretches through September 6, 2026. Ticket listings show prices starting around the mid-$50 range on some dates, while the producers’ announcement said seats would start at $49 at every performance. (shubert.nyc) ### So what kind of audience is this for? Basically, people who like theater but don’t need theater to be solemn. It’s also catnip for pop-culture obsessives, because half the fun is hearing exactly which memoir gets roasted and who’s doing the reading. And because the cast pulls from TV, comedy, journalism, film, and stage, the audience isn’t limited to hardcore Broadway regulars. (playbill.com) ### What’s the bottom line? This Broadway move turns a durable comedy concept into an event show. The script isn’t really the headline — the headline is the machine: a famous theater, a short run, and a cast list designed to make people check who’s on that night before they buy. (playbill.com)