Ewan McGregor, Jack Black and Zooey Deschanel Dive in Mike Birbiglia’s ‘The Old Man and the Pool’

Mike Birbiglia can really get the crowd going.

The Mark Taper Forum in downtown Los Angeles hosted a star-studded party on Wednesday for the opening of Birbiglia’s latest solo show. The old man and the pool.. Ewan McGregor (with daughter Clara), Jack Black, Jimmy Kimmel, Nick Kroll, Alison Brie, Zooey Deschanel with Jonathan Scott, Rachel Bloom, Pixar boss Pete Docter, chef David Chang, comedian Pete Holmes, writer, producer and stand-up Neal Brennan, Kristen Schaal, Jason Nash, Peter Page, Kate Micucci, Michaela Watkins, Larry Wilmore, Taylor Tomlinson, Raviv Ullman, Sam Dahl and Riki Lindhom were among the stars. the hollywood reporter.

The show was the last stop on Birbiglia’s tour The old man and the pool. and brought him back to the Center Theater group, where he performed his latest Broadway hit Young on stage at CTG Ahmanson. The new show explores themes of life, health and mortality as Birbiglia recounts scenes from her past, using medical appointments as a starting point. And, true to its title, it details trips to the YMCA and dips in its pool, plus an encounter with an older man in a locker room. (This particular story at one point made Jack Black double over with laughter.)

Before the performance, her friends walked the red carpet in front of the theater and did not hesitate to praise Birbilia for her work and humanity. “Mike is an amazing person,” explained the versatile Seth Barish, who has known the comedian for more than two decades and hosted the show. “He’s really willing to talk openly and honestly about the things he’s been through or has been through.”

Doc, from the Bay Area town where he lives, made sure not to miss the Birbiglia show. “His work is always based on real-life stories, things that actually happened to him, and it’s told in a really funny way,” he explains of the appeal of Birbiglia’s work. “The hard work is weaving it all into a cohesive narrative that evokes a feeling at the end. That’s what makes a good story.”

Schaal said his old friend is “just like everyone else” because his work is so accessible, but as brilliant as he is, he remains “very humble in how he sees the world.” In this way, “everyone feels part of the story”.

Bloom described this as authenticity. “That’s not a person. That’s what he does on stage. He’s both a stand-up and a narrator, and that’s not very common. Plus there’s a real arc to it and a real theatrics.” He’s also quick to name Barry, who he’s also working on his own stand-up with at the moment. “Seth is a goddamn genius. [sic] And together they really know how to make good theater.”

Her work will be available to the Los Angeles audience at Mark Taper through August 28. Birbiglia will tour Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Toronto, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit, Nashville, Salt Lake City and Mesa, Arizona. November 19 inclusive.

When it was all over, Birbiglia posted on Instagram that the night was a “dream come true”.