Billy Crystal — so talented, may his tribe increase — surprises even himself at his newfound busyness.
“Suddenly at this age I’m all over. My stage show ‘700 Sundays’ broke records. Sunday is its HBO filmed version. Next year my FX pilot ‘The Comedians’ starts.
“We have the ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ director, and a great staff. We’re writing it now, shooting in LA in September. It tested great. Their season’s usually 10, but they picked us up three weeks ago for 13 episodes.
“Josh Gad and I play ourselves. It’s based on a Swedish program of two guys making a late-night sketch show. Two comedians. Funny. Hilarious. The premise being they don’t even like each other but need each other. They sent me the episodes. In Swedish, but subtitled in English.
“These Swedish sketch artists are big stars there. It’s no sitcom. No laugh track. I’m not looking to do a series. This is all fun. A chance for me to play myself in backstage and home life.
“I’ve sent word I love them. And thank you. Y’know, it’s really funny because their program’s funny, but Sweden’s not a funny country.
“So we’ll give it a shot and see what happens. So many things on tap nowadays that I’m OK whichever way it goes. Put it this way, if the show’s not a hit, which it will be, I’ll hang myself from the highest tree in Los Angeles.
“Why the highest tree? Because I’m a showoff.”
Then, as the Yankees played, he and wife
Janice
both returned to their cellphones.
Could’ve been written for B’way
My newest best friend Woody Allen did “Bullets Over Broadway” originally with Dianne Wiest, Oscar winner for Marin Mazzie’s drama queen role. She says: “I loved the play. So good, I’d swear he wrote it initially for the stage. Watching it first at a matinee I remembered the lines.”
Dianne’s soon out in the indie “Five Nights in Maine”: “I play a mother-in-law. It’s an interracial story.” Keeping that theme, her outfit was a black and white Donna Karan job. “I bought it two summers ago.”
Odds & ends
Mario Batali: “It’s Easter. With your young lamb, eat what springs from the ground — asparagus and beets.” . . . CONAN — ask not Conan who? — dining with a lady at the Regency . . . DAILY there’s Taylor Swift news photos meandering Tribeca — one day shorts, one day skirts, one day slacks. Enough. Please. Someone, lock her inside without makeup and a photographer. Just once.
What I hear
AMBER Heard, Mrs. Johnny Depp-to-be, rented in Southampton. Her Chris Walken film, “When I Live My Life Over Again,” shoots there . . . WHAT’S Elizabeth “Showgirls” Berkley doing now? “Working on Sky, our 2-month-old son.” . . . THE 30th, former Parks Commish Bernadette Castro presents George Pataki with Audubon Connecticut’s Award. Back again opening Castro Convertibles, Bernadette could use a birdie’s help. An osprey family’s taken up living on her property.
Pay attention
Lawyer Michael Griffith wore cuff links Friday given him by jeweler Margo Manhattan, whose East Side shop, catering to celebrities, was robbed that Friday. They’re longtime friends . . . HELLER Halliday, who shared the “Peter Pan” stage with her mom, Mary Martin, attending Saturday matinee of the 54th & Lex York Theatre’s new musical revue “Inventing Mary Martin.”
7:56 p.m. Thursday. A moocher’s among us. Boutique, private Mad Ave. party. Brown leather coat lady, bedraggled hair, sneakers, hits the buffet, slurps Moët & Chandon. Unknown, not on the list. The host introduces himself; she counters with 12-syllable Balkan moniker. Following more canapés, she leaves. Outside, later, the host passes another Madison Avenue shop having a reception. She’s inside. In conversation. Inhaling hors d’oeuvres and Champagne.
Only in New York, kids, only in New York.