Dan's Papers - October 3, 2008 - Smart, Wry, Outrageous Fare for the Celebrity Obsessed

Ours is a celebrity-obsessed culture - supermarket aisles are lined with tabloids regaling the exploits of the rich and famous and it wouldn't be surprising to learn that more people check out gossip Web sites than news sites. So it makes sense that celebrities are at the top of the list of obvious comedic fodder for comics.

Now, Eugene Pack, a writer and performer, has found a way to skewer celebrities with their own words, with his new show. He'll be bringing Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words, which is performed every Monday night in Manhattan at the Triad Theater, to Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor on Oct. 11 and 12.

The concept of Celebrity Autobiography is simple: Actors and comics get on stage and read from various celebrities' autobiographies, interpreting them and bringing them to life. "These autobiographies are unintentionally funny," Pack said. "Some of them take themselves a little too seriously. We find the humor in it," adding, "The audience loves it."

Pack looks to find performers who are the exact opposite of the celebrity whose book they're reading. Bruce Vilanch channels Star Jones. Richard Kind reads from Vanna White's autobiography Vanna Speaks. Joy Behar takes on Madonna's Sex in a way that only she can. "She definitely puts a different twist on it," said Pack, who usually reads from Neil Sedaka's autobiography. Basically, no celebrity who has released an autobiography is safe. "There's constantly new material. These books are being put out every week." The group has even gone outside the realm of autobiographies to include Suzanne Somers' book of poetry.

And Pack and his cast - some who are there every week, some revolving - take creative liberties while preparing some of the pieces for the show, pairing up various celebritie's autobiographies to tell stories. Pairing up the books written by Debbie Reynolds, Eddie Fisher and Richard Burton, Celebrity Autobiography tells the tale of the much publicized love triangle. They take a similar slant with Burt Reynolds' My Life, his former girlfriend, Loni Anderson's My Life in High Heels and Burt and Me: My Days and Nights with Burt Reynolds, the book written by his personal assistant, Elaine Blake Hall.

In one segment, they juxtapose Motley Crue's Tommy Lee's Tommy Land with Sylvester Stallone's Sly Moves. "Tommy Lee's is talking about a graphic sex scene and Sylvester Stallone is talking graphically about dieting and working out," Pack said. "It's hilarious and bizarre."

"I didn't see it before [being asked to join it], but it sounded like a lot of fun," said "Saturday Night Live" alum Rachel Dratch, who reads from Joan Lunden's book and says the theater's intimate setting really makes the show what it is. "The first time I went to perform, I did a piece, then watched the rest of the show from the side. It's just such a funny show."

Celebrity Autobiography was performed in Los Angeles and quickly built an audience for itself. "Basically, the idea was inspired by anytime you see an autobiography or a book on tape narrated by that person in stores," Pack said. "You see the language in it, the details they write, both the personal and mundane. I always felt it was material."

Now, the show is picking up steam in New York City, with celebrities clamoring to both attend the shows and perform in them. "We got a rave review in the New York Times, that's unheard of," Pack said. "I had a hunch [it would be a success]. I thought the idea was funny. People are so intrigued by these books. It's great to have it catch on so quickly. It's a hot ticket" The Manhattan performances have included such celebrities as Steve Martin, Eugene Levy, Molly Shannon, Alec Baldwin and Nathan Lane.

Dratch, who during her time on SNL was known for many characters, such as Debbie Downer and Denise "Zazu" McDonough, from the Boston Teens sketch with Jimmy Fallon, has lent her voice to "Assy McGee" on Comedy Central's "Adult Swim," had a few guest star stints on "30 Rock," has a slew of movies in the works and will soon begin rehearsals for Minsky's, a new Broadway play.

She'll be joined by Bob Balaban (Gosford Park, "Seinfeld"), Richard Kind ("Spin City" and The Producers on Broadway), Claudia Shear (Dirty Blond on Broadway), Sherri Shepherd ("The View") and Kristen Wiig ("SNL") for both Sag Harbor performances of "Celebrity Autobiography." Behar will join the cast on Oct. 11, while Vilanch will take the stage on Oct. 12. Tickets for the Oct. 11 show cost $100 and will be followed by a reception with the cast. Tickets for Oct. 12 are $65. They can be purchased online at baystreet.org or by calling the box office at 631-725-9500.