If Billy Crystal was one of the kings of comedy, his family home in Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades neighborhood was certainly his castle. “Sunday Morning” had been invited there several times for interviews, and I was often training on his backyard basketball court.
He admitted it was a magical place: “Yes, that place kept me young,” he said.
This was his family’s forever home, but things don’t always last forever. In January 2025, a massive, wind-driven inferno ripped through Crystals’ Pacific Palisades neighborhood, destroying more than 5,000 homes, including Crystals’s. Fire destroyed everything, but Billy Crystal and his wife, Janice, found inspiration in the smoldering ruins of what was once their family home.
In her new one-woman show, “860,” Crystal brings the story of her home and life to Broadway, telling what she’s lost and what she’s learned.
“Oh my god, what a morning. Helicopters and sirens woke us up with news of a massive bush fire in the Highlands.”
He describes the disaster moment by moment, and it’s a heartbreaking story. But he’s still Billy Crystal.
“Janice is the more practical of the two of us. She thinks about medications and prescriptions. I think about the half veal parmesan sandwich in the fridge.”
“860” is currently in previews and opens October 21. Crystal wanted the audience to feel like they were truly at home, so the “860” set is an exact replica of her home office, with everything intact. “Yes, we’re lucky to have that, but it doesn’t take away the pain. It doesn’t take away the loss,” he said.
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According to Crystal, nothing survived.
But there are things no fire can touch. The memories are all intact and entertaining as always.
The name of the series, “860”, is actually the street address of the house he lost. The truth is, Crystal wasn’t sure what to call it until her dear friend Rob Reiner intervened. “He said, ‘What are you going to call it?’ he said. I had other titles and the third one was ‘860’. ‘That’s it,’ he said. I love this. I like that.”
And then, in a year that was already impossibly traumatic, the unimaginable happened: In December 2025, Rob Reiner and his wife, Michelle, were murdered in their home. It’s still too much for Crystal to process: “No, it’s too big,” she said. “It’s so crazy because we were together the night before. Later that night, like 10:30, we said goodbye at the holiday party we were at and then… what?!?”
But Crystal found a way to process her pain, and perhaps ours as well, by sharing stories and laughter.
When asked how she can find humor in the darkest times, Crystal laughed, “That’s what I do, man! You gotta do it, man. You gotta do it, you gotta do it… It’s a healer. It’s always been that way. You know, we say when life gets hard the only thing you can do is laugh.”
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Twenty-two years ago Crystal did another one-woman show, “700 Sundays,” named for the nearly 700 Sundays she spent with her father before he died. It was a huge success and a ticket to the Tony Award. And for Crystal, it was a cathartic experience that she says healed her. When asked if “860” thought so too, Crystal replied: “It is because I do it and I do it. Even if I can’t make it happen, I’m okay. I’ve endured the worst pain that humans can’t go through, losing my home, losing my dearest friends. And I’m okay.”
Still, he says the coups in 2025 have changed his perspective somewhat.
In “700 Sundays” he describes conversations with God. When asked if he had talked to God in the last few years, he said, “No, because I don’t trust Him.” Too many bad things happened. The world is in bad shape. This is a strange, scary time. So no, not anymore.”
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“860” is a one-man show, but Crystal relied on some Broadway heavyweights to bring it all to life: director Scott Ellis and legendary composer Marc Shaiman, who noted Crystal’s ability to wring humor from dark memories. “He can’t help but find the humor,” Shaiman said. “That’s Billy, and that’s why he is.”
“But it’s a family,” Ellis added. “That’s the essence of it; how do you move forward? You move forward with your friends, you move forward with your family. That’s what you want and need, and he’s lucky to have that. A lot of people don’t do that.”
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The show will have a limited run in New York only through January. After that, Crystal says she hopes to bring him to the city where it all happened: Los Angeles.
The house may be gone, but the heart that built it is still there, as strong as ever. “I’m 78 now and I feel really good,” he said, “and I’m optimistic about what life will bring. And if we get through this, we’re in good shape.”
WEB EXTRA: Watch the extended interview with Billy Crystal (Video)
WEB EXCLUSIVE: The best of Billy Crystal on “Sunday Morning” (YouTube Video)
The story is produced by John D’Amelio. Editor: Steven Tyler.
For more information:
- “860,” starring Billy Crystal, at the Imperial Theater in New York City (through January 3) | Ticket information