Fred Grandy to Star in GIVE 'EM HELL, HARRY! Directed by Hunter Foster

Give 'Em Hell, Harry!, a one-man play by Samuel Gallu, tells the inspirational story of a feisty mule trader's son who rose from obscurity to become the 33rd president of the United States. When Harry Truman was unexpectedly thrust into office, in 1945, he was ridiculed by both the press and the public as "the little man from Missouri"; by the time he left office, seven years later, he was hailed the world over as one of the great leaders of the 20th Century.

Starring as Harry Truman is Fred Grandy (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Sleuth, I'm Not Rappaport). A veteran of over 300 TV and film appearances, Grandy is, perhaps, best known for his nine seasons on the hit TV series, The Love Boat, playing purser "Gopher" Smith. No stranger to politics himself, Grandy also served four terms as a US Congressman from his native Iowa before returning to the stage.

Now Grandy offers a virtuoso turn in this new production of Give 'Em Hell, Harry!, directed by Broadway's Hunter Foster (Urinetown, Bridges of Madison County, Little Shop of Horrors). The play, which uses Truman's own words "reminds us," says Foster, "that his gentle wit and plain-spoken wisdom is even more relevant and engaging today." Written in 1975, the play officially opened at Ford's theatre in Washington, D.C., and was hosted by Truman's daughter, Margaret.

Give 'Em Hell, Harry! is generously sponsored by UBS - The Mistry Group. "Jamie Mistry and his company have generously stepped up to help us bring this exciting special event to our patrons," says Encore Artistic Director, Dan Cooney. "We are grateful for the continued support of our community members who are hungry for quality theatrical experiences."

Give 'Em Hell, Harry! will run for five performances only in The Maas Theatre, The Encore Musical Theatre's new performance space in the historic Copeland building. Tickets are currently on sale, and can be purchased online at www.theencoretheatre.org/, by calling 734-268-6200, or by visiting the box office at 7714 Ann Arbor Street (see website for current box office hours).

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