By April Isaacs
And if anyone understands this, it's the creators of “Celebrity Autobiography,” a 90-minute show where well-known comedians and actors read particularly juicy, silly and telling excerpts from the real, published autobiographies (or books of poetry, in the case of Suzanne Somers) of famous people. As the subtitle suggests, the comedians don't make up a word of it. “Celebrity Autobiography” has been running in Los Angeles since 1998 and appeared on the cable channel Bravo as a one-hour comedy special in 2005. Wanting to test the waters in New York, creators Eugene Pack, Dayle Reyfel and Peter Martin got in touch with producer and Bayside resident Angelo Fraboni to see if he would co-produce a stage version of “Celebrity Autobiography” in Manhattan. Once Fraboni saw the video, he was hooked.”You just can't believe what they write,” he said. “You have Tommy Lee explaining in graphic details a menage Œ trois that he had and then there's Sylvester Stallone going on long digressions about the contents of his refrigerator.” As well as a theater producer, Fraboni is a choreographer, actor, director and dance instructor. His production credits include the critically acclaimed Off Broadway series “Singular Sensations” with Carol Channing in 2002, and he is currently co-producing a play in Westport, Conn., called “Vigil” starring Timothy Busfield and Helen Stenborg that's expected to run in New York this fall. “Celebrity Autobiography” premiered in New York in September of last year and will run until the end of March at the Triad Theater in Manhattan, with an additional show in April and another in May. With most performances selling out, Fraboni hopes to bring the show to New York on a more regular basis. “Now that the writer's strike is over, Eugene [Pack] is tied up with other projects until August, so we're taking a break for the summer, but we should be back in September for more performances.”Past readers in New York have included Joy Behar, Carson Kressley, Michael McKean, Rachel Dratch, Molly Shannon and Kristen Wiig. There are regular readers, too, such as Kristen Johnson, who really comes alive as Loni Anderson; Matthew Broderick, who likes to read David Cassidy; and Richard Kind, who is eerily (and hilariously) serious about the hard, thankless job of a puzzle-board operator as he reads from “Vanna Speaks!””It's not meant to be malicious,” Fraboni said. One night, unbeknownst to the producers and performers, one of the celebrities was in the audience while his autobiography was being read. Fraboni said the celebrity took it in stride. “No one gets offended. It just makes for good theater.” If you go: “Celebrity Autobiography” Date: Mondays through March 24Time: 7:30 p.m.Location: Triad Theater, 158 West 72nd St., ManhattanCost: $35-$45 with two-drink minimum; student rush tickets $10For More: Smarttix.com for tickets
