Billy Crystal 860 begins not when he – the scribe and star of this personal walk down memory lane – takes the stage, but with the carefully selected songs that resonate from the benches of the Imperial Theater in the minutes leading up to the show. Selected by director Scott Ellis and sound designer Dan Moses Schreier, the legendary tracks (which we won’t spoil here) evoke the moments referenced in the play and, in their own way, ask the exact same question that Crystal ponders throughout. 860: “Is it luck, or is it destiny?”
The playlist eventually ends with audio of firefighters describing the “hell” unfolding before them as Los Angeles burns on January 7, 2025. It’s here that Crystal, dressed in jeans and sneakers, enters a replica of his old office, designed by Scott Pask.
Crystal later clarified that the office was “not a man cave, but an ‘ME cave,’ containing memorabilia from his entire career—a When Harry Met Sally poster and flock of Emmy statuettes here, a Princess Bride movie still and Mike Wazowski figurine there – as well as photos of his loved ones, as well as photos of those he grew up admiring and eventually befriended.
Avery Brunkus
860whose limited engagement runs through January 2, owes its title to the address of the same house that once housed Crystal’s beloved office. For 46 years, he and his wife, Janice, made 860 their home, raising their daughters, Jenny and Lindsay, and becoming grandparents there. They “grew old together” in this house…until the 2025 wildfires.
It’s not long before audience members (myself included) are in need of a tissue, tears of sadness quickly turning to tears of joy and back again throughout the 90-minute runtime, which covers a number of Crystal’s entry points. Just like the devoted Yankees fan that he is, Crystal covers his bases by performing the hits – whether it’s his stand-up act, Soap, Saturday evening live, When Harry Met Sally, City dwellersOr Monsters, Inc.
But it’s the anecdotes and anxieties that may not be as easy to find on Wikipedia, and the self-deprecating yet heartfelt tenor with which he shares them, that really knocked it out of the park.
From there was born his tender friendship with this unique athlete, who nicknamed Crystal his “little brother”. There was the mescaline-infused madness with Crystal’s real brother, who made some of the show’s biggest laughs. (I think my own laughter could be heard in the rows.)
There were reflective memories of reincarnation with another comedy legend and, of course, an abundance of heart dedicated to Crystal’s friendship with Rob Reiner — whose death is hinted at, but never exploited. “The unimaginable has become reality, and reality will always be unimaginable,” Crystal tells the audience, whose hearts are struggling not to break again in real time, along with his own.
The entire production — a reunion with composer Marc Shaiman, a frequent collaborator of Crystal and Reiner — heeds the advice its star received early in his career to “leave a tip.” In other words, give the audience a part of yourself to remember you by. Crystal offers lots of advice, and they are all more than welcome.
These tips come not only in the form of his words, but also in the details of the recreated office, as well as the integration of photos and videos (designed by Hana S. Kim and Kylee Loera) accompanying the monologue. They allow the public access to everything from his 1970 marriage to Janice and decades of private family moments, to their beautiful home in the years before and days after the fire that destroyed it.
Avery Brunkus
Pask’s intimate set proves immersive, working in concert with Crystal’s own rat-a-tat rhythm as he seamlessly morphs both visually (with Jen Schriever’s lighting) and sonically into his homes – the stages he had previously performed on, as well as this beloved home ripped out by 2025.
As inimitable as many of Crystal’s experiences are, especially those involving other brand names, many of them strike a chord forever. For some, this will take the form of remembering the happiest stages of life: falling in love, meeting your heroes, finding your (professional) purpose. Or the often hellish ebb and flow of grief, and trying to find a way out. For me, it was Jewish education in the Tri-State and recalibrating life after prematurely joining the Dead Dads Club.
860 is as succinct as it is poignant, with Crystal taking audience members by the hand and into her past – and refusing to let go of their grip on their hearts. After all, this is the man who told us, “When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.” » Grade: A
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