Cruising

by Michael Shayan, Christine Baranski (Narrator), Tituss Burgess (Narrator)

Welcome aboard Cruising, an uproarious and wildly original comedy that will leave you breathless with laughter and touched to your core.

Max is having a relapse summer. He’s an aspiring playwright and professional pie addict with a PhD in self-sabotage. Stuck in his grim Encino apartment with a leaky ceiling and a declining will to live, he escapes into an intoxicating fantasy cruise ship in his mind that’s full of bottoms and people who are hitting them.

As Max's imagination sets sail, his reality begins to capsize, blurring the lines between truth and fiction in a spectacular collision that forces him to confront the very demons he so desperately wants to outrun.

Written by Emmy nominee Michael Shayan, directed by Tony nominee Robert O’Hara, dazzlingly performed by Christine Baranski, Tituss Burgess, André De Shields, Andrew Rannells, and Cecily Strong, Cruising is a darkly funny, unabashedly sexy exploration of the human spirit, offering listeners a delicious slice of hope.

Available in Dolby Atmos on Audible.

Please Cruising contains adult language and mature themes. Listener discretion is advised

Genres: Audiobook, Plays, Fiction

Audible Audio

Published June 5, 2025

Reviews

[Jackson Theofore Keys · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can see why some don't like this. But if you are a gay man, this audio play makes perfect sense. The play is funny, laugh out loud funny. But underneath are themes many gay men fear: aging, weight gain, becoming invisible as you age, fear of rejection, and the need many have to numb the pain with something, whether it be drugs or food or sex. The author does a great job of coming at these topics from weird angles that make you think; all the while you are laughing.

The voice actors are top-notch - how could they not be? These are seasoned theater and screen actors. 5 stars

[Emily Burns · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was …. Weird. That’s all

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Summary
Max is spiralling. He's late on rent, his play is barely coming along, and all he can think about is pies. His Overeaters Anonymous sponsor keeps interrupting his daydreams and fantasties until he, too, becomes a character in Max's head. All Max wants to do is sleep his way around this imaginary gay cruise and eat pies.

Review
There really isn't a story here, just a funny little sitcom skit about a gay man who is struggling with life and is trying to disassociate his way to a happier life. All of the voice actors were fantastic and I absolutely loved Christine Baranski as the washed-up celebrity singing on the cruise. The OA sponsor was supposed to be the uplifting guy who brought it all home at the end but his speeches fell totally flat for that. The cruise did sound like a blast though! lol

[Stephanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

1/5 ⭐️
🎧 Audible Original
Recommend audio? No

This was a fever dream in the worst way.

The lines between reality and make-believe were so blurred they just kept crashing into each other, and not in a clever or intentional way. It felt less like a story and more like an escape hatch for Max from his miserable life and responsibilities.

There was no real purpose, no satisfying conclusion, and no meaningful takeaway. I kept waiting for it to become something—to land, to say anything—but it never did.

Just a few hours of chaos with nothing to hold onto.

[That One Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is chaotic, and bizarre, and at times laugh out loud funny. I think, there's a lot going on, and while some of it really works, like the dialogue, and the humor, some of it felt a little too underdeveloped.
Is it horrible? No. Is it brilliant. Also No. A fun hour and change listening to the amazing voice actors work, and laughing out loud quite a lot. I'm not mad at it.

[Alycia'sBookshelf · Rating 1 out of 5]

I kept waiting for it to make sense or say something meaningful — instead, I got a chaotic mess that felt like a fever dream I didn’t ask for. Hated every minute. Wish I could cruise away from this one.

[Hadron Haizlip Beers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook

It seems my life is one little “aha” moment after another.

This play would have been nothing without its performance! I think, overall, it was pretty mediocre, but there were some amazing tie in moments.

[Hung · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like one of those art house plays you make yourself sit through to improve your sophisticated taste, but instead you walk away not able to explained most of what you have just experience.

This was some kind of Eternal Sunshine meets Inception.

On the upside, it had a great cast.

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Big fan of Michael and I loved his play when I saw it. The cast of this is great, but the story itself just didn’t hit for me. I’m not the right audience for this one.

[Yalman Onaran · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some funny moments but not very impressed overall.

[Carla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Great voices Shame about the story

[Terri Noftsger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this on Audible. The audio production and acting was fantastic. The story itself was ultimately good but not always easy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great narrators brought this to a 3 star production. Maybe it’s just me though…..

[Pigeon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Girl what

[Jim Huss · Rating 5 out of 5]

The subtle homo-erotic undertones were fun

[Rick Hribko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some truly funny parts, but I think plays need to be read with setting description, scene titles, and actor direction in order to be understood fully on audio. Christine Baransky is hilarious!

[Kate ROGERS · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely Hilarious!!!

[Rhyse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Queer rep: gay (mlm)

Meh. It was fine, but not really my cup of tea.