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| Mark Russell visits Ford's Theatre, February 16, 2015 |
From our friends at Ford's Theatre...
Ford's Theatre Society Presents An Evening with Mark Russell, February 16, 2015 at 7:00 PM
Piano-playing political satirist Mark Russell returns to Ford’s Theatre for one night only, Monday, February 16, 2015, at 7 p.m. With material ripped from today’s headlines, Russell’s unique brand of comedy earned him the Mark Twain Award for political comedy and has made him a popular favorite on PBS. Long before Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, there was Mark Russell, daring to joke and sing of the often absurd political processes.
Tickets for An Evening with Mark Russell range $20 to $64, and are available to Ford’s Theatre Members and groups (15 or more) on November 3, at 10 a.m. Tickets go on sale to the general public on November 17, at 10 a.m. Tickets may be purchased in person at Ford’s Theatre Box Office (511 Tenth Street NW, Washington, DC), through Ticketmaster at (800) 982-2787 or online at www.fords.org (fees apply). Groups of 15 or more may reserve tickets online at www.fords.org/groups.
About Mark Russell:
Long before Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, Mark Russell dared to joke and sing about the often-absurd political process. Though he actually knew little about politics when he began performing, his ability to find humor in anything made him an immediate hit. After serving in the Marines, Russell began playing at a piano bar on Capitol Hill before he earned a 20-year stint at the Shoreham Hotel. Russell’s television credits include nearly 30 years on public television on the eponymous Mark Russell Comedy Specials. His composing credits include two children’s musicals for the Kennedy Center: Teddy Roosevelt and the Ghostly Mistletoe (premiered December 2009) and Teddy Roosevelt and the Treasure of Ursa Major (2006).
With impeccable timing, twinkling eyes and shock-of-recognition insights into American politics, Russell draws merriment from the pomposity of public life. Reading three or four newspapers a day allows him to constantly update his material. The result is that no two shows are ever identical. “I thrive on newspapers,” he frequently states. “And it looks like I’ll be thriving longer than them.” Russell performs annually at colleges, conventions and theatres, including frequent visits to Ford’s Theatre. He and his wife live in Washington. Russell is the father of three and the grandfather of seven.
Ford’s Theatre Society:
One of the most visited sites in the nation’s capital, Ford’s Theatre reopened its doors in 1968, more than a hundred years after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Operated through a partnership between Ford’s Theatre Society and the National Park Service, Ford’s Theatre is the premier destination in the nation’s capital to explore and celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s ideals and leadership principles: courage, integrity, tolerance, equality and creative expression.
The Ford’s Theatre Society was founded under the guidance of executive producer Frankie Hewitt, who, during her 35-year tenure, established Ford’s as a living, working theatre producing performances that highlighted the diversity of the American experience. Since the arrival of Paul R. Tetreault as Director, critics and the theatergoing public have recognized Ford’s for the superior quality of its artistic programming. With works from the nationally acclaimed Big River to the world premieres of Meet John Doe, The Heavens Are Hung in Black, Liberty Smith and Necessary Sacrifices, Ford’s Theatre is making its mark on the American theatre landscape. Under the leadership of Wayne R. Reynolds, Board of Trustees Chairman Emeritus (Chairman 2007 to 2012), the mission of Ford’s Theatre Society expanded to include education as a central pillar. This expansion led to the creation and construction of the Center for Education and Leadership, which opened in February 2012. Currently, under the leadership of Board of Trustees Chairman Eric A. Spiegel, Ford’s enters a second phase of strategic planning to ensure the organization’s place as a national destination for exploring Lincoln’s legacy and the American experience through the intersection of history, performance and education.
