Frank Ferrante in AN EVENING WITH GROUCHO Set for CVRep This Weekend

Award-winning actor and director Frank Ferrante will recreate his PBS, New York and London acclaimed portrayal of legendary comedian Groucho Marx in his fast paced 90 minute, hilarious production of Frank Ferrante - An Evening With Groucho to be presented at the Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre in Rancho Mirage, this weekend, August 28, 29, and 30.

The two-act comedy consists of the best Groucho one-liners, anecdotes and songs including "Hooray for Captain Spalding" and "Lydia the Tattooed Lady". The audience literally becomes part of the show as Ferrante ad-libs his way throughout the performance in grand Groucho style. Accompanied by his onstage pianist Mark Rabe, Ferrante portrays young Groucho of stage and film and reacquaints us with the likes of brothers, Harpo, Chico Zeppo and Gummo, as well as Charlie Chaplin, W.C. Fields and the well-known Marx foil, Margaret Dumont.

Frank Ferrante is an actor, director and producer described by The New York Times as "the greatest living interpreter of Groucho Marx material." Discovered by Groucho's son Arthur when Frank was a drama student at the University of Southern California, Frank originated the off-Broadway title role in Groucho: A Life in Revue (written by Arthur) portraying the comedian from age 15-85. For this role, Frank earned New York's Theatre World Award and an Outer Critics Circle nomination. He reprised the role in London's West End and was nominated for the Lawrence Olivier Award for Comedy Performance of the Year. Frank played the Groucho role in the off-Broadway revival of The Cocoanuts and has portrayed Captain Spalding in several productions of Animal Crackers winning a Connecticut Critics Circle Award for his performance at the Goodspeed Opera House. He also performed at the Huntington Theatre in Boston in the record-breaking run of Animal Crackers that landed Frank on the cover of American Theatre Magazine. Performing the Groucho role over 2500 times and in more than 400 cities, Frank Ferrante is now bringing Groucho and his madcap humor to the CVRep stage.

Frank Ferrante - An Evening With Groucho will be performed at the Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre located at 69930 Highway 111,Suite 116, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 on Friday, August 28 and Saturday, August 29th at 7:00 PM and Sunday, August 30that 2:00 PM. Tickets are $25 each. To purchase tickets call 760-296-2966, visit www.cvrep.org or purchase them from the CVRep Box Office=