Originally titled So Long, 174th Street, Enter Laughing: The Musical has a book by Joseph Stein, music and lyrics by the late Stan Daniels and is based on Stein's play, from the semi-autobiographical novel by Carl Reiner. The show is about the journey of young aspiring actor David Kolowitz as he tries to free himself from overly protective parents and girlfriends, while struggling to meet the challenge of a lack of talent in 1930s New York City.