Laughter on the 23rd Floor
Directed by Vern Stafanic
Written by Neil Simon

with Josh New, Nate Gavin, Scott Gaffen, Kurt Harris, Jarrod Kopp, Jamie Vannoy, Mitch Adams, Leslie Long, and Karalane Belavia.

Feb 11-12 & 16-18, 2006

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Neil Simon explores his early writing for television in the smash comedy "Laughter on the 23rd Floor"
This Broadway hit is a homage to the author’s early days in show biz when he worked as a junior jokesmith for Sid Caesar’s "Your Show of Shows". He was stuck in a room with a bunch of the looniest comedy writers ever, who grew up to be Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner and others. The play is structured as a memoir told by Simon’s alter ego Lucas. As the writers in the play try to top each other with gags while competing for the attention of head madman Max Prince (the Sid Caesar character), Max must contend with NBC brass who fear that his humor is too sophisticated for middle America. The Wall Street Journal said: "Laughter" is an old-style comedy; fast and furious without a thought in its head except to entertain." And Newsweek magazine said: "Now that Neil Simon has won his Pulitzer Prize (in 1991 for "Lost in Yonkers") he can relax and just be funny. That’s what he’s done with "Laughter on the 23rd Floor". And Variety said: "The funniest comedy on Broadway in years and likely to remain the funniest comedy on Broadway for years."