'Tuesdays With Morrie' At The Waterfront

(Photo by Barry Fitzgerald)

The Waterfront Playhouse continues their 68^th season with "Tuesdays With Morrie," which is the stage adaptation of Mitch Albom's best-selling novel of the same name. Mr. Albom and playwright Jeffrey Hatcher have turned Albom's blockbuster into a life-affirming play that captures the story that has touched hearts all over the world. New York Magazine calls it "Unforgettable!"

"Tuesdays With Morrie" will be directed by Carole MacCartee and will star local favorite, Michael McCabe as Mitch, and Peter Haig as Morrie. Mr. Haig is an award-winning Equity actor who has been imported from Ft. Lauderdale for this production. The play opens on January 23 and runs until February 9 with a curtain time of 8:00 pm. The Waterfront's technical director, Michael Boyer, will design the set, Kim Hanson the lighting and Carmen Rodriguez will create the costumes with Peggy Montgomery as stage manager.

"Tuesdays With Morrie" has become a landmark in the popular culture, first promoted in 1997 on Oprah Winfrey's book club, and then appearing on The New York Times Best Seller list for over five years. Eventually Ms. Winfrey produced it as a television movie starring Jack Lemmon and Hank Azaria, which won four Emmy Awards. "Tuesdays With Morrie" has been published in 34 countries, in 30 languages with over 11 million copies in print.

The story is about Mitch, an accomplished sports journalist, and Morrie, his former college professor. Sixteen years after Mitch graduates, he sees Morrie on Ted Koppel's Nightline, where Morrie is discussing his battle with Lou Gehrig's disease. Morrie is the same – witty and amazingly upbeat - but over the years, Mitch has become a career-obsessed man who feels a definite lack in his life. After the Nightline interview, the two reconnect and what starts out as a simple visit turns into a weekly pilgrimage – a final class in the meaning of life. The New York Daily News says the play is "A touching, life-affirming, deeply emotional drama with a generous dose of humor."

Mitch Albom is the author of nine books, including The New York Times bestseller, The Five People You Meet In Heaven. For more than a decade, he has been named the number one sports columnist in the nation by the Sport Editors of America. His work has appeared in numerous national and international publications, including Sports Illustrated, GQ, The New York Times, TV Guide, USA Today and on MSNBC. A graduate of Brandeis University , he earned a Master's Degree in journalism. Before becoming an established writer, he was an amateur boxer, a nightclub singer and pianist, and was once a warm-up comedian for Gabe Kaplan.

Carole MacCartee has directed and appeared in productions on all of the stages in Key West. Last season she directed "The Exonerated" at The Red Barn, where she has also directed such productions as "Frozen," "The Drawer Boy," "Dancing At Lughnasa," "The Vagina Monologues," as well as many others. She directed "Amadeus" at the Tennessee Williams Theatre. At the Waterfront she has directed "Spike Heels"and "Five Women Wearing the Same Dress" and has appeared in "All In The Timing" and "The Miser." Ms. MacCartee has taught acting classes for the past 16 summers at the Red Barn.

Peter Haig (Morrie) was trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City and has been a professional actor since the 1960's when he worked with Joseph Papp and the Public Theatre and was directed by George C. Scott. In the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area, he has appeared in Arthur Miller's "The Price"for which he won a Best Actor Carbonell Award (South Florida's Tony Award), and has been seen in "Trying," "The Little Foxes," "On Golden Pond" and "Someone To Watch Over Me." He's also been featured in the telenovellas "Miami Sands" and "Ocean Avenue." 

Michael McCabe plays Mitch and has appeared at the Waterfront in the lead role of "Pippin" and in last year's "Carl Hiaasen's Lucky You," as Tom Krome. He was also in Bill Wheeler's children's show, "Cinderella."Earlier this season he appeared in "A Lot of Night Music – Sondheim Showstoppers" at The Waterfront. At the Red Barn, he appeared in "Bat Boy"and the concert, "Laughing Matters."Last season he was Lt. Cable in Island Opera's "South Pacific" and The Key West Pops Concert Version of "Follies."

Tickets are $30.00 and may be purchased by calling the box office at 305-294-5015 or at the Waterfront's 24-hour internet ticketing service at www.waterfrontplayhouse.com.

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