TORONTO - William Shatner says his one-man show received a rapturous reception in its Broadway debut that "far exceeded" his expectations and, on many nights, left him in tears.
"The standing ovation after every performance was not just people standing and politely applauding, but a wave of emotion that would flood over the place and moved me several times to tears," the 80-year-old Montreal-born star said in a telephone interview this week, just days after wrapping the New York run of "Shatner's World: We All Just Live in It."
"I have left New York with a list of things that I will remember the rest of my life, including the fact of how anxious I was for it to be successful, how I obsessed on trying to make it good, and the feeling of satisfaction when finally the reviews did come in and the crowd did respond."
Shatner, who will host the Juno Awards when they air on CTV next month, debuted his show on a Canadian tour but decided to dramatically rework it prior to making the transition to Broadway. He estimates that the New York show was "a good 50 per cent different" from the show he featured here.
According to reviews, the roughly 100-minute set found the "Star Trek" veteran taking the stage to the twinkling orchestral strains of that show's familiar theme before holding court on a variety of topics, from his formative years in Canada to his stints on "Trek" and "Boston Legal" to his musical career. He also reportedly devoted plenty of time to his musings on death.
Shatner will take his show on the road across the U.S. beginning Saturday in Los Angeles. He admits to some nerves before taking the stage, pointing out how daunting it can be to perform solo with no one to lean on should the show sputter.
"The challenge is: Are you good enough? The challenge is: Is the material good enough? Are you capable of performing well enough?" he said.
"Just the whole insecurity of being a performer in front of an audience. Once you're assured that your anxieties no longer are needed, then the joy of performing -- the magic of the evening -- becomes a totality. And I looked forward every evening with a hunger that I didn't know I possessed to getting out and entertaining."
Among its myriad other topics, Shatner's show also makes reference to his enduring friendship with Canadian thespian Christopher Plummer, the recent recipient of a best supporting actor Oscar for his performance in "Beginners."
Shatner, who originally got to know the 82-year-old Plummer while performing together onstage at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival years ago, said he hadn't seen his old pal since his victory at the Academy Awards.
"And when I do, I will fall to my knees and kiss his toes," Shatner said.
