On Stage: “Billy Crystal’s 860”
Photos: Avery Brunkus
Billy Crystal’s 860
One week after the January 2025 wildfires decimated Southern California’s Pacific Palisades, Billy Crystal, his wife Janice and two grown daughters returned to 860 Chautauqua Blvd., the address of the sprawling ranch-style house they’d called home for 46 years:
“All you could see were skeletons of trees and chimneys, the ones that hadn’t fallen, stuff blowing in the streets, nobody around.”
Crediting luck and/or fate, Crystal’s new solo Broadway show isn’t just about that loss, it’s about grief, resilience, family, loving, support, coping with disaster and treasuring a rock retrieved from their garden inscribed with the word ‘Laughter.’
“Laughter made my life possible,” 78-year-old Crystal clarifies, acknowledging how producer Norman Lear ignited his TV career with “All in the Family,” then onto “Saturday Night Live,” the sit-com “Soap,” the hit film “When Harry Met Sally,” followed by “City Slickers,” and nine years hosting the Academy Awards.
Nevertheless, 2025 was the worst year of Billy Crystal’s life, losing not only his beloved family home but also his closest friend, Rob Reiner: “The unimaginable became reality, and reality will always be unimaginable.”
Growing up on Long Island and studying film at NYU with a rapid-speaking professor named Martin Scorsese, Crystal’s stint at the Upper East Side comedy club Catch a Rising Star got him booked to open for Blood, Sweat & Tears — and when the band’s temperamental frontman, David Clayton-Thomas, balked, Crystal was left to ad-lib until he regained his composure.
Clad in jeans and sneakers, Crystal describes the cherished archival souvenirs that once lined his home office (re-created by set designer Scott Pask): symbols of his friendship with Robin Willians and Jack Nicholson, mementos of his heroes — Muhammed Ali and Mickey Mantle — and an authentic wooden seat from the original Yankee Stadium.
Billy Crystal is a compelling storyteller with the impeccable timing of a veteran Borscht Belt comedian.
Running a fast-paced 95 minutes without intermission. “Billy Crystal’s 860” is directed by Scott Ellis with videos by Hana S. Kim and Kylee Loera, Marc Shaiman’s music, Jen Schriever’s lighting, and Dan Moses Schrier’s sound design.
Due to popular demand, “Billy Crystal’s 860” has been extended through Sunday, February 14, 2027 — and for avid theater-goers living in Connecticut, it’s well worth the trip into Manhattan.
Susan Granger is a product of Hollywood. Her natural father, S. Sylvan Simon, was a director and producer at M.G.M. and Columbia Pictures. Her adoptive father, Armand Deutsch, produced movies at M.G.M.
As a child, Susan appeared in movies with Abbott & Costello, Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Margaret O’Brien, and Lassie. She attended Mills College in California, studying journalism with Pierre Salinger, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with highest honors in journalism.