Billy Crystal’s Broadway musical comedy “Mr. Saturday Night” will close on Sept. 4, the show’s reps announced on Sunday.
Based on the 1992 film of the same name, which was also Crystal’s directorial debut, “Mr. Saturday Night” is co-written and stars the 74-year-old actor as Buddy Young Jr., a comedian whose career soars and then plummets during the early years of television.
“Bringing ‘Mr. Saturday Night’ to the Broadway stage and experiencing the laughter and tears this show generates has truly been one of the high points of my career,” Crystal said in a statement. “It has been a joyous experience to make my musical comedy debut at the age of 74, and I thank everyone involved.”
At the time of its closing, “Mr. Saturday Night” will have run 116 performances with 28 previews, having opened at the Nederlander Theatre on March 31. The film has received five Tony nominations, including Best Musical, Best Leading Actor for Crystal, and Best Book for Crystal, Lowell Ganz, and Babaloo Mandel. John Rando directed the musical with Jason Robert Brown and Amanda Green as composers and lyricists, David O as music director and Ellenore Scott as choreographer.
After leaving the Broadway stage, Crystal will next work on the Apple TV+ series “Before” with director Barry Levinson and “Forrest Gump” writer Eric Roth.