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. Previews began on January 20th. The show is 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.
Tickets may be purchased at the Cort Theatre Box Office (138 West 48th Street), or by visiting telecharge.com or calling (212) 239-6200 in the New York area, and (800) 432-7250 outside the New York metro area.
Performances began 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.
"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.
Ferrell completed his seventh and final season on the legendary NBC late-night hit Saturday Night Live in 2002, having taken the nation by storm during "Indecision 2000" by impersonating President George W. Bush on the show. Some of his most memorable SNL characters include Craig the Spartan Cheerleader, musical middle school teacher Marty Culp, and Tom Wilkins, the hyperactive co-host of "Morning Latte." Among his many cross-gender impressions are Janet Reno, Alex Trebek, Neil Diamond and the late, great Chicago Cubs sportscaster Harry Caray. His work on SNL earned two Emmy nominations in 2001 (Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program, and Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program).
Adam McKay is a writer, director, and producer who has done the movies Anchorman, Talladega Nights and most recently, Step Brothers, which he co-wrote with Will Ferrell. He is a former head writer of SNL and one of the founding members of the Upright Citizens Brigade. Other past credits include writing for Michael Moore's show "The Awful Truth." Most recently he co-founded the comedy website Funny or Die and just finished producing the movie The Goods: The Don Ready Story. He is currently in production on a comedy show for HBO through his production company with Will Ferrell, Gary Sanchez Productions.
"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.
Photos by Robert J. Saferstein
