THEATRE + COMEDY

A living breathing American masterpiece and one of the most acclaimed performances in history returns to The Grand 1894 Opera House!

Hal Halbrook in Mark Twain Tonight! presents a spectacular solo show Saturday, February 7, at 8 pm.

Sponsored in part by The Emporium at Eibands, The Hotel Galvez, Strand Seaport, and The Tremont House, Holbrook has become the man from Hannibal, Missouri to millions around the globe for 50 years.

"The transformation is so complete as to be almost unsettling at times... a mesmerizing thing to behold," says The Washington Post.

Mark Twain Tonight! opened Off-Broadway in 1959, and soon became a hit.
A mere 34 at the time, Holbrook then toured the show throughout the country and around the world. Seven years later, he performed on Broadway.

In 1966, Holbrook won his first Tony Award for "Best Actor in a Play." The following year, the show was recorded for a CBS special. Upon being aired, Holbrook drew a reported 30 million viewers and won an Emmy Award for his work.

Since his first performance over 50 years ago, Holbrook - ever associated with the person of Twain despite a varied career on stage and film - has periodically revived the show.

The actor has impersonated the famous creator of "Tom Sawyer" and "Huckleberry Finn" more than 2,000 times.

Ironically, Holbrook is now age-appropriate for the part.

Even though in its 50th year, Mark Twain Tonight! continues to enthrall audiences, with Holbrook performing 20-25 shows a year.

Just as Mark Twain brought his wit and humor to far-flung places a half-century before, Holbrook-as-Twain has also performed around the world, from Saudi Arabia and Warsaw, to Edinburgh and New Delhi.

Holbrook is not simply an impersonator of Mark Twain, he is an authority on the writer about whom Hemingway said, "American literature began." "Mr. Holbrook's material is uproarious, his ability to hold an audience by acting is brilliant," says The New York Times.

Don't miss this unparalleled display of theatrical virtuosity at The Grand!

For more information please visit www.pbs.org/now/arts/holbrook.html.