A contributer to popular web site Ain't It Cool News, had the good fortune to attend a rehearsal of Will Ferrell's upcoming stage show, You're Welcome America, A Final Night with George W. Bush and has come away raving and reporting on the experience.
The site writes "I'm not going to give away too much of the funny, but since what I saw was a working version and is likely to change dramatically, it wouldn't matter anyway. In the show, Ferrell's Bush stumbles through the telling of his childhood adventures, his collegiate misdeeds, his Gubernatorial days in Texas and on through the 2000 election debacle, September 11th, the subsequent coercion of the press and congress, and the consequent invasion of Iraq... oh, we get a small smattering of Hurricane Katrina to boot. Does is sound like a fairly comprehensive history of our 43rd commander in chief? It is. Does it sound like a scathing portrayal of a sitting US President? It is."
Click here for the full report.
Variety recently reported that HBO has signed on as a producer of Will Ferrell's upcoming Broadway show, "You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush". The cable network is also set to air a live telecast of the show from Broadway, at a date to be named later. (It's assumed that it'll be from towards the end of the show's run).
The TV special will be directed by Marty Callner, who previously has directed other HBO comedy specials including those of Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Robin Williams and George Carlin. Executive producers will be Callner for Funny Business as well as Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Jessica Elbaum for Gary Sanchez Productions.
Film and television star Will Ferrell's upcoming Broadway debut in his new one-man show "You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W Bush" will officially open on Thursday, February 5th, 2009, with previews starting on January 20th. The show will be directed by Adam McKay, Ferrell's longtime collaborator, and director of the comedy classics Anchorman, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, and this summer's box office hit Step Brothers.
Performances will begin on Tuesday, January 20, 2009, the same day as the United States Presidential Inauguration, in preparation for the February 5th opening. The limited engagement will run through March 15, 2009 at the Cort Theatre (138 West 48th Street)
"You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W Bush" is being produced by Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel and Steve Traxler the producing team behind the current August: Osage County and Speed-The-Plow, as well as Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's Gary Sanchez Productions with Executive Producer Jessica Elbaum.
Will Ferrell has come a long way since his days on Saturday Night Live, crossing over from television icon to motion picture star. Most recently, Ferrell reunited with John C. Reilly in the comedy Step Brothers. Ferrell also reunited with longtime collaborator, writer/director Adam McKay, to co-write the screenplay. Released this July, Step Brothers went to earn over $100 million domestically.
