Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool Extends on Broadway
(Photo: Craig Schwartz)
Mike Birbiglia's new solo show The Old Man and the Pool has extended its Broadway run. The comedy, directed by Seth Barrish, was originally announced to run through December 30 and will now play its final performance on January 15, 2023. It began performances on October 28 and officially opens on November 13 at Lincoln Center Theater's Vivian Beaumont Theatre.
“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. “This is a show I’m very proud of, and I can’t believe I get to perform it at Lincoln Center—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!”
The Old Man and the Pool is a coming-of-middle-age story about when life takes a dive—into a highly chlorinated YMCA pool. Like all of Birbiglia’s shows, it blends absurd jokes and surprising stories. It’s a rumination on middle age that celebrates life while making detours into pizza math, pulmonary tests and glass jars of peanut M&M’s.
Birbiglia is a comedian, storyteller, director and actor who has performed in front of audiences worldwide–from the Sydney Opera House to Carnegie Hall. He made his Broadway debut with his solo show The New One in 2018. His off-Broadway shows, My Girlfriend's Boyfriend and Thank God for Jokes, were both filmed for Netflix. Birbiglia was recently seen in Taylor Swift's "Anti-Hero" music video.
This marks Birbiglia’s fifth solo play collaboration with director Barrish, the show's creative team also includes Tony-winning scenic designer Beowulf Boritt, four-time Tony-nominated costume designer Toni-Leslie James, lighting designer Aaron Copp, Tony-winning sound designer Kai Harada and projection designer Hana S. Kim.
Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool was originally produced by Center Theatre Group and made its world premiere at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles following a developmental run at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago.
