William Shatner welcomes audiences into his world in Broadway one-man show
Music Box Theatre
239 West 45th St. between Broadway & Eighth Aves.
Through March 4, $61.50 – $126.50 (VIP $251.50 with meet & greet)
www.shatnersworld.com
Canadian actor and pitchman extraordinaire William Shatner, who has been entertaining audiences for more than sixty years in his own rather unique style, discusses his life and nearly inexplicable career in the fun one-man show Shatner’s World: We Just Live in It . . . The stout octogenarian, who turns eighty-one on March 22, ambles about the stage at the Music Box Theatre for nearly two hours showing vintage clips and photographs and telling anecdotes from his glorious past, from understudying for Christopher Plummer in Tyrone Guthrie’s production of Henry V at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Canada to doing live television with Lon Chaney Jr. in the 1950s to starring on Broadway in 1959 in The World of Suzie Wong with France Nuyen. He also talks about this sci-fi thing called Star Trek, playing Denny Crane on Boston Legal, and his unexpected golden-throated recording career. (The night we went, he was joined onstage for a special encore with Brad Paisley, who wrote the song “Real” for Shatner’s 2007 album, Has Been.) He shares tales of his mother and father, drops in mentions of his wives and daughter, and tears up when discussing his beloved stallion. Just as Shatner roams around the stage, his tales roam as well, going back and forth through time, often with only the thinnest of threads linking them together. While there are many touching and revealing moments, especially if you haven’t read any of his books, there are also plenty that fall flat and feel forced. Curiously, the Playbill includes no credit for the writing of the show, which is not surprising. Shatner also can’t seem to make up his mind whether he wants to sit down on the rolling chair at the center of the stage, continually sitting and standing in a sometimes awkward manner. But hey, those are just minor tribbles, er, quibbles, for indeed, this is Shatner’s world, and we just live in it. There has never been a performer quite like William Shatner, and likely never will be another; throughout his robust career, his signature pauses, intoxicating smile, sheer confidence, and innate ability to laugh at himself have made us forget about his shortcomings. A must-see for Shatner fans, Shatner’s World continues at the Music Box through March 4 before heading out on a U.S. tour.