February 26, 2008                                                                                                                                             Associate Director of Marketing

                                                                                                                                                                               Phone: 253.573.2360

                                                                                                                                                                               Email: laceyl@broadwaycenter.org

PBS and Teatro Zinzanni Star

Brings Marx Madness to Theatre on the Square

An Evening with Groucho: Featuring Frank Ferrante

Tacoma, WA – Experience “Marx Madness” at Broadway Center’s Theatre on the Square with PBS and Teatro Zinanni star Frank Ferrante as he brings Groucho Marx to life in An Evening with Groucho on March 7, 2008 at 7:30pm and March 8 at 3:00pm & 7:30pm.  Ferrante’s acclaimed performance expertly portrays Groucho Marx in a way that will have audiences singing along and rolling in the aisles.

Groucho Marx - Born Julius Henry Marx on October 2, 1890, Groucho was the third of five sons born to poor immigrant parents Sam and Minnie Marx. At the age of fifteen, Groucho joined his brothers on the stage, quickly developing a show that would become the hilarious vaudeville act - The Marx Brothers. Audiences and critics went ballistic over the brothers' irreverent humor, the expert pantomime, the wisecracks, the physical shtick and the outrageous musical talent. After a string of successes on Broadway, including I’ll Say She Is, The Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers, the Brothers moved to Hollywood, where from 1931 to 1949 they crafted some of the most famous comedies of all time. As a soloist, Groucho launched a career on radio and television with his Emmy Award winning work as the host of the comedy quiz show You Bet Your Life. The show flourished for fourteen highly rated seasons from 1947 to 1961 on ABC radio then NBC television. Groucho lived to perform at Carnegie Hall at age 82 and received a special Academy Award in 1974 for “the brilliant and unequalled achievements of the Marx Brothers.”  On August 19, 1977 Groucho Marx died at age 86.

Frank Ferrante - Discovered by Groucho's son Arthur when he was a drama student at the University of Southern California, Ferrante originated the off-Broadway title role in Groucho: a Life in Revue portraying the comedian from age 15 to 85.  For this role, Frank won 1987's New York's Theatre World Award and was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award.  He reprised the role in London's West End and was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for ‘Comedy Performance of the Year.’  Ferrante played the Groucho role in the off-Broadway revival of The Cocoanuts and has played Captain Spalding in several productions of Animal Crackers winning a Connecticut Critics Circle Award for his portrayal at Goodspeed Opera House and a Helen Hayes nomination in Washington D.C. at Arena Stage. In 2001, Ferrante starred in, directed and produced the national PBS television program Groucho: A Life in Revue. Ferrante currently stars as the comic lead in the European cirque Teatro Zinzanni in San Francisco and Seattle. 

Tickets are on sale now for $34. Tickets may be purchased at the Broadway Center Box Office located on 9th & Broadway or by calling the Box Office at 253.591.5894. To purchase online at any time or for information about upcoming events visit www.broadwaycenter.org.

Additionally, the Broadway Center is offering a special ticket package for one ticket for $40 to two great tribute shows - An Evening with Groucho (March 7 & 8) and Eddie Daniels: Benny and Beyond (March 30) .

The Broadway Center for the Performing Arts gratefully acknowledges the following for support of the 2007-2008 Season: ArtsFund, Ben B. Cheney Foundation, The Boeing Company, City of Tacoma, Forest Foundation, The News Tribune, Pierce County Arts Commission, Sequoia Foundation Pierce County Program, and Washington State Arts Commission.

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