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Still Mahvelous!
The six-city trek will kick off with a September 8-17 engagement at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., and then move on to Philadelphia’s Merriam Theatre (September 30-October 11), followed by the Winspear Opera House in Dallas (November 17-22), Miami’s Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County (December 9-13) and Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center in Atlanta (December 16-20).
The show will also make a stop at a yet-to-be-announced venue in West Palm Beach, Fla., December 3-6. Onsale dates for all tickets will be announced in the coming weeks.
“700 Sundays” is Crystal’s two-act autobiographical rumination on the events of his life from his childhood days in the jazz world of New York City to his love for baseball and his successful television and film career.
The show played to sold-out houses for six months when it debuted on Broadway in late 2004, winning a 2005 Tony Award for best special theatrical experience and setting a record for non-musical production with a gross of more than $1 million.
Following its run on the Great White Way, Crystal took the show on to sold-out engagements in Toronto, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles, as well as Melbourne and Sydney, Australia.
“I have thought about 700 Sundays at least once a day since the last time I performed it in Australia two years ago,” Crystal said in a statement. “My love for these characters from the canvas of my life and the incredible connection that I feel with audiences while sharing this personal story have made this one of the most satisfying experiences of my life.”
Speaking of sharing personal experiences, Crystal, whose uncle, Milt Gabler, owned legendary independent jazz label Commodore Records, will narrate a new BBC Radio 2 documentary on Billie Holiday that marks the 50th anniversary of the singer’s death.
“Billy on Billie,” which airs July 14, features the comedian sharing personal memories of Holiday, who was a regular visitor to the Crystal home.
“My uncle Milt ran Commodore Records, a small independent Jazz label,” Crystal explained to BBC. “He had a shop of the same name on 52nd Street in New York, in the middle of all the jazz clubs. Swing Street they called it.
“Billie Holiday was a regular on Swing Street and Milt and Billie became friends.
“When no one else would release ‘Strange Fruit,’ Milt stepped in. The song was about the lynchings in the South, and American people didn’t want to hear about it. Milt knew it wasn’t economical, but he thought it was really important.
“For my part, I am so proud that my family was involved in the record that Time magazine would one day vote the most important release of the 20th century.”