What's My Line? - Live on Stage

'''What's My Line? - Live on Stage' is a live stage version of the classic panel game show What's My Line?''

Origin
Originally from November 2004 to July 2006, Jim Newman and J. Keith van Straaten (former host of Comedy Central's Beat the Geeks) produced one-hour live stage versions of the show at the ACME Comedy Theatre in Los Angeles, CA, called ''What's My Line? - Live on Stage''. The Los Angeles version of the live show went on hiatus when van Straaten relocated to New York, then resumed in July 2007. The production debuted in New York at the Barrow Street Theatre on March 24, 2008 for an announced run of six shows.

The show is now an authorized production of FremantleMedia (the owners of What's My Line?) As of April 12, 2008; the New York mystery guests have been:

Panelists have included:
 * George Wendt
 * Moby
 * Natalie Paruz
 * Tony Roberts


 * Michael Riedel
 * Stephanie D'Abruzzo
 * Frank DeCaro
 * Jonathan Ames

Including veterans from the original TV version:


 * Betsy Palmer
 * Julia Meade

The first guest on the New York (#75 in the production overall) was Pat Finch, who was the first guest on the first original CBS primetime version.

In Los Angeles, panelists have included:


 * Carlos Alazraqui
 * Alison Arngrim
 * E.G. Daily
 * Andy Dick
 * Paul Gobel (also a Beat the Geeks veteran)
 * Danny Goldman
 * Annabelle Gurwitch
 * Mariette Hartley
 * Elaine Hendrix
 * Marty Ingles
 * Cathy Ladman
 * David L. Lander
 * Kate Linder
 * Ann Magnuson
 * Jayne Meadows
 * Lee Merriweather
 * Patt Morrison
 * Rick Overton
 * Jimmy Pardo (former host of GSN's/Game Show Network's National Lampoon's Funny Money)
 * Lisa Jane Persky
 * Nancy Pimental (former co-host of Comedy Central's Win Ben Stein's Money)
 * Greg Proops
 * Mink Stole
 * Nicole Sullivan
 * Marcia Wallace
 * Matt Walsh
 * Len Wein
 * Wil Wheaton
 * Gary Anthony Williams
 * Debra Wilson
 * April Winchell
 * Andy Zax

Mystery guests from the L.A. version have included:


 * Ed Begley, Jr.
 * Stephen Bishop
 * Mr. Blackwell
 * LeVar Burton
 * Brett Butler
 * Jose Canseco
 * Drew Carey
 * Andy Dick
 * Michael & Kitty Dukakis
 * Hector Elizondo
 * Nanette Fabray
 * Peter Falk
 * Bruce Jenner
 * Larry King
 * Kathy Kinney
 * Bruno Kirby
 * Tara Lipinski
 * Lisa Loeb
 * Shelley Long
 * Leonard Maltin
 * Rose Marie
 * Wink Martindale
 * Sally Struthers
 * Rip Taylor
 * Judy Tenuta
 * Alan Thicke
 * Dick Van Patten
 * Lindsay Wagner
 * Wil Wheaton
 * Noah Wyle
 * Sean Young

Panelists and guests who have appeared in the original television and on-the-stage version include:


 * Shelley Berman
 * Lee Meriwether
 * Michael Jackson (radio commentator)
 * Jayne Meadows
 * Nanette Fabray
 * Joanna Barnes
 * Julie Newmar
 * Margaret O'Brien
 * Marty Ingles

Usually, when such a veteran appears, there is a pristine-quality DVD screening of the original kinescope on a plasma screen. Non-celebrities include the lifelong Los Angeles-area resident who challenged the panel with her line, afterwards reminiscing how 43 years earlier she had traveled to New York, where Arlene Francis identified her as a meter maid. A clip of the kinescope was played.

In addition, the show had featured relatives of the original cast:


 * Jill Kollmar (daughter of Dorothy Kilgallen and Richard Kollmar)
 * Nina Daly (daughter of John Charles Daly)
 * Vinton Cerf (co-inventor of the internet and distant cousin of Bennett Cerf)

In addition, it also included a segment in which Vinton Cerf's son Bennett (named after the panelists) appeared as a guest.

Related Version
What's My Line? (Radio)

What's My Line?

What's My Line? (1963 proposed revival)

What's My Line? (1968)

What's My Line? at 25

That's My Line

What's My Line? (1981 proposed revival)

What's My Line? (1996 proposed revival)

What's My Line? (2000 pilot)

What's My Line? (2008 proposed revival)

What's My Line? (2014 Proposed revival)

Links
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070218151226/http://www.whatsmyline.org/myline ''What's My Line? - Live On Stage (via Internet Archive)]

[https://web.archive.org/web/20080413221105/http://www.barrowstreettheatre.com/whats-on/whats-my-line.asp ''What's My Line? - Live On Stage @ Barrow Street Theatre]

[https://web.archive.org/web/20151106083546/http://www.theatermania.com//off-broadway/shows/whats-my-line-live-on-stage_142121/ ''What's My Line? - Live on Stage @ TheaterMania]