Last Updated on January 30, 2025
William Shakespeare once said, “All the world’s a stage,” but for Kevin Kline, the stage is a way of life, and his love for theater is vast. MGM+ announced today an eight-episode series order for American Classic, a half-hour comedy series from o-creators Michael Hoffman (Soapdish, Restoration, The Last Station) and Bob Martin (The Prom, Slings and Arrows). American Classic stars Kevin Sline (A Fish Called Wanda, Fierce Creatures, Bob’s Burgers) as Richard Bean and Jon Tenney (The Closer, Scandal) as Jon Bean. Hoffman directs the series, with production kicking into high gear later this year in New Jersey.
Here’s an official description of American Classic courtesy of MGM+:
“American Classic centers on Broadway star and notorious narcissist Richard Bean, played by Kline, who suffers a spectacular public meltdown and returns to his hometown and the family-run theater where he first became aware of his own brilliance. When he arrives, he is shocked to discover that his father, the former artistic director, has lost a step and that the once-respected theater, now run by his brother Jon, played by Tenney, and his wife (now the town’s mayor) has become, by necessity, a low-rent dinner theater serving roast beef and murder mysteries. He decides to save the town, the theater, and the world by presenting a great American classic on the dinner theater stage, directed by and starring, of course, Richard Bean.”
“MGM+ is television for movie lovers—classic Hollywood storytelling through a contemporary lens. American Classic, with its sophisticated wit, adult characters, and unique cast, is an exciting addition to that brand,” said Michael Wright, head of MGM+. “In the capable hands of Michael Hoffman and Bob Martin, alongside stage and screen legend Kevin Kline, American Classic is a hilariously funny and deeply poignant comedy, and we can’t wait to share it with our MGM+ audience.”
“The two of us have been shaped from childhood by our love of the theater and those magical creatures that inhabit it: true actors,” said Hoffman and Martin. “To get to tell a story with new friends and longtime collaborators, among them that grand man of the theater, Kevin Kline (who happens also to be one of the world’s supreme comic talents), and a story about art, community, and family… for us, that’s about as good as it gets.”
I’ve never been to a dinner theater before, but I saw the band Woods at Monkey Town (now closed). The band played at the center of the room, surrounded by projection screens showing psychedelic images. The staff brought us fancy drinks, steak, and sauteed veggies while the band played an incredible set. I wonder if Kevin Kline’s American Classic character has a similar setup in mind to bring his hometown theater back to form.
What do you think about the American Classic concept? Have you ever attended a dinner theater? Let us know in the comments section below.
Follow the JOBLO MOVIE NETWORK
Follow us on YOUTUBE
Follow ARROW IN THE HEAD
Follow AITH on YOUTUBE