Nathan Lane as George Babbitt? Broadway's Funnyman Engages in Book Talk

Hey, Mr. Producer! You want to get one of Broadway's most bankable stars to be in your show? Find yourself a stage version of Sinclair Lewis' 1922 satire of American middle class conformity, BABBITT.

In a funny and informative Q&A with The New York Times Sunday Book Review, which will appear in print November 8th, the double Tony winner and co-author of NAUGHTY MABEL, a children's story about an attention-hungry French bulldog, Nathan Lane calls the character whose name has become synonymous with mindless adherence to middlebrow values, as the fictional figure he would most like to play.

You might also nab him with an adaptation of Ford Madox Ford's THE GOOD SOLDIER.

"I can't believe that book came out in 1915! It could have been written yesterday, which is why it's a classic. And I also find it incredibly witty."

Click here for the full article, which includes Nathan Lane's guest list for an imaginary literary party and the surprising book you would find on his shelf.

NATHAN LANE is an award-winning star of stage, screen, and television. Last seen on Broadway in Terrence McNally's IT'S ONLY A PLAY, he has won two Tony awards, five Drama Desk Awards, two Obies, and the Olivier Award. On television he has had recurring roles on MODERN FAMILY and The Good Wife. He has received six primetime Emmy Award nominations, and has won two daytime Emmys and the People's Choice Award. He has made over thirty-five films, including The Birdcage, The Lion King, Stuart Little, and The Producers. In 2006 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in 2008 he was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.

NAUGHTY MABEL, the first-ever book by the Tony and Emmy Award-winning actor and Devin Elliott, features illustrations by acclaimed illustrator and animator Dan Krall. The book will be the first picture book in a series about Mabel, a fabulous French bulldog based on Lane and Elliott's very own naughty (but adorable) pup. Mabel is the queen of the Hamptons and has a penchant for getting her perfectly pedicured paws into trouble. Told with a signature mix of humor and charm, Mabel brings readers along as she gets into all sorts of hilarious hijinks, even with the best of intentions.

PHOTO: Walter McBride