Whoopi Goldberg to Headline at Ridgefield Playhouse, 10/11

Star of screen, stage and TV, the incomparable Whoopi Goldberg is coming to The Ridgefield Playhouse on Saturday, October 11, at 8:30 p.m.

The Color Purple, Sister Act, Ghost, Star Trek, and Eddie are just a few of the hit movies and TV shows that Hollywood's famous Whoopi Goldberg has starred in. And now, she's coming to Ridgefield! Currently one of four hosts of the daytime television show The View on CBS, Whoopi is well known for her witty, sarcastic comments and hilarious facial expressions. Bissell House (378 Main St., Ridgefield) will pour a complimentary glass of house wine or draught beer with dinner the night of this show when tickets are presented. This event is partially underwritten by Green Rocks Inn and is part of the Clark Construction Comedy Series.

Whoopi has racked up 44 honors, including four People's Choice awards, two Golden Globes and an Oscar. With her trademark dreadlocks, wide impish grin, and piercing humor, Goldberg is best known for her adept portrayals in both comedic and dramatic roles, as well as her groundbreaking work as an African-American woman in the Hollywood film industry. While her award-winning roles are well-known facts about Whoopi, it may be less known that she holds a Ph.D. in literature from New York University and an honorary degree from Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.

Goldberg won numerous awards for her supporting role as Oda Mae Brown in Ghost (1990), including an Oscar for best actress in a supporting role, becoming the first African-American woman to win the Academy Award for best supporting actress in nearly 50 years, as well as only the second African-American actress to win an Oscar for acting. She also took home her second Golden Globe (best performance by an actress in a supporting role in a motion picture). The film Ghost starring Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze, was a public favorite. That same year, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People named Whoopi Goldberg the Black Entertainer of the Year, and she also collected an Excellence Award at the Women in Film Festival.

Goldberg's recent acting roles include The Deep End of the Ocean (1999), starring Michelle Pfeiffer, and Girl, Interrupted (1999), co-starring Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie. In 2004, Whoopi returned to Broadway to star in a self-titled one-woman show. In 2006, Goldberg debuted a syndicated radio show, Wake Up With Whoopi.

For tickets ($125), call the box office at 203-438-5795, or visit ridgefieldplayhouse.org. The Ridgefield Playhouse is a non-profit performing arts center located at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street, Ridgefield, CT.