Broadway In Chicago has announced the pre-Broadway engagement of Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, a new musical conceived by Martin Short, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman with book by Short and Daniel Goldfarb (Modern Orthodox), music by Shaiman, and lyrics by Wittman and Shaiman (Hairspray). Directed by Wittman, Martin Short:
Fame Becomes Me will play the LaSalle Bank Theatre (18 W. Monroe St.),
July 5th through 16th, 2006. The show will open on Broadway August 17th.
In the grand tradition of West Side Story and The Lion King comes the next great American musical... but until then, there's Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me. A humble musical salute to the cultural phenomenon that is Martin Short, Fame Becomes Me is
fractured autobiography, searing show business expose and heart-rending
confessional, climaxing in a giant metaphorical snowball. Backed by a
versatile troupe of singer/actors and his onstage music director Marc
Shaiman, the show features Short in a tour de force performance guiding
us through an improbable version of his life story in a transparent
play for love and attention," state press notes. Live Nation &
Becker Zeiger Entertainment and Harbor Entertainment will present
Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me.
The show features Brooks Ashmanskas, Mary Birdsong, Capathia Jenkins and Nicole Parker playing a wide variety of different characters, both real and imagined, who figure into Short's parallel reality.
Fame Becomes Me will feature the Tony-award winning design team of set designer Scott Pask (Tony Award for The Pillowman) and costume designer Jess Goldstein (Tony for The Rivals). Peter Hylenski is the sound designer and Christopher Gatelli (Altar Boyz) will choreograph.
Short appeared in the Broadway productions of Neil Simon and Cy Coleman's Little Me (Tony Award, Outer Critics Circle Award), Marvin Hamlisch and Simon's The Goodbye Girl (Tony Award nomination, Theater World Award, Outer Critics Circle Award) and in the Encores! Series in Promises, Promises--with a book by Simon. In Los Angeles, he appeared in Lawrence Kasdan's production of John Patrick Shanley's Four Dogs and a Bone and Mel Brooks' The Producers. Short began his theatrical career in the Toronto production of Godspell. In 1982, he joined the "SCTV Comedy Network" where his work garnered an Emmy Award. Short's ability as a comedic chameleon brought him to "Saturday Night Live," where his standout performances included Ed Grimley, Jackie Rogers Jr., legendary songwriter Irving Cohen and lawyer Nathan Thurm. He co-wrote, produced and starred in the television comedy specials: "Martin Short's Concert for the North Americas" (Ace Award); "I, Martin Short, Goes Hollywood" (Ace Award); and "The Show Formerly Known As The Martin Short Show" (Emmy Award). He also co-starred in the miniseries "Merlin" (Emmy nomination) and "Alice in Wonderland" as the Mad Hatter.Videos