Hal Holbrook is Twain In MARK TWAIN TONIGHT! at Hartford's Lincoln Theatre, 1/23

Hartford Stage, The Mark Twain House & Museum and The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has announced that Oscar-nominee HAl Holbrook will make a rare appearance at the Hartford Lincoln Center on Saturday, January 23rd at 7:30pm in Mark Twain TONIGHT! - his acclaimed Tony Award-winning one-man show which celebrates the humor, satirical wit, and timeless observations of Mark Twain. Holbrook will be taking a brief break from the set of his upcoming feature film Flying Lessons, where he plays a retired officer and war veteran with Alzheimer's Disease.

HAl Holbrook has never been able to quit Mark Twain and probably never will. He has toured the show in some part of every year since 1954, with over 2,100 performances, making 2009 the 55th consecutive year for this remarkable one-man show. Mark Twain TONIGHT! has become perhaps the longest-running show in theatre history. Holbrook adds to his Twain material every year, editing and changing it to fit the times, and has mined over sixteen hours of Twain with more coming all the time. He has no set program - he chooses material as he goes along.

The Hartford marks a significant milestone of its own in 2010, celebrating the Bicentennial of its incorporation and two centuries of servIce To the communities in which its employees live and work. In honor of this achievement, The Hartford has made a historic underwriting commitment to both The Mark Twain House & Museum's Centennial events and Hartford Stage's Twain programs. The Hartford will be providing year-long financial support, including being the Presenting Sponsor of Hartford Stage's upcoming world premiere theatrical adaptation of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and its Twain-related programs and education initiatives.

The performance of Mark Twain Tonight! marks the kick-off of this joint endeavor, as well as a return by the Emmy- and Tony Award-winning HAl Holbrook to the city Mark Twain loved so well. In 1956, Holbrook performed Mark Twain Tonight! at the Mark Twain Memorial's annual meeting, just three months after he had won nationwide acclaim with the piece on "The Ed Sullivan Show." Holbrook's most recent Hartford appearance was in the record-breaking production of Our Town at Hartford Stage in 2007, where he played the central role of the Stage Manager.

The Mark Twain House & Museum's Executive Director Jeffrey L. Nichols states, "Thanks to The Hartford, we have a full year planned with author lectures, special performances, fun-filled family activities, a new book club in collaboration with the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer with libraries across the state, insightful exhibitions, and, of course, the many events surrounding Hartford Stage's Tom Sawyer. We look forward to spending a year reflecting on the life, work and home of Mark Twain."

Hartford Stage Artistic Director Michael Wilson says of the partnership, "All of us at Hartford Stage are thrilled to be partnering with The Hartford and The Mark Twain House & Museum on these exciting celebratory events. We look forward to welcoming HAl Holbrook back to Hartford to revisit one of the great roles of his spectacular career, and are most grateful for The Hartford's sponsorship of our upcoming world premiere of Twain's classic The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Laura Eason's vibrant new adaptation will introduce another generation to the magic of Twain's genius."

"Mark Twain, one of our nation's greatest authors, was inspired to write some of his best works while living in Hartford," says Connie Weaver, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at The Hartford. "His renowned works provide insight into the American mindset of the late nineteenth century, and continue to have strong meaning for Americans today. Through this historic partnership between The Mark Twain House & Museum and Hartford Stage, Twain's work will again come to life and commemorate the rich history of our region. We are pleased to work on such a historic effort and look forward to celebrating our bicentennial year with two of Hartford's cultural gems."

Mark Twain TONIGHT! TICKET INFORMATION: Tickets for Mark Twain Tonight! go on sale to the general public on December 7 at $55 and $70, with a $125 premier seating ticket that includes a dessert reception with HAl Holbrook after the performance. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Hartford Stage box office at 860-527-5151 or online at hartfordstage.org. The Lincoln Theater is located at 200 Bloomfield Avenue in West Hartford.

In April, Hartford Stage will present the world premiere of Laura Eason's adaptation of Twain's beloved classic, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Hartford Stage Associate Artistic Director Jeremy B. Cohen will direct. Tom Sawyer chronicles the adventures of Twain's mischievous young hero in a small town on the Mississippi River and showcases Twain's brilliant sense of humor and keen insights into human nature.

Event underwriters for Mark Twain Tonight! are Sally and Ted Carrier; Dr. and Mrs. J. David Haddox; Stephen and Amy Sills; David and Jan Klein; Tom and Margah Lips; and Reid & Riege, P.C. The Event Committee includes Connie K. Weaver, Honorary Chair; Karen and John Wheat, Co-chairs; Gregory Butler; Dr. J. David Haddox; and Duby McDowell.

The Mark Twain House & Museum has restored the author's Hartford, Connecticut home, where the author and his family lived from 1874 to 1891. Twain wrote his most important works there, including Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. In addition to providing tours of Twain's restored home, a National Historic Landmark, the institution offers activities and educational programs that illuminate Twain's literary legacy and provide information about his life and times. The Mark Twain House and Museum at 351 Farmington Ave. are open Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and Sunday, noon-5:30 p.m. For more information, call 860-247-0998 or visit www.MarkTwainHouse.org.

Since its founding in 1963, Hartford Stage (Michael Wilson, Artistic Director, and Michael Stotts, Managing Director) has produced over 320 new productions, among them more than 60 world or American premieres. Recent work includes a landmark production of Horton Foote's three-part The Orphans' Home Cycle, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, the world premiere of Daniel Beaty's Resurrection, several plays by Tennessee Williams during an unprecedented ten-year marathon of his work, including The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore, Summer and Smoke, A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur, and the two-evening 8 By Tenn, which included three premieres. Other new work includes the premiere of Eve Ensler's Necessary Targets; the commission and premiere of Edward Albee's Peter and Jerry; the East Coast premiere of Lanford Wilson's Book of Days; and Matthew Barber's Enchanted April which transferred to Broadway. The theatre has earned numerous distinguished honors, including a Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, the Margo Jones Award, OBIE awards, and a New York Critics Circle award. In 2005 Hartford Stage was awarded The Hartford Courant's Tapestry Award recognizing its outstanding work in diversity, and in 2008 it was awarded the Bank of America Neighborhood Builder's Award recognizing its excellent educational work in the Greater Hartford community.

Celebrating nearly 200 years, The Hartford is an insurance-based financial services company that serves households, businesses and employees by helping to protect their assets and income from risks, and by managing wealth and retirement needs. A Fortune 500 company, The Hartford is recognized widely for its service expertise and as one of the world's most ethical companies. More information on the company and its financial performance is available at www.thehartford.com.

Programs of The Mark Twain House & Museum and Hartford Stage are made possible by the support of the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism and the Greater Hartford Arts Council.

Photo Credit Walter McBride

 

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