The 'CBS Mornings' co-anchor will be part of the starry rotating cast of 'Celebrity Autobiography,' which begins performances on May 16
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NEED TO KNOW
- Gayle King will make her Broadway debut in Celebrity Autobiography, a comedy show featuring dramatic readings of memoirs
- The production begins previews May 16 and opens officially May 18 at the Shubert Theatre in New York City
- King joins an all-star opening-night cast including Kenan Thompson, Nia Vardalos, Andrea Martin, and Rita Wilson
Gayle King is going from outer space to Broadway — and apparently, the latter requires a lot less preparation.
The CBS Mornings co-anchor is, 71, is keeping things simple ahead of her debut in Celebrity Autobiography, the long-running comedy hit making its first-ever Broadway bow later this month at the Shubert Theatre in New York City.
Speaking with PEOPLE at The Hollywood Reporter's Most Powerful People in New York Media event, King says she's not taking any steps before she steps on the stage.
“No, no, no,” she says at the bash, held Thursday, May 7 at Daniel in New York City. “I'm going to do exactly what they tell me to do. I follow instructions very nicely.”
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This will be King's first time on Broadway. “I'm excited about it,” she says, showing no signs of nerves.
She went on to explain that like her voyage on the all-female Blue Origin rocket last April, Broadway just fell in her life.
“They asked me and I said, 'Sure,' " King shares. "Because, if there's one thing I can do, I can read. So I feel okay about it! I feel okay about it.”
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Created by Eugene Pack and co-created by Dayle Reyfel, Celebrity Autobiography features stars reading — and dramatically acting out — excerpts from famous memoirs, leaning into the unintentionally funny, overly revealing and often absurd moments found within their pages.
The comedy production blends solo readings with ensemble mash-ups, where multiple autobiographies collide into comedic scenes complete with love triangles and wildly different versions of the same stories.
The limited Broadway engagement begins previews May 16 ahead of an official opening night May 18. The production is scheduled to run through Aug. 16 and marks the first Broadway show of the 2026-2027 season.
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King is part of the opening-night lineup alongside Scott Adsit, Mario Cantone, Jeff Hiller, Jackie Hoffman, Gayle King, Andrea Martin, Ben Mankiewicz, Bobby Moynihan, Kenan Thompson and Nia Vardalos.
Rita Wilson — a co-producer on the production — will also appear, as will Pack and co-creator Dayle Reyfel.
The ever-changing cast throughout the run will also include names such as Brooke Adams, Pamela Adlon, Lewis Black, Christie Brinkley, Danny Burstein, Bob Costas, Tate Donovan, Chloe Fineman, Will Forte, Gina Gershon, Kathy Griffin, Christopher Jackson, Ken Jeong, Stewart Lane, Susan Lucci, Ralph Macchio, Donna McKechnie, Eric McCormack, Laraine Newman, Oscar Nunez, Cheri Oteri, Eugene Pack, Tiler Peck, Billy Porter, Dayle Reyfel, Phil Rosenthal, Tony Shalhoub, Sherri Shepherd, Molly Shannon, Jennifer Tilly, Bruce Vilanch, and Alan Zweibel.
The 90-minute production runs without an intermission. Additional constantly expanding, rotating casts will be announced shortly.
Celebrity Autobiography originated in New York and has played venues including the Triad Theatre and Los Angeles' Groundlings, as well as London's West End and the Sydney Opera House. It previously earned a Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience.
“This is simply one of the funniest shows I've seen,” Wilson previously said in a statement announcing the production.
Producer Douglas Denoff added that the “hilarity and comedic genius” of the production “deserves a proper run on Broadway…now more than ever.”
Tickets for Celebrity Autobiography are now on sale.
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