Personality Crisis: One Night Only – Watch the trailer for Martin Scorsese’s David Johansen concert documentary

Framed around an intimate cabaret performance filmed in January 2020 at New York City’s storied Café Carlyle, Personality Crisis: One Night Only explores David Johansen’s enormous influence as he regales the audience with stories and music illuminating the art and cultural evolution of New York City. Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi, working with frequent collaborators, cinematographer Ellen Kuras (American Utopia) and producer Margaret Bodde, capture the entertainer’s luminous Café Carlyle set, where he performs as his alter ego Buster Poindexter singing the songs of David Johansen, bringing downtown irreverence to this storied uptown joint. Presented alongside new & archival interviews, including several filmed by his daughter Leah Hennessey, the concert is marvelously intimate and a testament to both a lost New York and a gifted performer/raconteur who remains as provocative as ever.

Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi directed the film following the lead singer of the New York Dolls.

Scorsese had this to say about the project. “I’ve known David Johansen for decades, and his music has been a touchstone ever since I listened to the Dolls when I was making Mean Streets. Then and now, David’s music captures the energy and excitement of New York City. I often see him perform, and over the years I’ve gotten to know the depth of his musical inspirations. After seeing his show at the Café Carlyle, I knew I had to film it because it was so extraordinary to see the evolution of his life and his musical talent in such an intimate setting.”

The documentary hits Showtime on 14th April 2023.