The Mirage Welcomes Steve Martin, 4/29-30

One of the most diversified performers of our time, Steve Martin will debut his musical talent on the five-string banjo at The Mirage Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30 inside the Terry Fator Theatre.  The multi-talented GRAMMY® and Emmy® Award-winning actor, comedian and musician will take the stage with bluegrass musical group the Steep Canyon Rangers at 10 p.m., nightly.
 
Tickets priced at $69.99 and $59.99, plus tax and service fees, are now on sale.   To charge by phone call (800) 627-6667 or (702) 791-7111.  Tickets also are available for purchase online at www.mirage.com and www.ticketmaster.com. 
 
Martin began incorporating the banjo into his stand-up comedy routine in the 1970s and it has been a mainstay in his career ever since.  In 2001, he played the banjo on Earl Scruggs' remake of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" and the single earned the GRAMMY for Best Country Instrumental Performance.  In 2009, he released his first full-length bluegrass album, The Crow:  New Songs for the Five-String Banjo, which went on to win the GRAMMY for Best Bluegrass Album.  In 2010, Martin established The Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass, an annual award which brings recognition to an individual or group for outstanding accomplishment in the field of five-string banjo or bluegrass music. 
 
Martin is scheduled to release his second bluegrass album, Rare Bird Alert, on Rounder Records in March.  The album will feature 13 tracks, all written by Martin, and include special guest vocal appearances by Paul McCartney and Dixie Chicks.  The album features the Steep Canyon Rangers who Martin has been on tour with since May 2010.  Previous tour stops have included Carnegie Hall, New Orleans Jazz Fest and Bonnaroo Music Festival.
 
Not only has Martin been recognized for his musical career, but also for his work as an actor, comedian, author, playwright and producer.  He has penned several works including his most recent novel "An Object of Beauty" and his second children's book "Late for School," which  is accompanied by a CD of Martin on banjo and vocals singing the book's story with a bluegrass twist.  Some of his more popular feature films include "The Jerk," "Roxanne," "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," "Father of the Bride," "Cheaper By the Dozen," "Shopgirl," "It's Complicated" and his current film, "The Good Year," set to be released by 20th Century Fox in October 2011.