THEATRE + COMEDY

The Grand 1894 Opera House presents John Lithgow – “Stories By Heart,” Saturday, October 2, 2010 at 8pm.  A touching and humorous theatrical tour-de-force.

Two-time Tony Award winner and celebrated TV and film star John Lithgow loves to retell stories from his childhood. In his current, one-man show, Lithgow journeys back to the more carefree time of childhood. There, he shares humorous and touching recollections of treasured stories — both fiction and true-to-life — that saw John through his formative years and inspired his own life as an actor and storyteller.

John Lithgow is known for his roles as Dr. Dick Solomon on the NBC sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun, Arthur Mitchell on Showtime'sDexter and Reverend Shaw Moore in Footloose. He appeared in the films The World According to Garp (1982) and Terms of Endearment (1983), receiving the Academy Award nomination, Best Actor in a Supporting Role for each.

On the stage, he appeared in the musical adaptation of Sweet Smell of Success, winning the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. He again appeared in a musical, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, receiving the Tony nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Musical.

In his one-man theatrical memoir, Stories By Heart, Tony® and Emmy® Award winning actor John Lithgow explores storytelling as the unacknowledged tie that binds humanity. Stories By Heart is a touching and humorous reflection on the essence of storytelling. Invoking memories of his grandmother and father before him, John Lithgow traces his own history as an actor and storyteller, a history spanning three generations.

Interspersed with stories from his own life are stories told to him and his siblings when they were children. Directed by Jack O'Brien, and following its acclaimed Lincoln Center Theater presentation, Stories By Heart features both P.G. Wodehouse's "Uncle Fred Flits By" and Ring Lardner's "Haircut."

In the comic monologue "Uncle Fred Flits By," a skeptical nephew is taken on a very funny journey by his unstoppable uncle. In this hilarious tour de force, Lithgow portrays nine distinct, outrageous characters with zany abandon, utilizing only body language, vocal changes, timing and facial expression.

A wry look at midwestern implacability,"Haircut" is a tale told by a Michigan barber who's seen it all, or so he believes. As Lithgow launches into the narrative, he completely transforms himself into the jolly, loquacious barber who captivates the audience.

"Simply put, the triumph of successful acting."
-The New York Times

"Lithgow at his heartwarming best."
-Reuters