Criss announced the residency on social media, stating "So I got to do the Hollywood Bowl last week—an iconic, huge, west coast venue. So to follow up I’m doing the opposite of that—a tiny, east coast venue—but still very much iconic. Café Carlyle is one of those legendary NYC places I’ve always wanted to gig at and I’m pleased to announce a short residency there from November 29–December 10, just in time for the Holiday Season. Whoop-de-doo!"
While Criss's residency sold out within hours of the announcement, the venue has instituted a wait list for interested patrons.
Criss, who has appeared on Broadway in American Buffalo, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, first lept to prominence as a member of Starkid Productions, an acclaimed theatre company founded by Criss and his classmates at the University of Michigan. In 2010, he joined the cast of Ryan Murphy's Glee, kickstarting a decade-long collaboration that resulted in Criss's performance as Andrew Cunanan in The Assassination of Gianni Versace.
