Comic Ron White Comes to MPAC 8/11

Comedian Ron White performs two shows at Mayo Performing Arts Center on Friday, August 11 at 7 pm and 9:30 pm. Tickets are $49-$99. This event is for adults only.

Comedian Ron "Tater Salad" White first rose to fame as the cigar-smoking, scotch-drinking funnyman from the Blue Collar Comedy Tour phenomenon, but now as a chart-topping Grammy-nominated comedian and a feature film actor, Ron White has established himself as a star in his own righT. White has always been a classic storyteller. His stories relay tales from his real life, ranging from growing up in a small town in Texas to sharing stories of his daily life to becoming one of the most successful comedians in America. All four of his comedy albums charted #1 on the BillboardTM Comedy Charts. He has sold over 14 million albums (solo and with the Blue Collar Comedy Tour), been nominated for two Grammys, and over the past 9 years (since 2004) been one of the top three grossing stand up comedians on tour in America.

Ron White began performing comedy in 1986 and was quickly opening for legendary comedians Sam Kinison and Jeff Foxworthy. After eventually becoming a Comedy Club headliner, in 2000 White was asked to join the Blue Collar Comedy Tour alongside Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy. The show toured for over three years to sold-out audiences in over 270 cities and grossed more than $35 million. In 2003, Warner Brothers filmed the show, Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie for a theatrical/TV/DVD/CD release. The film premiered as the most-watched movie in Comedy Central's history. In 2005, the video Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again was filmed and released on TV and DVD/CD.

In November of 2003, White released his breakthrough comedy CD Drunk In Public followed by his first one-hour TV comedy special They Call Me Tater Salad. The special had the highest viewership for a Sunday program in Comedy Central history. The DVD version was released in 2004 and reached #1 on the BillboardTM Comedy Chart. In 2005, White's second one-hour special You Can't Fix Stupid aired on Comedy Central to 4.5 million viewers, making it the third largest audience in Comedy Central's history and the #1 show on primetime basic cable. The CD reached #1 on the BillboardTM Comedy Charts and remained there for 9 consecutive weeks. This success also earnEd White his first Grammy nomination. Ron received his second Grammy nod for the show Blue Collar Comedy Tour - One for The Road. In June 2006, Penguin Books released Ron's first book Ron "Tater Salad" White: I Had the Right to Remain Silent.But I Didn't Have the Ability, which landed him on the New York Times Best Seller List. In 2009, Ron released his 3rd album Behavioral Problems, which reached #1 on the BillboardTM Comedy Chart. In 2013 Ron's 4th album, A Little Unprofessional, also reached #1 on the BillboardTM Comedy Chart. All of Ron's DVDs are certified Platinum.

Ron has been a passionate supporter of the US military troops for more than 20 years, donating his time and resources. In 2008, he created an annual charity show Ron White's Comedy Salute to the Troops. The profit from ticket/DVD sales is donated to the Armed Forces Foundation to assist troops and their families. Many of White's celebrity friends have participated in these shows: Lewis Black, Dave Attell, Kathleen Madigan, Brian Regan and Rascal Flatts. In 2011, the show was recorded for TV/DVD and was the second highest-watched show on CMT that year. The taping location that year and the next was the historic Grand Ole Opry. In 2013 the show was recorded in Las Vegas and premiered March 2013.

As an actor, Ron White had supporting roles acted in the major theatrical films Horrible Bosses and Sex and the City 2. He also had a principal role in Jayne Mansfield's Car (written/directed by Billy Bob Thornton), He is a co-Executive Producer of Bridegroom, a Linda Bloodworth-Thomason documentary, which debuted at the 2013 NYC Tribeca Film Festival and won the Audience Award.

In 2016, Ron White's acting talents were showcased alongside Luke Wilson, Carla Gugino, and Imogen Poots, in music-industry veteran Cameron Crowe's Showtime series, Roadies. White played road-tested tour manager Phil in a critically praised performance.

Mayo Performing Arts Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, presents a wide range of programs that entertain, enrich, and educate the diverse population of the region and enhance the economic vitality of Northern New Jersey. The 2017-2018 season is made possible, in part, by a grant the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as support received from the F.M. Kirby Foundation and numerous corporations, foundations and individuals. The Mayo Performing Arts Center has been designated a Major Presenting Organization by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Mayo Performing Arts Center was named 2016 Outstanding Historic Theatre by the League of Historic American Theatres, and is ranked in the top 50 mid-sized performing arts centers by Pollstar Magazine.