William Shatner Headed to Broadway in One-Man Show

Michael Riedel reports in today's New York Post that William Shatner is headed to Broadway in early 2012 with a 2-3 week engagement of SHATNER'S WORLD: WE JUST LIVE IN IT which will play for 2-3 weeks at the Music Box Theater on Broadway. The show will be a temporary booking at the theatre, which is currently home to PRIVATE LIVES, which just moved up its closing to December 31. 

Shatner's Broadway engagement is said to kick off a national tour of his show, for which promotional notes proclaim "Mr. Shatner, best known for his varying roles as Cpt. James T. Kirk, T.J. Hooker and Attorney Denny Crane, will be coming to a city near you this Fall. With a career spanning more than 7 decades, Mr. Shatner’s career in entertainment and philanthropy work is unparalleled by any other Canadian born entertainer. Mr. Shatner will be taking attendees on a wild ride through his life and career and singing songs as only he can."

William Shatner's career has spanned over 50 years. He's an Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award-winning actor, director, producer, screenwriter, recording artist, author, and horseman. He is one of pop culture's most recognizable figures and a Hollywood philanthropist. Born in Montreal, Shatner developed an early interest in acting and started working professionally at the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) before he reached his teens.

He found himself drawn to the theater and eventually joined the Stratford Shakespeare Festival under Sir Tyrone Guthrie. "Tamburlaine," one of the festival's productions, moved to Broadway and Shatner was immediately noticed by the New York critics. He later returned to Canada and won the Tyrone Guthrie Award. During his time at Stratford, Shatner also wrote plays for the CBC. He moved to New York and was a part of television's Golden Age, working on programs such as "Playhouse 90" and "Studio One." He made his film debut in 1957's "The Brothers Karamazov," followed by "Judgment at Nuremburg" and "The Intruder." During the same period, he starred on Broadway in "The World of Suzie Wong" and "A Shot in the Dark." In 1966, Shatner originated the role of Captain James T. Kirk in the television series "Star Trek," which rocketed to fame - but only after the show was cancelled and then later re-launched in syndication.

The series spawned a feature film franchise in which Shatner reprised the role of Captain Kirk in seven of the "Star Trek" motion pictures. Shatner played the title role in the series "T.J. Hooker" before hosting one of television's new generation of reality-based series, "Rescue 911," which aired on CBS for six seasons. Since the show first aired in 1989, over 300 lives have been saved by people who learned life-saving techniques from the show. He has since guest-starred in several hundred television programs, including classics such as "The Twilight Zone," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and "Mission: Impossible." He also recurred on other staples, including "77 Sunset Strip" and "Dr. Kildare" before garnering an Emmy nomination in 1999 for his appearances in "3rd Rock from the Sun." He made his feature film directorial debut in 1989 with "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" (in which he also starred and helped conceive the story). Since then, he has directed several other features, television movies and series. Most recently, he directed (as well as co-wrote, produced and starred in) "Groom Lake," a picture about the mysterious area in the southwestern United States. Shatner has also appeared in other movies such as "Airplane II: The Sequel," "Loaded Weapon 1," "Showtime" and both installments of the "Miss Congeniality" franchise. Since April 1998, Shatner has served as the spokesman for Priceline.com. His enduring appeal has proven to be an integral part of the company's ad campaigns and brand marketing program. As the celebrity spokesperson for Priceline.com, he contributes his trademark sense of humor and entertaining style to a series of television and radio commercials.

In September 2004, Shatner won an Emmy Award for his recurring role as eccentric lawyer Denny Crane on "The Practice," the David E. Kelley-created legal drama that finished its run in 2004. Shatner then reprised the role - this time as a series regular - on "Boston Legal." He won his first Golden Globe Award in January 2005 and another Emmy Award that September. He has since earned four more Emmy nominations, a second Golden Globe nod as well as two SAG Award nominations. "Shatner's Raw Nerve," an edgy and off-beat celebrity interview series, currently airs on the Bio channel.