Authors of Plays/Musicals performing in their own work

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 1/15/17 at 5:17pm

What do you think are some of the best performances of writers appearing in their own plays or musicals?

My picks:

Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen in [title of show]

Lin-Manuel Miranda

[gleek4114]

Posted: 1/15/17 at 5:51pm

Harvey Fierstein replaced in the last La Cage revival.

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 1/15/17 at 5:51pm

Christopher Durang appeared in a production of his play Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. 

[gleek4114]

Posted: 1/15/17 at 5:51pm

Also Sting stepped into The Last Ship in an effort to boost sales.

[kdogg36]

Posted: 1/15/17 at 5:57pm

gleek4114 said: "Also Sting stepped into The Last Ship in an effort to boost sales."

Along the same lines, Billie Joe Armstrong did a couple of stints in American Idiot.

Also, Noël Coward starred in the original productions of some of his plays, including Private Lives and Present Laughter. 

 

Updated On: 1/15/17 at 05:57 PM

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 1/15/17 at 6:07pm

Rumor has it that Harvey Fierstein also ghostwrote parts of Hairspray, which he performed in. 

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 1/15/17 at 6:10pm

Noel Coward, Anna Deveare Smith, Claudia Shear, Mae West and Harold Pinter in several of their own works.
David Hare in Via Dolorosa.
Lynn Redgrave in Shakespeare for My Father.
Anne Meara in After-Play.
Stew in Passing Strange.
Elaine Stritch in At Liberty
Betty Comden and Adolph Green in On the Town and A Party with Comden and Green.
George M. Cohan was often the star of his own shows.
As, it is widely believed, was William Shakespeare.

 

Updated On: 1/15/17 at 06:10 PM

[kdogg36]

Posted: 1/15/17 at 6:23pm

Also, one more: John Cameron Mitchell in Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

I'm sure there are zillions, as henrikegerman's post already makes clear.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 1/15/17 at 6:42pm

All those mentions of Harvey Fierstein and no-one nodded to his greatest performance as writer/ star: TORCH SONG TRILOGY of course.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 1/15/17 at 11:45pm

Anthony Newley in STOP THE WORLD... and ROAR OF THE GREASEPAINT... (and the film DOCTOR DOOLITTLE).

[beilis32]

Posted: 1/15/17 at 11:48pm

Dave Malloy, the composer of Great Comet, is Pierre on the original recording.

[willep]

Posted: 1/15/17 at 11:49pm

Dave Malloy will always be my Pierre.

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 1/15/17 at 11:59pm

^THIS
I love Groban, but he is #notmyPierre

[Gorlois]

Posted: 1/16/17 at 12:14am

Thornton Wilder played the role of the Stage Manager in Our Town.

[Gorlois]

Posted: 1/16/17 at 12:16am

TheGingerBreadMan said: "Rumor has it that Harvey Fierstein also ghostwrote parts of Hairspray, which he performed in. 

 

"

I always assumed he did write the book to Hairspray.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 1/16/17 at 2:40am

For what it's worth...

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1078869#4611607

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 1/16/17 at 7:30am

Gorlois said: "TheGingerBreadMan said: "Rumor has it that Harvey Fierstein also ghostwrote parts of Hairspray, which he performed in. 

 



I always assumed he did write the book to Hairspray.

 

Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan are credited with writing the book, but it has often been said that Harvey helped out and did not take credit for it. 

 

[AC126748]

Posted: 1/16/17 at 8:53am

As someone who saw Chris Durang attempt to play Vanya, it deserves no place on a list praising the best of anything.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 1/16/17 at 10:39am

Gerry Ragni & Jim Rado played Berger and Claude in the original Broadway production of Hair.

[NoName3]

Posted: 1/17/17 at 5:06am

W.S. Gilbert played the non-singing role of The Usher in several charity benefit performances of Trial by Jury.

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 1/17/17 at 8:27am

"Everyday Rapture" with Sherie Rene Scott?