Master comedian and storyteller Mike Birbiglia is returning to Broadway with his new solo show The Old Man & the Pool. The play will begin previews October 28 ahead of a November 13 opening night at Lincoln Center Theater's Vivian Beaumont Theater. The limited engagement will run through December 30.
“In my 22 years of performing comedy, and five solo shows, The Old Man & the Pool has given me the most rewarding experience I’ve ever felt with audiences,” said Birbiglia in a statement. “This is a show I’m very proud of, and I can’t believe I get to perform it at Lincoln Center Theater—after auditioning for the Philharmonic, the Opera, and the New York City ballet, I thought I’d never get the chance. But here I am. Sometimes you get lucky!
“It’s always been a cliché that audiences need to laugh but—honestly—after all we’ve been through in the last few years, people really do need to laugh. And sometimes, laughing about the darkest topics can be the most cathartic. I hope you join me. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll call your parents. You’ll write your will,” he said.
Birbiglia announced the news on a guest appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Seth Barrish directs the work, written and performed by Birbiglia, with contributions from story consultant Ira Glass (This American Life). Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool was originally produced by Center Theatre Group, making its world premiere at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles in 2022, following a developmental run at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago. This is Birbiglia's second Broadway show, having previously brought The New One to the Main Stem in 2018.
The play's creative team also includes set designer Beowulf Boritt, costume designer Toni-Leslie James, lighting designer Aaron Copp, sound designer Kai Harada, and projection designer Hana S. Kim. It is produced on Broadway by Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Patrick Catullo, Seaview, and Center Theatre Group.
