John Mulaney‘s second journey to Broadway took little convincing. He did not even want to have a look at the script earlier than signing on.

“I used to be like, ‘OK, nicely, ship it to me. I’ll learn it.’ And so they despatched it to me. I didn’t learn it. I simply agreed instantly,” the actor-comedian says.

What Mulaney signed up for was “All In: Comedy About Love,” a stage adaptation of his buddy Simon Wealthy’s quick tales that is charming Broadway audiences this winter with a starry solid.

Becoming a member of Mulaney — who made his Broadway debut in 2016 with “Oh, Whats up” — is Renée Elise Goldsberry, Richard Sort and Fred Armisen. They’re going to ultimately get replaced by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jimmy Fallon, Aidy Bryant, Nick Kroll, Tim Meadows, Chloe Fineman, Andrew Rannells, David Cross, Annaleigh Ashford and Hank Azaria.

“All In” opens with the surreal story of a man who walks right into a bar that has a 12-inch piano participant after which goes on to characteristic private advertisements from canine — “Full disclosure: I am neutered however no complaints but,” reads one — a love triangle involving The Elephant Man, an getting older expertise agent confronting Dying and a historical past report from the 2070s.

“These are such meticulously, superbly written items,” says Mulaney, who befriended Wealthy when each labored at “Saturday Evening Stay.” “As a result of they so naturally lend themselves to performing, it’s very enjoyable to take it off the web page.”

Director Alex Timbers first approached Wealthy, the son of famous critic Frank Wealthy, with the concept of transferring a few of his quick tales to the stage.

“Our first studying was 4 1/2 hours lengthy so it took some means of elimination, however we ultimately discovered a batch of tales that we felt weren’t simply thematically linked, however would lend themselves to highly effective performances by proficient actors,” says Wealthy.

As soon as they discovered the precise tales, consideration went to presenting them: What number of actors ought to there be? How a lot of a manufacturing ought to the 90-minute play be? Ought to there be costumes and units?

They landed on minimalism and 4 actors, which supplied each an opportunity to showcase every’s versatility and make the play extra intimate. The present is enlivened by unique illustrations from New Yorker cartoonist Emily Flake and the band The Bengsons enjoying love songs from The Magnetic Fields’ catalog.

“What was going to serve the fabric finest was the purest communication of it to the viewers,” says Mulaney. “I’m sorry to make use of a drug factor, however mainlining the fabric versus taking it in a dissolvable.”

Two of the tales — a pair of passive-aggressive pirates who abandon their tough methods to lift a younger stowaway and a noir detective story advised by infants — options youngsters and child-rearing, one thing each Wealthy and Mulaney can now relate to.

“All of it is vastly enhanced by my very own life,” says Mulaney, the “touring, slapstick comedian, ‘Saturday Evening Stay’-writing, full night time owl, Dracula-like creature who now has two children and lives within the California suburbs.”

The unique 4 solid members will give solution to 4 extra however Wealthy and Mulaney assume the construction is sound and may take adjustments. It helps that every performer sits in chairs for the complete present and has a script of their lap ought to they want it.

“So many individuals can discover a approach into these tales that I’m certain anybody coming in to do any of those items will be capable of deliver themselves to it and rise to the event of how good the writing is,” says Mulaney.

The replacements will not slip into the precise performer’s spot simply vacated — Wealthy says they will scramble the components up. “It’s thrilling for me to think about how not simply new particular person performances will change issues, however new pairings as nicely,” he says. “So most of the tales dwell within the scene work between two solid members and that’s one other thrilling factor for me to think about is these shifting dynamics.”

The viewers on the Hudson Theatre throughout one latest efficiency was notably youthful than for many Broadway reveals and Mulaney and Wealthy hope they will do some theatrical recruitment with “All In.”

“I feel we’re discovering that there are some first-time theatergoers or new theater goers which are coming and we’re thrilled by that,” says Wealthy. “We hope that comedy followers will get pleasure from this expertise and that it’ll assist convert them into theater followers and perhaps they’ll see this present and need to take a look at extra.”