Tony Award winner Billy Crystal stopped by this month's WTF Podcast with Marc MARON to talk about his long-time career in show business, standup comedy, TV and movies. The comic also fondly remembers his relationships with icons like Muhammad Ali, Mickey Mantle, Jack Rollins and Robin Williams.
During the interview (listen in full here), Crystal reveals that he is currently at work writing a stage musical adaptation of his 1992 film MR. SATURDAY NIGHT. He tells Maron, "We're making it a musical for the Nederlanders, who loved the movie. [They] came to us and said this could be a musical...We've written the first draft [and] had a reading the other day." He continues, "It totally has the spirit of the film and it could be really exciting."
MR. SATURDAY NIGHT marked Crystal's directorial debut. It followed the rise and fall of Buddy Young Jr., a stand-up comedian. Crystal produced and co-wrote the screenplay with the writing duo Babaloo Mandel and Lowell Ganz. Co-star David Paymer received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. The film is based on the SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Weekend Update sketch where Billy Crystal plays Buddy Young Jr. reviewing a restaurant he went to.
