Don't Miss: “Tales From The Guttenberg Bible” at Bay Street Theatre

SAG HARBOR, NY — Steve Guttenberg, the actor who rose to dizzying heights in the Hollywood stratosphere, flying private jets and traveling the world while dazzling hits like “Diner,” “Police Academy” and “Three Men and a Baby” exploded onto screens across the international canvas, always keeping his feet firmly planted on Long Island, where he grew up – his heart loyal to his family and childhood friends who remain forever key players in his rich life story.

Audiences at the Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts have been thrilled with Guttenberg's “Tales from the Guttenberg Bible” tour, which runs through Sunday, with three performances remaining this weekend. The show, directed by David Saint and produced by Julian Schlossberg, was written by Guttenberg, a tribute to a career that began when he went to Hollywood at 17 with nothing more than an impulse and a load of chutzpah.

The show, brought to the Bay Street Theater in association with the George Street Theatre, is a “hilarious journey from Guttenberg's family home on Long Island to the glamor of Hollywood as told by Guttenberg himself.”

The show illuminates the true story of a hometown boy from Massapequa who made it among the literal royalty of Hollywood, holding court with the likes of Laurence Olivier and other megawatt names gracing international marquees. Guttenberg describes working with Tom Selleck and Kevin Bacon and appearing with Merv Griffin on his acclaimed talk show.

Listening to Guttenberg, humble in a sharp set of just jeans and a shirt, the kind of outfit any Long Island man would wear on an average Saturday, the stories themselves delight and, often, surprise. How this Long Island teenager had the nerve to speak on the Paramount lot, saying he was the son of then-CEO Michael Eisner and even going so far as to set himself up in an actual office — well, the story is a testimony to his incredible determination, unusual ingenuity and innate likability. Who, really, can resist that winning smile?

And, of course, there's the fundamental truth of Guttenberg: He's just a really, really nice guy. He is humble. That, combined with talent and a deep-rooted record-breaking work ethic—at one point between the 80s and 90s, he was in more films consecutively than any other actor in the Screen Actor's Guild—was the formula that Guttenberg wins for the kind of Hollywood success that kids from Long Island and small towns across America only dream of.

The project began as a book, Guttenberg's autobiography.

“This story has been swirling around my brain for years, and I've taken it out in bits and pieces, but now I feel the story needs to be told,” he said. “My goal is to have fun and for people to learn what it really takes for an actor to break in, break out, and grab the opportunity when the door opens.”

And, at its heart, it's a love story, an achingly beautiful tribute to his parents, his friends, his Jewish heritage and the home values ​​that have shaped a man whose legacy will outlive even any screen. of Hollywood credit, based on the human lives he has touched with kindness. “It's a Valentine for my family, friends and Hollywood. I have a lot to be thankful for,” Guttenberg said.

Speaking with Patch, Guttenberg said his love for the arts took hold when he joined the Nassau County-based Teen Repertory Theater when he was 12 years old. “I started doing children's shows like 'Rumpelstiltskin,' 'Prince and the Pauper,' and 'Snow White,'” he said.

At age 13, Gutenberg was mentored by a family friend in California: actor Michael Bell, who was gaining success in television and film. It wasn't until Guttenberg was a senior at Plainedge High School that he would tell friends about his career aspirations. Before that point, it was “not in the conversation.”

Three days after graduating from Plainedge, Guttenberg, at age 17, looked to grab his rainbow as he left for Hollywood.

“Stories from the Guttenberg Bible,” he said, takes a warm look at the actor's life during that period of time when he became a familiar face on screens around the world.

“Being a Jewish movie actor,” Guttenberg told Patch. “It's a story about career, ambition, innocence and kindness.”

Gutenberg's good friend, Hollywood producer Julian Schlossberg, convinced him to adapt the book into a play. The show was delayed a few years as Guttenberg's father was ill before passing away in July 2022 — one of the show's most touching moments occurs when Guttenberg stands in front of a large photo of his father, singing “Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight “, he plays softly, sadly.

“He loved that idea,” Guttenberg said.

And, while Guttenberg and his co-stars enjoy telling his story with warmth, laugh-out-loud humor and spot-on timing, what resonates when the lights go down are the stories he tells about life and the love of family.

His parents, Guttenberg explained, were, like so many others, filled with terror as they watched him take off on a plane for the opposite coast. At first, he had promised to stay only a few weeks. But then came the phone calls from their son, asking for another week. Please? Two more. As the months and years passed and Guttenberg found his name in the spotlight, his parents were thrilled to meet the stars who had left them in awe as their son joined the ranks of Hollywood's A-list.

But always, his parents told him, in the many, many calls back to Long Island, they wanted him to know one thing: He could always come home. He had achieved the dream, they told him. Home was always waiting.

In a poignant scene, Guttenberg, asked by a childhood friend why he couldn't come home for a visit, for a slice at the neighborhood pizzeria, decided to do just that. And, when he arrived at his childhood home, resplendent with the lights and love of his mother, his kitchen and father, the living room within—still oblivious to the surprise of his visit—he knew a shining truth. He might have found a place among the mansions of Hollywood. But there was no place more beautiful than this parents' split-level Long Island ranch. No place more beautiful than home.

Guttenberg also candidly described what it felt like to be a Hollywood heavyweight, and then, in a heartbeat, just have the phone inexplicably stop ringing. It was discouraging and it was heartbreaking, and he was almost ready to throw in the proverbial towel and open a hardware store in Bay Ridge – the kind of business his parents might have enjoyed when he was a young kid starting out and the Constellation idea seemed as tangible as a puff of smoke on the horizon.

But his father, the same father who initially had such concerns about Hollywood, told him, lovingly from those early days, to never give up—to keep pursuing his dream with the same grit and determination that he an office on the Paramount lot and his name is lit up in lights on the glittering canvas of Hollywood.

He told his son to keep going, keep trying, never give up. And he told his son to bring his book out as a play, “on the boards.”

Above all, he reminded his son that Hollywood may be a glorious ride to stardom, but the true meaning of life could always be found within the four walls of home, where love is forever.

“Play the game, but no one is bigger than the game,” he told his boy.

Guttenberg produced the work, a promise he kept to his father.

His values ​​still shine through—at a recent performance, he was excited to be reunited with his childhood elementary school teacher from Long Island. He offered to walk her to her car.

Because this is the man Guttenberg is: Loyal, kind, devoted to his family and friends. He firmly upholds the values ​​he worked tirelessly to uphold throughout his career – work hard, be kind, stay forever loyal to family and the faith that gave you wings.

And do it with the power of determination and a healthy dose of chutzpah.

The remaining performances of “Tales from the Guttenberg Bible” take place on Saturday and Sunday at 20.00 and Sunday at 14.00 and 19.00. For more information and to buy tickets, click here.

With reporting by Jerry Barmash.

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